(O the son of lomaharShaNa!) You have told us all about the genealogy of hari (viShNu - kR^iShNa) with all the sections thereof as told by the disciple of vyAsa (vaishampAyana) with intellect.

Your recital of the story of hari, along with the itihAsa (of mahAbhArata) provides immense pleasure for all of us, destroying all sins like nectar (amR^ita).

O self-controlled! Our minds are highly pleased by hearing this story which is good to tell and hear. O The son of lomaharShana (sauti)! On hearing this best story, what did king janamejaya do after performing the snake sacrifice?

sauti, the son of lomaharShaNa (ugrashravas), said:

(O shaunaka!) I shall tell you what king janamejaya did, after hearing this best story and after performing the snake sacrifice.

After concluding the snake sacrifice, the son of parIkshit, king janamejaya began to collect all items for performing the horse sacrifice.

Summoning the R^itvik-s (the four priests hotr, adharyu, brahman and udgAtr) priests and the preceptors, the king said: I shall perform the horse sacrifice. Let the horse be set free.

Knowing about the king's thoughts, kR^iShNa dvaipAyana (vyAsa), the great soul who knows about all distant and near , arrived there suddenly to meet the son of parIkShit, janamejaya, having a magnanimous mind.

King janamejaya, son of parIkShit, seeing that the sage has arrived, received him respectfully, and worshipped him as ordained, by washing his feet and offering a seat to him.

O shaunaka! (sauti continued) Both of them sat comfortably. The members of the assembly sat around them. They discussed wonderful subjects of many kinds as given in vedas.

At the end of the discussion, the king prompted the sage, the grandfather of pANDava-s, his great grandfather.

(janamejaya said) The story of mahAbhArata is full of multiple meanings. The meanings of shruti is explained in this. It is a good story to be told and heard. I heard the good story and for me the time of several days passed quickly like a blink of an eye.

As created by you, it explains the all pervading power of viShNu and honours all, O the one having the soul of brahma, as if the milk ocean is filled in a conch.

As one is not satisfied by immortality and also not by the pleasures of heaven, I am also not satisfied yet by hearing this story of bhArata. (I am eager to hear more).

O lord! I want to ask you, who knows all, something with your permission. The rAjasUya (sacrifice) is reason for the destruction of kurus. This is my inference.

Seeing the manner in which the kings who are difficult to conquer were destroyed in the great battle, I think that rAjasUya sacrifice was the cause for the battle.

I have heard that soma had conducted the rAjasUya sacrifice long ago. At the end of the sacrifice, the great war tArakAmaya took place.

At the end of the great (rAjasUya) sacrifice conducted by varuNa, there was a great war between the deva-s and asura-s, which caused the destruction of all beings.

Afterwards, king sage harishchandra also conducted the rAjasUya sacrifice. At the end of the sacrifice, the battle named ADIbakaM (battle between vasiShTha (in the form of an aquatic bird (ADI)) and vishvAmitra (in the form of a crane , Ardea Nivea (baka)) - see nIlakaNTha commentary and mArkaNDeya purANa) took place, destroying the kShatriya-s.

Afterwards, the son of pANDu (yudhiShThira) conducted the highly difficult rAjasUya sacrifice, which became, like the spark of a fire, the cause of the mahAbhArata war.

Then why did you not prevent this great sacrifice rAjasUya, the cause of the war, which caused the decline of the world?

It is difficult to perform all the parts of the rAjasUya sacrifice, having the terrible concluding part (battle). If the sacrifice is not performed in full, definitely the people will be destroyed.

You are the great grandfather for all our ancestors. You are our creator and protector, our lord, who knows about the past and future.

Why did those people, having intellect, in spite of having you as their leader, fall from the right conduct? Only the leaderless as well as those having wrong leaders commit mistakes.

Your ancestors (pANDava-s) were seized by Time. (Under the influence of Time) they did not ask me about the future. I will not say anything if I am not asked.

I do not see the ability in any one for changing the future. One is unable to stop the course of Time.

Since you asked me about this, I shall tell you about the imminent future. But then Time is more powerful, since, even after hearing about what is to be done, you will not do it.

You will not be able to stay firm in prowess either by fear or by effort. The line drawn by Time can not be crossed by any means.

It is well known that the horse sacrifice is best for kShatriya-s. Due to this greatness of the sacrifice, vAsava (indra) will spoil your sacrifice.

O king! Is it possible to prevent this by any means? Is it possible to overcome fate with poweress? Hence please do not perform this sacrifice.

There is no fault of indra in this, no fault of the priests, not your fault, who is the lord of the sacrifice. Time can not be challenged.

That is the nature of Time as prescribed by the lord, the creator. As seen by the lord, the creations will go to their natural destruction at the end of yuga.

As prescribed by the creator, the fruit of the sacrifice is dealt by the Brahmins. All the fixed and moving objects of the three worlds is under the control of Time.

What will be the cause for stopping the horse sacrifice? O lord! If you agree to tell me, I will try to compensate for it.

O the indra of the kings! During that era, the one who is born in the same good race will perform the rAjasUya sacrifice in the same way like the shvetagraha (the appearance of which bodes calamity) appears at the destruction of the world. It will be fruitful for those men who do the sacrifice as per the power. The opening at the end of the era will be protected by the R^iShi-s as required.

From that day, the soul of men will abandon the good conduct established in yore. The prescribed order will not sustain in the affairs of the world.

Then the subtle dharma will provide great results. But due to many obstacles it will be difficult to follow the dharma. The root of the dharma will be charity. On breaking up of the four states, dharma will also deviate from its form.

Then men will attain expertise even with a little penance. O janamejaya! (vyAsa continued) At the end of the era, only the blessed will follow the path of dharma.