Arjuna Recounts Indra's Gifts and His Return
Arjuna, recovered from his wounds, tells Yudhishthira how Indra declared him invincible and gave him divine armor, a golden garland, the conch Devadatta, and a celestial diadem. After five years in heaven, he returned to find his brothers on Mount Gandhamadana. Yudhishthira rejoices and asks to see the weapons Arjuna used against the Nivatakavachas.
Arjuna had recovered. The wounds from the arrows had healed, and he was comfortable again. Seeing this, the king of the gods spoke.
"All the divine weapons are yours now," Indra told him. "There is no man on earth who is capable of vanquishing you. When you are engaged in the field of battle, Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Karna, and Shakuni, together with all the other kings, are not worth one-sixteenth of you."
Then Indra gave him gifts. A divine and impenetrable armor. A golden garland. The conch shell Devadatta, which emitted a great sound. Indra himself fixed a celestial diadem on Arjuna's head. He gave him divine garments and celestial ornaments, beautiful and many in number.
Honored this way, Arjuna lived happily in Indra's abode together with the children of the gandharvas (celestial musicians). The time passed. Extremely pleased with him, Indra and the immortals told him: "The time for your departure has come. Your brothers are remembering you."
Five years Arjuna spent in Indra's abode, remembering the discord that had come upon them because of the gambling. Then, when Yudhishthira came to Mount Gandhamadana, Arjuna saw him on the peak, surrounded by his brothers.
Yudhishthira listened. Then he spoke.
"You have obtained those weapons through good fortune. It is also through good fortune that you satisfied the king of the gods. Through good fortune that you beheld the lord Sthanu (Shiva) himself, together with the goddess, and satisfied him in the duel. Through good fortune that you managed to meet the lokapalas (guardians of the worlds). Through good fortune that all of us have prospered and have set our eyes on you again. I now think that we have conquered the goddess earth, with her garland of cities, and have vanquished the sons of Dhritarashtra."
But there was one thing Yudhishthira wished to see. "I wish to see those divine weapons with which you killed the valorous Nivatakavachas."
"When it is dawn tomorrow," Arjuna said, "you will see all those divine weapons with which I destroyed the terrible Nivatakavachas."
That night, Arjuna spent with his brothers. Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 468