thana and Aswa,
and Vasudeva and Kripa and Satyaki and Sanjaya, filled with joy, and with
faces resembling full-blown flowers, said, "Excellent! Excellent!" and
hymned the praises of that tiger among men, viz., Bhishma, that foremost
of virtuous persons. Then Yudhishthira, that chief of Kuru's race, with a
cheerless heart and eyes bathed in tears, gently touched Bhishma's feet
and said, "O grandsire, I shall to-morrow enquire after those points
about which I have my doubts, for today, the sun, having sucked the
moisture of all terrestrial objects, is about to set." Then Kesava and
Kripa and Yudhishthira and others, saluting the Brahmanas (assembled
there) and circumambulating the son of the great river, cheerfully
ascended their cars. All of them observant of excellent vows then bathed
in the current of the Drishadwati. Having offered oblations of water unto
their ancestors and silently recited the sacred mantras and done other
auspicious acts, and having performed the evening prayer with due rites,
those scorchers of foes entered the city called after the elephant.'"

SECTION LIX

"Vaisampayana said, 'Rising from their beds the next day and performing
the morning rites laid down in the scriptures, the Pandavas and the
Yadavas set out (for the spot where Bhishma lay) on their cars resembling
fortified towns. Proceeding to the field of Kuru and approaching the
sinless Bhishma, they enquired of that foremost of car-warriors if he had
passed the night happily. Saluting all the Rishis, and blessed by them in
return, the princes took their seats around Bhishma. Then king
Yudhishthira the just possessed of great energy, having worshipped
Bhishma duly, said these words with joined hands.

"'Yudhishthira said, "Whence arose the word Rajan (King), that is used, O
Bharata, on earth? Tell me this, O scorcher of foes! Possessed of hands
and arms and neck like others, having understanding and senses like those
of others, subject like others to the same kinds of joy and grief, endued
with back, mouth, and stomach similar to those of the rest of the world,
having vital fluids and bones and marrow and flesh and blood similar to
those of the rest of the world, inhaling and exhaling breaths like
others, possessed of life-breaths and bodies like other men, resembling
others in birth and death, in fact, similar to others in respect of all
attributes of humanity, for what reason does one man, viz., the king,
govern the rest of the wor