pons of
_Vayu_, of _Agni_, of the _Vasus_, of _Varuna_, of the _Marutas_, of the
_Siddhas_, of Brahma, of the Gandharvas, of the Uragas, of the
Rakshasas, of Vishnu and of the _Nairitas_; and also all the weapons
that are with me, O perpetuator of the Kuru race." Having said this unto
me _Sakra_ vanished at the very spot. Then, O king, I saw the wonderful
and sacred celestial car yoked with steeds arrive conducted by Matali.
And when the Lokapalas went away Matali said unto me, "O thou of mighty
splendour, the lord of the celestials is desirous of seeing thee. And O
mighty-armed one, do thou acquire competence and then perform thy task.
Come and behold the regions, attainable by merit and come unto heaven
even in this frame. O Bharata, the thousand-eyed lord of the celestials
wisheth to see thee." Thus addressed by Matali, I, taking leave of the
mountain Himalaya and having gone round it ascended that excellent car.
And then the exceedingly generous Matali, versed in equine lore, drove
the steeds, gifted with the speed of thought or the wind. And when the
chariot began to move that charioteer looking at my face as I was seated
steadily, wondered and said these words, "Today this appeareth unto me
strange and unprecedented that being seated in this celestial car, thou
hast not been jerked ever so little. O foremost of Bharata race, I have
ever remarked that at the first pull by the steeds even the lord of the
celestials himself getteth jerked. But all the while that the car had
moved, thou hast been sitting unshaken. This appeareth unto me as
transcending even the power of _Sakra_."

"'Having said this, O Bharata, Matali soared in the sky and showed me
the abodes of the celestials and their palaces. Then the chariot yoked
with steeds coursed upwards. And the celestials and the sages began to
worship (that car), O prime of men. And I saw the regions, moving
anywhere at will, and the splendour also of the highly energetic
_Gandharvas, Apsaras_, and the celestial sages. And _Sakra's_
charioteer, Matali, at once showed me _Nandana_ and other gardens and
groves belonging to the celestials. Next I beheld Indra's abode,
_Amaravati_, adorned with jewels and trees yielding any sort of fruit
that is desired. There the Sun doth not shed heat; nor doth heat or cold
or fatigue there affect (one), O king. And, O great monarch, the
celestials feel neither sorrow nor poverty of spirit, nor weakness, nor
lassitude, O grinder of foes. And