Shloka 10
शूरलक्षणवर्णनम् | Marks and Typologies of Martial Temperament
बिडालकुब्जतनवस्तनुकेशास्तनुत्वच: । शीघ्राश्चपलवृत्ताश्व ते भवन्ति दुरासदा:
biḍālakubjatanavas tanukeśās tanutvacaḥ | śīghrāś capalavṛttāś ca te bhavanti durāsadāḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: Those whose bodies are bent like a cat’s, whose hair and skin are thin, become swift in action, fickle in conduct, and hard to withstand.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse conveys that certain observable traits are traditionally taken as signs of a person’s temperament—especially swiftness, restlessness, and difficulty to restrain—serving as a caution in judging reliability and managing conflict.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on governance and practical wisdom; here he describes a type of person whose nature is quick and unstable, emphasizing their formidable, hard-to-subdue quality.