ary achievements. And after he had become
invisible to the mortals of the earth, he beheld thousands of cars of
extra-ordinary beauty. And in that region there was no sun or moon or
fire to give light, but it blazed in light of its own, generated by
virtue of ascetic merit. And those brilliant regions that are seen from
the earth in the form of stars, like lamps (in the sky)--so small in
consequence of their distance, though very large--were beheld by the son
of Pandu, stationed in their respective places, full of beauty and
effulgence and blazing with splendour all their own. And there he beheld
royal sages crowned with ascetic success, and heroes who had yielded up
their lives in battle, and those that had acquired heaven by their
ascetic austerities, by hundreds upon hundreds. And there were also
Gandharvas, of bodies blazing like the sun, by thousands upon thousands,
as also Guhyakas and Rishis and numerous tribes of Apsaras. And beholding
those self-effulgent regions, Phalguna became filled with wonder, and
made enquiries of Matali. And Matali also gladly replied unto him,
saying, 'These, O son of Pritha, are virtuous persons stationed in their
respective places. It is these whom thou hast seen, O exalted one, as
stars, from the earth.' Then Arjuna saw standing at the gates (Indra's
region) the handsome and ever victorious elephant--Airavata--furnished
with four tusks, and resembling the mountain of Kailasa with its summits.
And coursing along that path of the Siddhas, that foremost of the Kurus
and the son of Pandu, sat in beauty like Mandhata--that best of kings.
Endued with eyes like lotus leaves, he passed through the region set
apart for virtuous kings. And the celebrated Arjuna having thus passed
through successive regions of heaven at last beheld Amaravati, the city
of Indra."

SECTION XLIII

Vaisampayana said, "And the city of Indra which Arjuna saw was delightful
and was the resort of Siddhas and Charanas. And it was adorned with the
flowers of every season, and with sacred trees of all kinds. And he
beheld also celestial gardens called Nandana--the favourite resort of
Apsaras. And fanned by the fragrant breezes charged with the farina of
sweet-scented flowers, the trees with their lord of celestial blossoms
seemed to welcome him amongst them. And the region was such that none
could behold it who had not gone through ascetic austerities, or who had
not poured libations on fire. It was a region for the