Vaisampayana said, “After some time, Yudhishthira the just, remembering
the command of the Muni (Vyasa) and calling unto himself that bull among
men--Arjuna--possessed of great wisdom, addressed him in private. Taking
hold of Arjuna’s hands, with a smiling face and in gentle accents, that
chastiser of foes--the virtuous Yudhishthira--apparently after reflecting
for a moment, spake these words in private unto Dhananjaya, ‘O Bharata,
the whole science of arms dwelleth in Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa, and
Karna, and Drona’s son. They fully know all sorts of Brahma and celestial
and human and Vayavya weapons, together with the modes of using and
warding them off. All of them are conciliated and honoured and gratified
by Dhritarashtra’s son who behaveth unto them as one should behave unto
his preceptor. Towards all his warriors Dhritarashtra’s son behaveth with
great affection; and all the chiefs honoured and gratified by him, seek
his good in return. Thus honoured by him, they will not fail to put forth
their might. The whole earth, besides, is now under Duryodhana’s sway,
with all the villages and towns, O son of Pritha, and all the seas and
woods and mines! Thou alone art our sole refuge. On thee resteth a great
burden. I shall, therefore, O chastiser of all foes, tell thee what thou
art to do now. I have obtained a science from Krishna Dwaipayana. Used by
thee, that science will expose the whole universe to thee. O child,
attentively receive thou that science from me, and in due time (by its
aid) attain thou the grace of the celestials. And, O bull of the Bharata
race, devote thyself to fierce asceticism. Armed with the bow and sword,
and cased in mail, betake thyself to austerities and good vows, and go
thou northwards, O child, without giving way to anybody. O Dhananjaya,
all celestial weapons are with Indra. The celestials, from fear of
Vritra, imparted at the time all their might to Sakra. Gathered together
in one place, thou wilt obtain all weapons. Go thou unto Sakra, he will
give thee all his weapons. Taking the bow set thou out this very day in
order to behold Purandara.”
Vaisampayana continued, “Having said this, the exalted Yudhishthira the
just, imparted that science unto Arjuna. And the elder brother having
communicated with due rites the knowledge unto his heroic brother, with
speech and body and mind under perfect control, commanded him to depart.
And at the command of Yudhishthira, the strong-armed Arjuna, taking up
the Gandiva as also his inexhaustible quivers, and accoutred in mail and
gauntlets and finger-protectors made of the skin of the guana, and having
poured oblations into the fire and made the Brahmanas to utter
benedictions after gifts, set out (from Kamyaka) with the objects of
beholding Indra. And armed with the bow, the hero, at the time of setting
out heaved a sigh and cast a look upwards for achieving the death of
Dhritarashtra’s sons. And beholding Kunti’s son thus armed and about to
set out, the Brahmanas and Siddhas and invisible spirits addressed him,
saying, ‘O son of Kunti, obtain thou soon what thou wishest.’ And the
Brahmanas, also uttering benedictions said, ‘Achieve thou the object thou
hast in view. Let victory be truly thine.’ And beholding the heroic
Arjuna, of thighs stout as the trunks of the Sala, about to set out
taking away with him the hearts of all, Krishna addressed him saying, ‘O
thou strong-armed one, let all that Kunti had desired at thy birth, and
let all that thou desirest, be accomplished, O Dhananjaya! Let no one
amongst us be ever again born in the order of Kshatriyas. I always bow
down unto the Brahmanas whose mode of living is mendicancy. This is my
great grief that the wretch Duryodhana beholding me in the assembly of
princes mockingly called me a cow! Besides this he told me in the midst
of that assembly many other hard things. But the grief I experience at
parting with thee is far greater than any I felt at those insults.
