“Beholding those protectors of the worlds assembled together on the heights of Himavat, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, wondered much.  Endued with great energy, he then duly worshipped the assembled Lokapalas, with words, water, and fruits.  The celestials then returning that worship, went away.  And the gods capable of going everywhere at will, and endued with the speed of the mind, returned to the places whence they had come.

“That bull among men—­Arjuna—­having obtained weapons thus, was filled with pleasure.  And he regarded himself as one whose desires had been fulfilled and who was crowned with success.”

SECTION XLII

(Indralokagamana Parva)

Vaisampayana said, “After the Lokapalas had gone away, Arjuna—­that slayer of all foes—­began to think, O monarch, of the car of Indra!  And as Gudakesa gifted with great intelligence was thinking of it, the car endued with great effulgence and guided by Matali, came dividing the clouds and illuminating the firmament and filling the entire welkin with its rattle deep as the roar of mighty masses of clouds.  Swords, and missiles of terrible forms and maces of frightful description, and winged darts of celestials splendour and lightnings of the brightest effulgence, and thunderbolts, and propellors furnished with wheels and worked with atmosphere expansion and producing sounds loud as the roar of great masses of clouds, were on that car.  And there were also on that car fierce and huge-bodied Nagas with fiery mouths, and heaps of stones white as the fleecy clouds.  And the car was drawn by ten thousands of horses of golden hue, endued with the speed of the wind.  And furnished with prowess of illusion, the car was drawn with such speed that the eye could hardly mark its progress.  And Arjuna saw on that car the flag-staff called Vaijayanta, of blazing effulgence, resembling in hue the emerald or the dark-blue lotus, and decked with golden ornaments and straight as the bamboo.  And beholding a charioteer decked in gold seated on that car, the mighty-armed son of Pritha regarded it as belonging to the celestials.  And while Arjuna was occupied with his thoughts regarding the car, the charioteer Matali, bending himself after descending from the car, addressed him, saying, ’O lucky son of Sakra!  Sakra himself wisheth to see thee.  Ascend thou without loss of time this car that hath been sent by Indra.  The chief of the immortals, thy father—­that god of a hundred sacrifices—­hath commanded me, saying, Bring the son of Kunti hither.  Let the gods behold him. And Sankara himself, surrounded by the celestials and Rishis and Gandharvas and Apsaras, waiteth to behold thee.  At the command of the chastiser of Paka, therefore, ascend thou with me from this to the region of the celestials.  Thou wilt return after obtaining weapons.’