ng, "O
foremost of intelligent men, hast thou passed the night happily? O thou
of unfading glory, are all thy faculties in their full vigour? O foremost
of intelligent persons, is it all right with thy understanding? We have
got back our kingdom and the whole earth has come under our control, O
divine lord, through thy grace, O refuge of the three worlds and, O thou
of three steps,[134] through thy grace have we won victory and obtained
great fame and have not fallen away from the duties of our order!" Unto
that chastiser of foes, viz., king Yudhishthira the just who addressed
him in that strain the divine Krishna said not a word, for he was then
rapt in meditation.'"

SECTION XLVII

"'Yudhishthira said, "How wonderful is this, O thou of immeasurable
prowess, that thou art rapt in meditation! O great refuge of the
universe, is it all right with the three worlds? When thou hast, O God,
withdrawn thyself (from the world), having, O bull among men, adopted the
fourth state, my mind has been filled with wonder.[135] The five
life-breaths that act within the body have been controlled by thee into
stillness. Thy delighted senses thou hast concentrated within thy mind.
Both speech and mind, O Govinda, have been concentrated within thy
understanding. All thy senses, indeed, have been withdrawn into thy
soul.[136] The hair on thy body stands erect. Thy mind and understanding
are both still. Thou art as immobile now, O Madhava, as a wooden post or
a stone. O illustrious God, thou art as still as the flame of a lamp
burning in a place where there is no wind. Thou art as immobile as a mass
of rock. If I am fit to hear the cause, if it is no secret of thine,
dispel, O god, my doubt for I beg of thee and solicit it as a favour.
Thou art the Creator and thou art the Destroyer. Thou art destructible
and thou art indestructible. Thou art without beginning and thou art
without end. Thou art the first and the foremost of Beings. O foremost of
righteous persons, tell me the cause of this (Yoga) abstraction. I
solicit thy favour, and am thy devoted worshipper, and bow to thee,
bending my head." Thus addressed, the illustrious younger brother of
Vasava, recalling his mind, understanding, and the senses to their usual
sphere, said these words with a soft smile.'

"'Vasudeva said, "That tiger among men, Bhishma, who is now lying on a bed
of arrows, and who is now like unto a fire that is about to go out, is
thinking of me. Hence my mind