“Vaisampayana said, ’Having said so unto all the Kurus, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, remained silent for sometime, O chastiser of foes He then held forth his life-breaths successively in those parts of his body which are indicated in Yoga.  The life-breaths of that high-souled one, restrained duly, then rose up.  Those parts of the body of Santanu’s son, in consequence of the adoption, of Yoga, from which the life-breaths went up, became soreless one after another.  In the midst of those high-souled persons, including those great Rishis with Vyasa at their head, the sight seemed to be a strange one, O king.  Within a short time, the entire body of Bhishma became shaftless and soreless.  Beholding it, all those distinguished personages with Vasudeva at their head, and all the ascetics with Vyasa, became filled with wonder.  The life-breaths, restrained and unable to escape through any of the outlets, at last pierced through the crown of the head and proceeded upwards to heaven.  The celestial kettle-drums began to play and floral showers were rained down.  The Siddhas and regenerate Rishis, filled with delight, exclaimed, ‘Excellent, Excellent!’ ’The life-breaths of Bhishma, piercing through the crown of his head, shot up through the welkin like a large meteor and soon became invisible.  Even thus, O great king, did Santanu’s son, that pillar of Bharata’s race, united himself with eternity.  Then the high-souled Pandavas and Vidura, taking a large quantity of wood and diverse kinds of fragrant scents, made a funeral pyre.  Yuyutsu and others stood as spectators of the preparations.  Then Yudhishthira and the high-souled Vidura wrapped Bhishma’s body with silken cloth and floral garlands.  Yuyutsu held an excellent umbrella, over it Bhimasena and Arjuna both held in their hands a couple of yak-tails of pure white.  The two sons of Madri held two head-gears in their hands.  Yudhishthira and Dhritarashtra stood at the feet of the lord of the Kurus, taking up palmyra fans, stood around the body and began to fan it softly.  The Pitri sacrifice of the high-souled Bhishma was then duly performed.  Many libations were poured upon the sacred fire.  The singers of Samans sang many Samans.  Then covering the body of Ganga’s son with sandal wood and black aloe and the bark wood, other fragrant fuel, and setting fire to the same, the Kurus with Dhritarashtra and others, stood on the right sight of the funeral pyre.  Those foremost ones of Kuru’s race, having thus cremated the body of the son of Ganga, proceeded to the sacred Bhagirathi, accompanied by the Rishis.  They were followed by Vyasa, by Narada, by Asita, by Krishna, by the ladies of the Bharata race, as also by such of the citizens of Hastinapore as had come to the place.  All of them, arrived at the sacred river, duly offered oblation of water unto the high-souled son of Ganga.  The goddess Bhagirathi, after those oblations of water had been offered by them unto her son, rose up from the stream, weeping and distracted