called Angaraparna after my own name.
Here neither gods, nor Kapalikas, nor Gandharvas nor Yakshas, can come.
How dare ye approach me who am the brightest jewel on the diadem of
Kuvera?'

"Hearing these words of the Gandharva, Arjuna said, 'Blockhead, whether
it be day, night, or twilight, who can bar others from the ocean, the
sides of the Himalayas, and this river? O ranger of the skies, whether
the stomach be empty or full, whether it is night or day, there is no
special time for anybody to come to the Ganga--that foremost of all
rivers. As regards ourselves endued with might, we care not when we
disturb thee. Wicked being, those who are weak in fighting worship thee.
This Ganga, issuing out of the golden peaks of Himavat, falleth into the
waters of the ocean, being distributed into seven streams. They who drink
the waters of these seven streams, viz., Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati,
Vitashtha, Sarayu, Gomati, and Gandaki, are, cleansed of all their sins.
O Gandharva, this sacred Ganga again, flowing through the celestial
region is called there the Alakananda, It hath again in the region of the
Pitris become the Vaitarani, difficult of being crossed by sinners, and,
Krishna-Dwaipayana himself hath said so. The auspicious and celestial
river, capable of leading to heaven (them that touch its waters), is free
from all dangers. Why dost thou then desire to bar us from it? This act
of thine is not in consonance with eternal virtue. Disregarding thy
words, why shall we not touch the sacred waters of the Bhagirathi free
from all dangers and from which none can bar us?'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of Arjuna, Angaraparna
became inflamed with wrath and drawing his bow to a circle began to shoot
his arrows like venomous snakes at the Pandavas. Then Dhananjaya, the son
of Pandu, wielding a good shield and the torch he held in his hand,
warded off all those arrows and addressing the Gandharva again said, 'O
Gandharva, seek not to terrify those that are skilled in weapons, for
weapons hurled at them vanish like froth. I think, O Gandharva, that ye
are superior (in prowess) to men; therefore shall I fight with thee,
using celestial weapons and not with any crooked means. This fiery weapon
(that I shall hurl at thee), Vrihaspati the revered preceptor of Indra,
gave unto Bharadwaja, from whom it was obtained by Agnivesya, and from
Agnivesya by my preceptor, that foremost of Brahmanas, Drona, who gave it
away to me.'