ut Arjuna's meeting with the three-eyed god of gods, and his contact
with the illustrious god's person!

"At Yudhishthira's command, Dhananjaya of immeasurable prowess set out
(from Kamyaka) to obtain a sight of Sakra, the chief of the celestials
and of Sankara, the god of gods. And the strong-armed Arjuna of great
might set out armed with his celestial bow and a sword with golden hilt,
for the success of the object he had in view, northwards, towards the
summit of the Himavat. And, O king, that first of all warriors in the
three worlds, the son of Indra, with a calm mind, and firmly adhering to
his purpose, then devoted himself, without the loss of any time, to
ascetic austerities. And he entered, all alone, that terrible forest
abounding with thorny plants and trees and flowers and fruits of various
kinds, and inhabited by winged creatures of various species, and
swarming with animals of diverse kinds, and resorted to by _Siddhas_ and
_Charanas_. And when the son of Kunti entered that forest destitute of
human beings, sounds of conchs and drums began to be heard in the
heavens. And a thick shower of flowers fell upon the earth, and the
clouds spreading over the firmament caused a thick shade. Passing over
those difficult and woody regions at the foot of the great mountains,
Arjuna soon reached the breast of the Himavat; and staying there for
sometime began to shine in his brilliancy. And he beheld there numerous
trees with expanding verdure, resounding with the melodious notes of
winged warblers. And he saw there rivers with currents of the _lapis
lazuli_, broken by the fierce eddies here and there, and echoing with
the notes of swans and ducks and cranes. And the banks of those rivers
resounded with the mellifluous strains of the male _Kokilas_ and the
notes of peacocks and cranes. And the mighty warrior, beholding those
rivers of sacred and pure and delicious water and their charming banks,
became highly delighted. And the delighted Arjuna of fierce energy and
high soul then devoted himself to rigid austerities in that delightful
and woody region. Clad in rags made of grass and furnished with a black
deerskin and a stick, he commenced to eat withered leaves fallen upon
the ground. And he passed the first month, by eating fruits at the
interval of three nights; and the second by eating at the interval of
the six nights; and the third by eating at the interval of a fortnight.
When the fourth month came, that best of th