It was evident by practice that asceticism could not provide the royal prince or the masses the path to liberation.  Therefore, He decided to change His mode of practice.

        The royal prince went to bathe in Nairanjana river, washed away the dirt on His body and received the offering of chyle from shepherdess.  He then sat under the Bodhi tree and vowed to stay there until attainment of supreme enlightenment.

        Siddhartha entered a meditational state for seven times seven equaling forty-nine days (some say seven days and seven nights).  His consciousness journeyed through actual presentations of the universe, experienced various states of meditation and realized the truths of impermanence in the world and occurrence due to conditions etc..