SECTION CLV

Vaisampayana said, "Once upon a time Yudhishthira, while living at that
place, addressed Krishna, his brother, and the Brahmanas, saying, 'By us
have been attentively seen one after another sacred and auspicious
_tirthas_, and woods, delightful to beheld, which had ere this been
visited by the celestials and the high-souled sages, and which had been
worshipped by the Brahmanas. And in various sacred asylums we have
performed ablutions with Brahmanas, and have heard from them the lives
and acts of many sages, and also of many royal sages of yore, and other
pleasant stories. And with flowers and water have the gods been
worshipped by us. And with offerings of fruits and roots as available at
each place we have gratified the _pitris_. And with the high-souled ones
have we performed ablutions in all sacred and beautiful mountains and
lakes, and also in the highly sacred ocean. And with the Brahmanas we
have bathed in the Ila, and in the Saraswati, and in the Sindhu, and in
the Yamuna, and in the Narmada, and in various other romantic _tirthas_.
And having passed the source of the Ganga, we have seen many a lovely
hill and the Himalaya mountains, inhabited by various species of birds,
and also the jujube named Visala, where there is the hermitage of Nara
and Narayana. And (finally) we have beheld this unearthly lake, held in
veneration by the Siddhas, the gods and the sages. In fact, O foremost
of Brahmanas, we have one by one carefully seen all celebrated and
sacred spots in company with the high-souled Lomasa. Now, O Bhima, how
shall we repair to the sacred abode of Vaisravana, inhabited by the
Siddhas? Do thou think of the means of entering (the same).'"

Vaisampayana said, "When that king had said this, an aerial voice spake,
saying. 'Thou will not be able to go to that inaccessible spot. By this