Shloka 253
सव्यं तु मण्डलं तत्र भीमसेनो< भ्यवर्तत । राजन! दोनों ही हाथमें गदा लेकर मण्डलाकार युद्धस्थलमें खड़े थे। उनमेंसे बलवान् दुर्योधन दक्षिण मण्डलमें खड़ा था और भीमसेन बायें मण्डलमें
savyaṃ tu maṇḍalaṃ tatra bhīmaseno 'bhyavartata | rājan!
Sañjaya said: “There, Bhīmasena moved into the left-hand circle of the combat. O King, both warriors stood within the circular arena, each gripping a mace in hand—Duryodhana, the stronger of the two in sheer bodily might, held the right-hand circle, while Bhīma took the left.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the formal, rule-bound nature of single combat in the epic: even amid catastrophic war, the duel is framed with ordered space (the maṇḍala) and clear positioning, reflecting the kṣatriya ideal of facing one’s rival directly within agreed conventions.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma takes the left-side position in the circular arena for the mace-fight, while Duryodhana stands on the right; both are poised with maces, marking the tense setup of their climactic duel.