Shloka 17
शूरलक्षणवर्णनम् | Marks and Typologies of Martial Temperament
उद्धता इव सुग्रीवा विनताविहगा इव । पिण्डशीर्षातिवक्त्रा श्व वृषदंशमुखास्तथा
uddhatā iva sugrīvā vinatāvihagā iva | piṇḍaśīrṣātivaktrāś ca vṛṣadaṁśamukhās tathā ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Sebagian orang bersifat lancang dan tak terkendali—bagai kuda jenis Sugrīva—dan gelisah tabiatnya seperti burung-burung keturunan Vinatā (kaum Garuḍa). Ada yang berkepala bulat dengan mulut terlampau besar; ada pula yang bermuka seperti anjing penggigit atau bak ‘wṛṣa-daṃśa’ yang menggigit keras.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma warns that outwardly fearsome, loud, and aggressive temperaments—marked by pride and uncontrolled anger—often correlate with a lack of dharma-jñāna (ethical discernment). The passage critiques intimidation and battle-roaring as signs of inner disorder rather than virtue.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and conduct. Here he describes certain harsh, terrifying human types through vivid animal and mythic similes (Sugrīva-type horses; Vinatā’s birds), emphasizing their violent disposition and ethical blindness.