"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, O effulgent
one, mayst thou have safety from all the celestials and the Asuras, and
the Vasus. O Goddess Ganga, I hear thy roar from this golden mountain,
sacred to Indra. O Goddess of high fortune, in these mountainous
regions, protect the king, worshipped by all of the Ajamidha race. O
daughter of the mountain (Himalaya), this king is about to enter into
these mountainous regions. Do thou, therefore, confer protection upon
him.'
"Having thus addressed the river, Lomasa bade Yudhishthira, saying, 'Be
thou careful.'
"Yudhishthira said, 'This confusion of Lomasa is unprecedented.
Therefore, protect ye Krishna, and be not careless. Lomasa knows this
place to be certainly difficult of access. Therefore, do ye practise
here the utmost cleanliness.'"
Vaisampayana said, "He next addressed his brother Bhima of vast prowess,
saying, 'O Bhimasena, do thou protect Krishna carefully. Whether Arjuna
be near or away, Krishna in times of danger ever seeketh protection from
thee alone.'
"Then the high-souled monarch approached the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva,
and after smelling their heads, and rubbing their persons, with tears
said unto them, 'Do not fear. Proceed, however, with caution.'"