Shloka 12
भीष्मभीमसमागमः — Bhīṣma–Bhīma Strategic Engagement and Counsel to the King
अव्यूहत स्वयं व्यूहं भीष्मो व्यूहविशारद: । मण्डलं मनुजश्रेष्ठो नानाशस्त्रसमाकुलम्
sañjaya uvāca | avyūhat svayaṃ vyūhaṃ bhīṣmo vyūhaviśāradaḥ | maṇḍalaṃ manujaśreṣṭho nānāśastrasamākulam ||
Sañjaya said: Then Bhishma, the master of battle-formations, himself arranged the army into a circular formation called the Maṇḍala—an array dense with many kinds of weapons. The scene underscores disciplined strategy and command in war, where order and preparedness are set against the looming moral weight of fratricidal conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the importance of disciplined organization and competent leadership in the conduct of war, while implicitly reminding the listener that even expertly ordered violence occurs within a larger ethical tension of dharma in a civil conflict.
Sanjaya reports that Bhishma, renowned for tactical expertise, personally arranges the Kaurava forces into the Maṇḍala (circular) battle-formation, equipped with diverse weapons, as the armies prepare for engagement.