both those chastisers of foes, while battling, became fatigued.  Having rested for a while, those two scorchers of foes, filled with rage and uplifting their maces, once more began to battle with each other.  When by the repeated descents of their maces, O monarch, they mangled each other, the battle they fought became exceedingly dreadful and perfectly unrestrained.  Rushing at each other in that encounter, those two heroes, possessed of eyes like those of bulls and endued with great activity, struck each other fiercely like two buffaloes in the mire.  All their limbs mangled and bruised, and covered with blood from head to foot, they looked like a couple of Kinsukas on the breast of Himavat.  During the progress of the encounter, when, Vrikodara (as a ruse) seemed to give Duryodhana an opportunity, the latter, smiling a little, advanced forward.  Well-skilled in battle, the mighty Vrikodara, beholding his adversary come up, suddenly hurled his mace at him.  Seeing the mace hurled at him, thy son, O monarch, moved away from that spot at which the weapon fell down baffled on the earth.  Having warded off that blow, thy son, that foremost one of Kuru’s race, quickly struck Bhimasena with his weapon.  In consequence of the large quantity of blood drawn by that blow, as also owing to the violence itself of the blow, Bhimasena of immeasurable energy seemed to be stupefied.  Duryodhana, however, knew not that the son of Pandu was so afflicted at that moment.  Though deeply afflicted, Bhima sustained himself, summoning all his patience.  Duryodhana, therefore, regarded him to be unmoved and ready to return the blow.  It was for this that thy son did not then strike him again.  Having rested for a little while, the valiant Bhimasena rushed furiously, O king, at Duryodhana who was standing near.  Beholding Bhimasena of immeasurable energy filled with rage and rushing towards him, thy high-souled son, O bull of Bharata’s race, desiring to baffle his blow, set his heart on the manoeuvre called Avasthana.  He, therefore, desired to jump upwards, O monarch, for beguiling Vrikodara.  Bhimasena fully understood the intentions of his adversary.  Rushing, therefore, at him, with a loud leonine roar, he fiercely hurled his mace at the thighs of the Kuru king as the latter had jumped up for baffling the first aim.  That mace, endued with the force of the thunder and hurled by Bhima of terrible feats, fractured the two handsome thighs of Duryodhana.  That tiger among men, thy son, after his thighs had been broken by Bhimasena, fell down, causing the earth to echo with his fall.  Fierce winds began to blow, with loud sounds at repeated intervals.  Showers of dust fell.  The earth, with her trees and plants and mountains, began to tremble.  Upon the fall of that hero who was the head of all monarchs on earth, fierce and fiery winds blew with a loud noise and with thunder falling frequently.  Indeed, when that lord of earth fell, large meteors were seen to flash down from the sky.  Bloody showers,