Shloka 16
शूरलक्षणवर्णनम् | Marks and Typologies of Martial Temperament
दीप्तस्फुटितकेशान्ता: स्थूलपार्श्चहनूमुखा: । उन्नतांसा: पृथुग्रीवा विकटा: स्थूलपिण्डिका:
dīptasphuṭitakeśāntāḥ sthūlapārśvahanūmukhāḥ | unnātāṃsāḥ pṛthugrīvā vikaṭāḥ sthūlapiṇḍikāḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “Some are of a fearsome build: the tips of their hair appear bright and bristling; their ribs, jaws, and faces are large and coarse; their shoulders are raised, their necks thick, and their calves heavy. Such men look grotesque and intimidating.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contributes to Bhīṣma’s ethical typology: outwardly fearsome, coarse physical traits are used as markers in a broader discussion of temperament and conduct, warning that intimidating appearance often accompanies harshness and lack of refinement, which a ruler should recognize and restrain.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and governance. Here he is describing a particular type of formidable, rough-natured person, listing bodily features to characterize them as intimidating and potentially dangerous in social and martial contexts.