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 Probhasa. 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 all, that
mighty hero of Vrishni's race said, This is as it should be. And Krishna
and Arjuna having sported as they liked, for sometime at Probhasa,
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 welladorned
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 penegyrics
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 throroughfares 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."
Thus ends the two hundred and twentieth section in the Arjunavanavasa
Parva of the Adi Parva.