Shloka 8
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 42 — Duryodhana’s counsel to Bhīṣma on ajñātavāsa risk and raid strategy
कस्यायमसितश्नाप: पड्चशार्दूललक्षण: । वराहकर्णव्यामिश्रान् शरान् धारयते दश
uttara uvāca | kasyāyam asitaḥ śnāpaḥ pañcaśārdūlalakṣaṇaḥ | varāhakarṇavyāmiśrān śarān dhārayate daśa |
Uttara dit : «À qui appartient cet arc sombre, marqué des emblèmes de cinq tigres ? Il peut tenir dix flèches à la fois, dont les pointes sont façonnées comme des oreilles de sanglier.»
उत्तर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights discernment and respect for martial responsibility: Uttara recognizes that weapons carry identity and consequence, prompting inquiry before action—an ethical posture in a war-bound context.
In the Virāṭa episode, Uttara notices a distinctive bow and a set of specialized arrows and asks whose formidable weapon it is, signaling the discovery/identification of a great warrior’s arms.