Himself? What office will be performed by Arjuna who, dwelling
for five years in the abode of the thousand-eyed Deity (Indra) shining
in celestial lustre, acquired by his own energy the science of
superhuman arms with all celestial weapons, and whom I regard as the
tenth _Rudra_, the thirteenth _Aditya_, the ninth _Vasu_, and the tenth
_Graha_, whose arms, symmetrical and long, have the skin hardened by
constant strokes of the bowstring and cicatrices which resemble those on
the humps of bulls,--that foremost of warriors who is as Himavat among
mountains, the ocean among expanses of water, Sakra among the celestial,
Havyavaha (fire) among the Vasus, the tiger among beasts, and Garuda
among feathery tribes!'

"Arjuna replied, 'O lord of the Earth, I will declare myself as one of
the neuter sex. O monarch, it is, indeed difficult to hide the marks of
the bowstring on my arms. I will, however, cover both my cicatrized arms
with bangles. Wearing brilliant rings on my ears and conch-bangles on my
wrists and causing a braid to hang down from my head, I shall, O king,
appear as one of the third sex, Vrihannala by name. And living as a
female I shall (always) entertain the king and the inmates of the inner
apartments by reciting stories. And, O king, I shall also instruct the
women of Virata's palace in singing and delightful modes of dancing and
in musical instruments of diverse kinds. And I shall also recite the
various excellent acts of men and thus conceal myself, O son of Kunti,
by feigning disguise. And, O Bharata should the king enquire, I will say
that, _I lived as a waiting maid of Draupadi in Yudhishthira's palace_.
And, O foremost of kings, concealing myself by this means, as fire is
concealed by ashes, I shall pass my days agreeably in the palace of
Virata.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Having said this, Arjuna, that best of men and
foremost of virtuous persons, became silent. Then the king addressed
another brother of his."[2]

[2] This speech of Vaisampayana is not included in some texts
within the second section. To include it, however, in the third,
is evidently a mistake.

SECTION III

"Yudhishthira said, 'Tender, possessed of a graceful presence, and
deserving of every luxury as thou art, what office wilt thou, O heroic
Nakula, discharge while living in the dominions of that king? Tell me
all about it!'

"Nakula said, 'Under the name of Granthika, I shall become the keeper of
the horses of