Shloka 9
शूरलक्षणवर्णनम् | Marks and Typologies of Martial Temperament
मेघस्वना: क्रोधमुखा: केचित् करभसंनिभा: । जिद्दानासाग्रजिद्ना श्व दूरगा दूरपातिन:
meghasvanāḥ krodhamukhāḥ kecit karabhasaṁnibhāḥ | jihvādānāsāgrajihvāś ca dūraga dūrapātinaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: Some are thunder-voiced like rainclouds, their faces set in wrath and their bodies like a camel’s; their tongues are twisted and the tips of their noses distorted. Such men can run far and strike down even targets that are very distant.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma presents a traditional way of reading character and capability through observable traits: fierce temperament and formidable presence are treated as indicators of battlefield effectiveness, especially endurance (going far) and long-range striking ability.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma is describing types of men (likely in a catalogue of qualities useful for kingship and warfare), noting a particular kind marked by thunderous voice, wrathful visage, camel-like build, and distorted tongue/nose—men suited to long pursuit and distant striking.