Shloka 23

Devanagari script

बहुदुर्गा महाकक्षा वेणुवेत्रसमाकुला । पदातीनां क्षमा भूमि: पर्वतोपवनानि च,जो भूमि अत्यन्त दुर्गग, अधिक घास-फ़ूसवाली, बाँस और बेंतोंसे भरी हुई तथा पर्वत एवं उपवनोंसे युक्त हो, वह पैदल सेनाओंके योग्य होती है

Transliteration

bahudurgā mahākakṣā veṇuvetrasamākulā | padātīnāṃ kṣamā bhūmiḥ parvatopavanāni ca ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Land, das äußerst schwer zu durchqueren ist —gleichsam durch viele natürliche Hindernisse befestigt, von dichtem Gestrüpp bedeckt, von Bambus und Schilf verstopft und zudem von Bergen und Hainen begleitet— eignet sich für die Infanterie.

Word by Word

बहु-दुर्गाvery difficult (to traverse), having many difficult passages

महाकक्षाhaving great thickets/brushwood

वेणु-वेत्र-समाकुलाcrowded/filled with bamboo and canes

पदातीनाम्of foot-soldiers/infantry

क्षमाsuitable, fit

भूमिःground, land

पर्वत-उपवनानिmountains and groves

चand

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

infantry (padāti)

bamboo (veṇu)

cane/rattan (vetra)

mountains (parvata)

groves (upavana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that a ruler must match troop deployment to terrain: dense, obstructed, mountainous or wooded ground benefits infantry by providing cover and restricting faster units like chariots and cavalry.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and warfare, Bhishma explains to the inquirer how different landscapes determine which military arm is most effective; here he identifies the kind of difficult, overgrown terrain best suited for foot-soldiers.