Vaisampayana continued,--"Thus addressed by Narada, the high-souled king
Yudhishthira the just, with his brothers and all those foremost of
Brahmanas (seated around him), joined his hands (in entreaty). And the
monarch then asked Narada, saying,--'Describe unto us all those assembly
rooms. We desire to listen to thee. O Brahmana, what are the articles with
which each of the Sabhas are made of? What is the area of each, and what
is the length and breadth of each? Who wait upon the Grandsire in that
assembly room? And who also upon Vasava, the Lord of the celestials and
upon Yama, the son of Vivaswana? Who wait upon Varuna and upon Kuvera in
their respective assembly rooms. O Brahmana Rishi, tell us all about these.
We all together desire to hear thee describe them. Indeed, our curiosity
is great.'" Thus addressed by the son of Pandu, Narada replied, saying,--"O
monarch, hear ye all about those celestial assembly rooms one after
another."


SECTION VII

"Narada said,--'the celestial assembly room of Sakra is full of lustre.
He hath obtained it as the fruit of his own acts. Possessed of the
splendour of the sun, it was built, O scion of the Kuru race, by Sakra
himself. Capable of going everywhere at will, this celestial assembly
house is full one hundred and fifty yojanas in length, and hundred
yojanas in breadth, and five yojanas in height. Dispelling weakness of
age, grief, fatigue, and fear, auspicious and bestowing good fortune,
furnished with rooms and seats and adorned with celestial trees, it is
delightful in the extreme. There sitteth in that assembly room, O son
of Pritha, on an excellent seat, the Lord of celestials, with his wife
Sachi endowed with beauty and affluence. Assuming a form incapable of
description for its vagueness, with a crown on his head and bright