Shloka 14

स्त्रीस्वभावप्रश्नः — Nārada and Pañcacūḍā on Strī-svabhāva

Anuśāsana-parva 38

Devanagari script

सन्त्येषां सिंहसत्त्वाश्ष व्याप्रसत्त्वास्तथापरे | वराहमृगसत्त्वाश्न॒ जलसत्त्वास्तथापरे

Transliteration

santy eṣāṃ siṃhasattvāś ca vyāghrasattvās tathāpare | varāhamṛgasattvāś ca jalasattvās tathāpare ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Among these Brahmins, some possess the strength and spirit of lions, and others that of tigers. Some have the vigor of boars and deer, while others are like creatures of the waters.”

Word by Word

• सन्ति: are / exist
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, बहुवचन

• एषाम्: of these (among them)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं (सामान्य), षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• सिंहसत्त्वाः: having the nature/strength of a lion
• सिंहसत्त्वाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंहसत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• व्याघ्रसत्त्वाः: having the nature/strength of a tiger
• व्याघ्रसत्त्वाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याघ्रसत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वराहमृगसत्त्वाः: having the nature/strength of boars and deer
• वराहमृगसत्त्वाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वराहमृगसत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• जलसत्त्वाः: having the nature/strength of aquatic creatures
• जलसत्त्वाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जलसत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Brāhmaṇas
• siṃha (lion)
• vyāghra (tiger)
• varāha (boar)
• mṛga (deer)
• jala-sattva (aquatic creatures)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma emphasizes that even within a revered social group (here, Brahmins), people differ widely in innate disposition and capability—some are bold and powerful like lions or tigers, others have different kinds of strength or adaptability. Ethical judgment and social understanding should account for this diversity of temperament rather than assuming uniformity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma continues his instruction on dharma. In this verse he uses animal metaphors to classify differing temperaments among Brahmins, illustrating variation in strength, spirit, and behavioral tendencies.