Duryodhana and Bhima Duel with Clubs
Following the general weapon displays, Duryodhana and Bhima step forward for a mock duel with clubs. Roaring like mad elephants, they circle each other in a fierce, competitive dance that hints at the deep enmity between them.
Then, in great spirits, Suyodhana (Duryodhana) and Vrikodara (Bhima) entered the arena with clubs in their hands, looking like two single-peaked mountains. The mighty-armed warriors tightened their lower garments and roared, their cries like two mad elephants trumpeting in challenge.
The immensely strong cousins began to circle each other with their unblemished clubs, each movement a controlled threat, like bulls or elephants sizing up an opponent before a charge. It was a mock duel, a display, but the intensity was palpable.
In the royal viewing stands, two narrators worked to bridge the gap between sight and blindness. Vidura described the feats and the posturing of the princes to his blind brother, King Dhritarashtra. And Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, described the same scene to Gandhari, the blindfolded queen. Through their words, the rising rivalry—the contained violence and competitive fury of the two strongest princes—was made clear to those who could not see it for themselves.