Shloka 3
शूरलक्षणवर्णनम् | Marks and Typologies of Martial Temperament
गान्धारा: सिन्धुसौवीरा नखरप्रासयोधिन: । अभीरव: सुबलिनस्तद्धलं सर्वपारगम्
gāndhārāḥ sindhu-sauvīrā nakhara-prāsa-yodhinaḥ | abhīravāḥ subalinaḥ tad-balaṃ sarva-pāragam ||
Bhīṣma said: “The warriors of Gāndhāra, Sindhu, and Sauvīra fight with nakharas (claw-like weapons) and spears. They are fearless and very strong; their host is described as one that overpasses all—hard to check and capable of pressing beyond every opposing line.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than prescriptive: it highlights how regional forces are characterized by distinctive weapons, fearlessness, and strength—implying that in assessing conflict one must realistically account for the capacities of different armies, not merely intentions.
Bhīṣma is listing or characterizing various peoples and their military qualities, noting that the Gandhāras, Sindhus, and Sauvīras are formidable fighters who use claw-like weapons and spears, and whose army is portrayed as exceptionally hard to overcome.