Certainly, in thy absence, thy brothers will while away their waking
hours in repeatedly talking of thy heroic deeds! If, however, O son of
Pritha, thou stayest away for any length of time, we shall derive no
pleasure from our enjoyments or from wealth. Nay, life itself will be
distasteful to us. O son of Pritha, our weal, and woe, life and death,
our kingdom and prosperity, are all dependent on thee. O Bharata, I bless
thee, let success be thine. O sinless one, thy (present) task thou wilt
be able to achieve even against powerful enemies. O thou of great
strength, go thou to win success with speed. Let dangers be not thine. I
bow to Dhatri and Vidhatri! I bless thee. Let prosperity be thine. And, O
Dhananjaya, let Hri, Sree, Kirti, Dhriti, Pushti, Uma, Lakshmi,
Saraswati, all protect thee on thy way, for thou ever worshippest thy
elder brother and ever obeyest his commands. And, O bull of the Bharata
race, I bow to the Vasus, the Rudras and Adityas, the Manilas, the
Viswadevas, and the Sadhyas, for procuring thy welfare. And, O Bharata,
be thou safe from all spirits of mischief belonging to the sky, the
earth, and the heaven, and from such other spirits generally.’”
Vaisampayana continued, “Krishna, the daughter of Yajnasena, having
uttered these benedictions, ceased. The strong-armed son of Pandu then,
having walked round his brothers and round Dhaumya also, and taking up
his handsome bow, set out. And all creatures began to leave the way that
Arjuna of great energy and prowess, urged by the desire of beholding
Indra, took. And that slayer of foes passed over many mountains inhabited
by ascetics, and then reached the sacred Himavat, the resort of the
celestials. And the high-souled one reached the sacred mountain in one
day, for like the winds he was gifted with the speed of the mind, in
consequence of his ascetic austerities. And having crossed the Himavat,
as also the Gandhamadana, he passed over many uneven and dangerous spots,
walking night and day without fatigue. And having reached Indrakila,
Dhananjaya stopped for a moment. And then he heard a voice in the skies,
saying, ‘Stop!’ And hearing that voice, the son of Pandu cast his glances
all around. And Arjuna, capable of using his left hand with skill equal
to that of his right hand, then beheld before him an ascetic under the
shade of a tree, blazing with Brahma brilliancy, of a tawny colour, with
matted locks, and thin. And the mighty ascetic, beholding Arjuna stop at
t at place, addressed him, saying, ‘Who art thou, O child, arrived hither
with bow and arrows, and cased in mail and accoutred in scabbard and
gauntlet, and (evidently) wedded to the customs of the Kshatriya? There
is no need of weapons here. This is the abode of peaceful Brahmanas
devoted to ascetic austerities without anger or joy. There is no use for
the bow here, for there is no dispute in this place of any kind.
Therefore throw away, O child, this bow of thine. Thou hast obtained a
pure state of life by coming here. O hero, there is no man who is like
thee in energy and prowess.’ That Brahmana thus addressed Arjuna, with a
smiling face, repeatedly. But he succeeded not in moving Arjuna, firmly
devoted to his purpose. The regenerate one, glad at heart, smilingly
addressed Arjuna once more, saying, ‘O slayer of foes, blest be thou! I
am Sakra: ask thou the boon thou desirest.’ Thus addressed, that
perpetuator of the Kuru race, the heroic Dhananjaya bending his head and
joining his hands, replied unto him of a thousand eyes, saying, ‘Even
this is the object of my wishes; grant me this boon, O illustrious one. I
desire to learn from thee all the weapons.’ The chief of the celestials
then, smiling, replied unto him cheerfully, saying, ‘O Dhananjaya, when
thou hast reached this region, what need is there of weapons? Thou hast
already obtained a pure state of life. Ask thou for the regions of bliss
that thou desirest.’ Thus addressed, Dhananjaya replied unto him o a
thousand eyes, saying, ‘I desire not regions of bliss, nor objects of
enjoyment, nor the state of a celestial; what is this talk about
happiness? O chief of the celestials, I do not desire the prosperity of
all the gods. Having left my brothers behind me in the forest, and
without avenging myself on the foe, shall I incur the opprobrium for all
ages of all the world.” Thus addressed, the slayer of Vritra, worshipped
of the worlds, consoling him with gentle words, spare unto the son of
Pandu, saying, ‘When thou art able to behold the three-eyed
trident-bearing Siva, the lord of all creatures, it is then, O child,
that I will give thee all the celestial weapons. Therefore, strive thou
to obtain the sight of the highest of the gods; for it is only after thou
hast seen him. O son of Kunti, that thou will obtain all thy wishes.’
Having spoken thus unto Phalguna, Sakra disappeared then and there, and
Arjuna, devoting himself to asceticism, remained at that spot.”