“Vaisampayana continued, ’Conversing thus with Yudhishthira, that foremost of righteous persons, the high-souled Yadava hero proceeded quickly on that car, illumining all the points of the compass like the divine Surya himself.’”

SECTION LI

“Vaisampayana said, ’King Yudhishthira, hearing of those feats of Rama, became filled with wonder and said unto Janardana, O thou of Vrishni’s race, the prowess of the high-souled Rama, who in wrath had freed the earth of Kshatriyas, was like that of Sakra himself.  The scions of Kshatriyas, troubled with the fear of Rama, were concealed (and brought up) by kine, Ocean, leopards, bears and apes.  Worthy of every praise is this world of men and fortunate are they that reside in it where a feat, that, was again so righteous, was accomplished by a.  Brahmana.’  After this discourse was ended, those two illustrious persons, viz., Krishna of unfading glory and Yudhishthira proceeded thither where the puissant son of Ganga lay on his bed of arrows.  They then beheld Bhishma stretched on his arrowy bed and resembling in splendour the evening San covered with his own rays.  The Kuru hero was surrounded by many ascetics like he of a hundred sacrifices by the deities of heaven.  The spot on which he lay was highly sacred, being situate on the banks of the river Oghavati.  Beholding him from a distance, Krishna and Dharma’s royal son, and the four Pandavas, and the other headed by Saradwat, alighted from their vehicles and collecting their restless minds and concentrating all their senses, approached the great Rishis.  Saluting those foremost of Rishis headed by Vyasa.  Govinda and Satyaki and the others approached the son of Ganga.  Beholding Ganga’s son of great ascetic merit, the Yadu and Kuru princes, those foremost of men, took their seats, surrounding him.  Seeing Bhishma looking like a fire about to die out, Kesava with a rather cheerless heart addressed him as follows.’

“Kesava said, ’Are thy perceptions now as clear as before?  I hope thy understanding, O foremost of eloquent men, is not clouded.  I hope thy limbs are not tortured by the pain arising from the wounds by shafts.  From mental grief also the body becomes weak.  In consequences of the boon granted to thee by thy sire, the righteous Santanu, thy death, O puissant hero, depends on thy own will.  I myself have not that merit in consequence of which thou hast obtained this boon.  The minutest pin (inserted) within the body produces pain.  What need then be said, O king, of hundreds of arrows that have pierced thee?  Surely, pain cannot be said to afflict thee.  Thou art competent, O Bharata, to instruct the very gods regarding the origin and dissolution of living creatures.  Possessed of great knowledge, everything belonging to the Past, the Future, and the Present, is well known to thee.  The dissolution of created beings and the reward of righteousness are well known to thee, O thou of great