ersary 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,
as also showers of dust, fell, O Bharata! These were poured by Maghavat,
upon the fall of thy son! A loud noise was heard, O bull of Bharata's
race, in the welkin, made by the Yakshas, and the Rakshasas and the
Pisachas. At that terrible sound, animals and birds, numbering in
thousands, began to utter more frightful noise on every side. Those
steeds and elephants and human be