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THE ASCENT OF YUDISTHIRA 333 made barefooted, and clad in simple birch bark, by these who had but yesterday had at their command all the resources of earth, it was their intention to practise the life of renunciation in the moun- tains of the far north, but first they would worship the land that they were leaving, by travelling round it in a ceremonial circle. Nothing had they left, save their garments of birch bark. Only Arjuna, reluctant to part from them, earned his mighty bow Gandiva, and his two inexhaustible quivers of arrows. Thus many days passed. Suddenly, as the little procession of pilgrims reached the shores of the great sea that lies on the east, they found their road barred by one whose presence was like unto a veritable moun- tain. Closing the way before them stood the God Agni, Divinity of the Seven Flames, and the Pandavas waited with folded hands to receive his commands.

<' From Ocean brought I Gandiva, O Arjuna," said the Devourer of Forests, <* to thine aid. To Ocean again, then, let thy weapons be here re- stored. Along with the discus of Krishna, let Gandiva vanish from the world. But know that when his hour shall again strike, he of his own accord will come once more into thine hand ! " Thus adjured, and urged also by his brothers, Arjuna came forward, and standing on the shore, hurled into the sea with his own hands his price-