ied by Uma into the skies, in the sight of that
foremost of men."

SECTION XLI

Vaisampayana said, "The wielder of the Pinaka, having the bull for his
sign, thus disappeared in the very sight of the gazing son of Pandu, like
the sun setting in the sight of the world. Arjuna, that slayer of hostile
heroes, wondered much at this, saying, 'O, I have seen the great god of
gods. 'Fortunate, indeed I am, and much favoured, for I have both beheld
and touched with my hand the three-eyed Hara the wielder of the Pinaka,
in his boon-giving form. I shall win success. I am already great. My
enemies have already been vanquished by me. My purposes have been already
achieved.' And while the son of Pritha, endued with immeasurable energy,
was thinking thus, there came to that place Varuna the god of waters,
handsome and of the splendour of the lapis lazuli accompanied by all
kinds of aquatic creatures, and filling all the points of the horizon
with a blazing effulgence. And accompanied by Rivers both male and
female, and Nagas, and Daityas and Sadhyas and inferior deities, Varuna,
the controller and lord of all aquatic creatures, arrived at that spot.
There came also the lord Kuvera of body resembling pure gold, seated on
his car of great splendour, and accompanied by numerous Yakshas. And the
lord of treasures, possessed of great beauty, came there to see Arjuna,
illuminating the firmament with his effulgence. And there came also Yama
himself, of great beauty, the powerful destroyer of all the worlds,
accompanied by those lords of the creation--the Pitris--both embodied and
disembodied. And the god of justice, of inconceivable soul, the son of
Surya, the destroyer of all creatures, with the mace in hand, came there
on his car, illuminating the three worlds with regions of the Guhyakas,
the Gandharvas and the Nagas, like a second Surya as he riseth at the end
of the Yuga. Having arrived there, they beheld, from the effulgent and
variegated summits of the great mountain, Arjuna engaged in ascetic
austerities. And there came in a moment the illustrious Sakra also,
accompanied by his queen, seated on the back of (the celestial elephant)
Airavata, and surrounded also by all the deities. And in consequence of
the white umbrella being held over his head, he looked like the moon amid
fleecy clouds. And eulogised by Gandharvas, and Rishis endued with wealth
of asceticism, the chief of the celestials alighted on a particular
summit of the m