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“When the Danavas were performing a sacrifice on the
banks of Vindu lake, near the Mainaka mountain, north of the Kailasa peak, I
collected a large amount of a material called Vanda, which was comprised of a
variety of jewels and gems. I kept it in the mansion of Vrishaparva, the king
devoted to truth. If it is still there, I want to bring it. So I will take your
leave but will return soon.
“There is also a fierce club placed in the lake Vindu by
the King, after killing his enemies in the battle. It is heavy and strong and is
adorned with golden knobs. It has the strength of a hundred thousand clubs and
is capable of bearing a heavy weight. It will be a fit weapon for Bhima, just as
the Gandiva is for you.
“In that lake, there is also a large conch-shell called
Devadatta. It gives out a loud sound. It came from Varuna.
“I will give all these to you.”
Maya then went in a north-easterly direction.
Vaisampayana (who was narrating the story of Mahabharata
to Parikshit) said:
There is a huge peak of gems and jewels called
Hiranya-sringa in the Mainaka mountain, of the Kailasa mountains. On the top of
that mountain, near its peak, there is a beautiful lake called Vindu.
It was on the banks of this lake that King Bhagiratha performed
a penance for many years, with the objective of bringing the celestial river
Ganga to the earth.
The river Ganga which came to the earth as a result of
Bhagiratha’s penance was called Bhagirathi, after him.
Indra, the lord of the celestials performed one hundred
great sacrifices, on the banks of this river.
Sacrificial offerings made of gold and gems and altars of
gold were placed there for beauty, though not ordained by the rules of the sacrifices.
Indra attained great success after performing the sacrifices.
Lord Mahadeva has taken up his abode, after having
created all the worlds.
Nara and Narayana, Brahma and Yama and Sthanu the fifth,
perform sacrifices here at end of a thousand yugas.
Vasudeva performed sacrifices here for many years for the
establishment of virtue and religion. He also left thousands of sacrificial offerings
adorned with golden garlands and altars of great splendour.
Maya went to that place and brought back the club and the
conch-shell and the various articles that had belonged to king Vrishaparva. He
also took possession of the whole of the great wealth, guarded by Yakshas and
Rakshasas.
Making use of those gems and precious stones, Maya constructed
a wonderful palace of great beauty and of celestial splendour.
He gave that best
of clubs to Bhima, and the excellent conch-shell, the sound of which made all
creatures tremble in awe, to Arjuna.
The palace built by Maya had columns of gold, and
occupied an area of five thousand cubits. (One cubit is the length from the
elbow to the tip of the middle finger. It is about 18 inch. The dimensions of
the mansion could be 7500 feet x 7500 feet)
The palace had the brilliance of Agni, the Sun and the
Moon. It seemed to darken even the bright rays of the Sun.
The palace came into view like a mass of new clouds becoming
conspicuous in the sky.
The splendour of the palace surpassed even that of the
palace of Sudharma of the Dasarha race, or the mansion of Brahma himself.
Eight thousand fierce Rakshasas called Kinkaras, with huge bodies and great strength, having red coppery eyes and arrowy ears, well-armed and capable of ranging through the air, used to guard and protect that palace.
Inside that palace Maya constructed a peerless tank. In that tank, there were lotuses with leaves of dark-coloured gems and stalks of bright jewels, and other flowers of golden leaves.
Aquatic birds of various species sported on its bosom. The
tank had full-blown lotuses. It was stocked with fishes and tortoises of golden
hue. Its bottom was without mud and its water transparent.
There was a flight of crystal stairs leading from the
banks to the edge of the water. The gentle breeze that swept along the surface
of the tank shook the flowers that studded it.
The banks of that tank were laid with slabs of expensive marble
sets studded with pearls. Many kings who came there. looking at that tank thus
adorned all around with jewels and precious stones, mistook it for land and
fell into it with eyes open.
Many tall trees of various kinds were planted all around
the palace. With their green foliage, cool shade, and flowers that blossomed,
they were very charming to look at.
Artificial woods were laid around and they emitted a
delicious fragrance. There were a number of tanks in front of the mansion. They were adorned with swans and Karandavas (Ducks) and Chakravakas (Brahminy ducks).
The breeze carrying the fragrance of lotuses added to the
pleasure and happiness of the Pandavas.
Having constructed such a palatial hall within fourteen
months, Maya reported its completion to Yudhishthira.
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