The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 1 ADI PARVA SECTION CCXX (Arjuna-vanavasa Parva continued)

 The Mahabharata of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 1

ADI PARVA

 SECTION CCXX

(Arjuna-vanavasa Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Then Arjuna of immeasurable prowess saw, one after

another, all the sacred waters and other holy places that were on the

shores of the western ocean. Vibhatsu reached the sacred spot called

Prabhasa. When the invisible Arjuna arrived at that sacred and delightful

region, the slayer of Madhu (Krishna) heard of it. Madhava soon went

there to see his friend, the son of Kunti. Krishna and Arjuna met

together and embracing each other enquired after each other's welfare.

Those dear friends, who were none else than the Rishis Nara and Narayana

of old, sat down. Vasudeva asked Arjuna about his travels, saying, 'Why,

O Pandava art thou wandering over the earth, beholding all the sacred

waters and other holy places?' Then Arjuna told him everything that had

happened. Hearing everything, that mighty hero of Vrishni's race said,

'This is as it should be.' And Krishna and Arjuna having sported as they

liked, for some time at Prabhasa, went to the Raivataka mountain to pass

some days there. Before they arrived at Raivataka, that mountain had, at

the command of Krishna been well-adorned by many artificers. Much food

also had, at Krishna's command, been collected there. Enjoying everything

that had been collected there for him, Arjuna sat with Vasudeva to see

the performances of the actors and the dancers. Then the high-souled

Pandava, dismissing them all with proper respect, laid himself down on a

well-adorned and excellent bed. As the strong-armed one lay on that

excellent bed, he described unto Krishna everything about the sacred

waters, the lakes and the mountains, the rivers and the forests he had

seen. While he was speaking of these, stretched upon that celestial bed,

sleep, O Janamejaya, stole upon him. He rose in the morning, awakened, by

sweet songs and melodious notes of the Vina (guitar) and the panegyrics

and benedictions of the bards. After he had gone through the necessary

acts and ceremonies, he was affectionately accosted by him of the Vrishni

race. Riding upon a golden car, the hero then set out for Dwaraka, the

capital of the Yadavas. And, O Janamejaya, for honouring the son of

Kunti, the city of Dwaraka, was well-adorned, even all the gardens and

houses within it. The citizens of Dwaraka, desirous of beholding the son

of Kunti, began to pour eagerly into the public thoroughfares by hundreds

of thousands. In the public squares and thoroughfares, hundreds and

thousands of women, mixing with the men, swelled the great crowd of the

Bhojas, the Vrishnis, and the Andhakas, that had collected there. Arjuna

was welcomed with respect by all the sons of Bhojas, the Vrishnis, and

the Andhakas. And he, in his turn, worshipped those that deserved his

worship, receiving their blessings. The hero was welcomed with

affectionate reception by all the young men of the Yadava tribe. He

repeatedly embraced all that were equal to him in age. Wending then to

the delightful mansion of Krishna that was filled with gems and every

article of enjoyment, he took up his abode there with Krishna for many

days.'"