worlds. O lord of Yogins, salutations to thee that
art the refuge of everything. O foremost of beings, those words which
thou hast said regarding me have enabled me to behold thy divine
attributes as manifest in the three worlds. (In consequence of that
kindness), O Govinda, I also behold thy eternal form. Thou standest
shutting up the seven paths of the Wind possessed of immeasurable energy.
The firmament is occupied by thy head, and the earth by thy feet. The
points of the compass are thy two arms, and the Sun is thy eye, and Sakra
constitutes thy prowess. O thou of unfading glory, thy Person, attired in
yellow robes that resemble the hue of the Atasi flower, seem to us to be
like a cloud charged with flashing of lightning. Think of that, O best of
gods, which would be good, O thou of lotus eyes, for my humble self, that
am devoted to thee, that seek thy protection, and that am desirous of
obtaining a blissful end."

"'Vasudeva said, "Since, O bull among men, thy devotion to me is very
great, for this, O prince, I have displayed my celestial form to thee. I
do not, O foremost of kings, display myself unto one that is not devoted
to me, or unto a devotee that is not sincere, or unto one, O Bharata,
that is not of restrained soul. Thou art devoted to me and art always
observant of righteousness. Of a pure heart, thou art always
self-restrained and ever observant of penances and gifts. Through thy own
penances, O Bhishma, thou art competent to behold me. Those regions, O
king, are ready for thee whence there is no return.[156] Six and fifty
days, O foremost one of Kuru's race, still remain for thee to live!
Casting off thy body, thou shalt then, O Bhishma, obtain the blessed
reward of thy acts. Behold, those deities and the Vasus, all endued with
forms of fiery splendour, riding on their cars, are waiting for thee
invisibly till the moment of the sun's entering on northerly course.
Subject to universal time, when the divine Surya turns to his northerly
course, thou, O foremost of men, shalt go to those regions whence no man
of knowledge ever returns to this earth! When thou, O Bhishma, wilt leave
this world for that, all Knowledge, O hero, will expire with thee. It is
for this, that all these persons, assembled together, have approached
thee for listening to discourses on duty and morality. Do thou then speak
words of truth, fraught with morality and Yoga, unto Yudhishthira who as
firm in truth but whose learning has been