monarch, swimming in felicity, the intelligent lord of the
celestials, Purandara, spake, saying, 'Thou shalt rule the earth, O
Pandava. Blessed be thou! Do thou, O Kunti's son, again repair unto
Kamyaka.'

"That learned man who for a year leading the _Brahmacharya_ mode of
life, subduing his senses and observing vows, peruseth with rapt
attention this meeting of _Sakra_ with the Pandavas, liveth a hundred
years free from disturbances, and enjoying happiness."

SECTION CLXVI

Vaisampayana continued, "When _Sakra_ had gone to his proper place,
_Vibhatsu_ together with his brothers and Krishna, paid homage unto the
son of Dharma. Then smelling the crown of the head of that Pandava, who
was thus paying homage, (Yudhishthira) in accents faltering on account
of you, addressed Arjuna, saying 'O Arjuna, how didst thou pass this
period in heaven? And how has thou obtained the weapons, and how also
hast thou gratified the lord of the celestials? And, O Pandava, has thou
adequately secured the weapons? Have the lord of the celestials and
_Rudra_ gladly granted thee the weapons? And how hast thou beheld the
divine _Sakra_, and the wielder of _Pinaka_? And how has thou obtained
the weapons? And in what manner didst thou worship (them)? And what
service hadst thou done unto that repressor of foes, the worshipful one
of a hundred sacrifices, that he said unto thee, "By thee have I been
gratified?" All this, O highly effulgent one, I wish to hear in detail.
And, O sinless one, the manner in which thou didst please Mahadeva and
the king of the celestials and, O repressor of foes, the service thou
hadst done to the wielder of the thunder-bolt,--do thou, O Dhananjaya,
relate all this in detail.'

"Arjuna said, 'O mighty monarch, listen how I duly beheld him of a
hundred sacrifice and the divine _Sankara_ also. O grinder of foes, O
king, having acquired that science which thou hadst directed me (to
learn), I at thy command went to the forest, for practising penances.
From _Kamyaka_ repairing to the _Bhrigutunga_, I spent there one night,
being engaged in austerities. And it came to pass that on the next I saw
a certain _Brahmana_. And he asked me, saying, "O son of Kunti, whither
wilt thou go?" Thereupon, O descendant of the Kurus, I truly related
unto him everything. And, O best of kings, having heard the true
account, the _Brahmana_ became well-pleased with me, and, O king,
praised me. Then the _Brahmana_, pleased with me, said, "O