Shloka 17
Bhīṣma Parva, Adhyāya 4 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Vyāsa Saṃvāda on Kāla and Jayalakṣaṇa
Signs of Victory
अरण्यवासिन: सप्त सप्तैषां ग्रामवासिन: । सिंहा व्याप्रा वराहाश्न महिषा वारणास्तथा
araṇyavāsinaḥ sapta saptaivaiṣāṁ grāmavāsinaḥ | siṁhā vyāghrā varāhāś ca mahiṣā vāraṇās tathā ||
Sañjaya said: “There were seven who dwelt in the forest, and likewise seven among them who lived in villages—(men of the stamp of) lions, tigers, boars, buffaloes, and elephants.” In the war-reporting idiom of the Mahābhārata, such animal imagery is an ethical-narrative shorthand: it praises martial power, fearlessness, and crushing force, while also hinting at the untamed, instinct-driven energies that war unleashes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses animal metaphors to convey how epic narrative evaluates warriors: courage, ferocity, and sheer force are praised as battlefield virtues, while the imagery also reminds the listener that war draws out primal, untamed energies that must be governed by dharma.
Sañjaya is reporting and classifying groups of fighters—seven associated with forest life and seven with village life—describing their combat nature through vivid animal comparisons to communicate their strength and temperament.