latter) the excellent
Vedas through great exertions and in a long time."'

"Lomasa said, 'Having said this to Yavakri, and restored all those to
life, the celestials with Indra at their head, ascended to heaven. Here,
O Yudhishthira, is the sacred hermitage of that sage embellished with
trees bearing blossoms and fruits at all seasons. O tiger among kings,
dwelling at this spot, thou wilt be delivered from all thy sins.'"

SECTION CXXXIX

"Lomasa said, 'O descendant of Bharata, O king, now hast thou left
behind the mountains Usiravija, Mainaka and Sweta, as well as the Kala
hills. O son of Kunti, O bull among the descendants of Bharata, here
flow before thee the seven Gangas. This spot is pure and holy. Here Agni
blazeth forth without intermission. No son of Manu is able to obtain a
sight of this wonder. Therefore, O son of Pandu, concentrate your mind
in order that he may intently behold these _tirthas_. Now wilt thou see
the play-ground of the gods, marked with their footprints, as we have
passed the mountain Kala. We shall now ascend that white rock--the
mountain Mandara, inhabited by the Yakshas, Manibhadra and Kuvera, king
of the Yakshas. O king, at this place eighty thousand fleet Gandharvas,
and four times as many Kimpurushas and Yakshas of various shapes and
forms, holding various weapons, attend upon Manibhadra, king of the
Yakshas. In these regions their power is very great. And in speed they
are even as the wind. They can, without doubt, displace even the lord of
the celestials from his seat. Protected by them, and also watched over
by the Rakshasas, these mountains have been rendered inaccessible.
Therefore, O son of Pritha, do thou concentrate thy thoughts. Besides
these, O son of Kunti, here are fierce ministers of Kuvera and his
Rakshasa kindred. We shall have to meet them, and, therefore, O Kunti's
son, gather up thy energies. O king the mountain Kailasa is six
_yojanas_ in height. It contains a gigantic jujube tree. And, O son of
Kunti, numberless gods and Yakshas and Rakshasas and Kinnaras and Nagas
and Suparnas and Gandharvas pass this way, in going towards Kuvera's
palace. O king, protected by me, as well as by the might of Bhimasena,
and also in virtue of thy own asceticism and self-command, do thou
to-day mix with them. May king Varuna and Yama, conqueror of battles,
and Ganga, and Yamuna, and this mountain, and the Maruts and the twin
Aswins, and all rivers and lakes, vouchsafe thy safety. And