Shloka 11

शूरलक्षणवर्णनम् | Marks and Typologies of Martial Temperament

Devanagari script

गोधानिमीलिता: केचिन्मृदुप्रकृतयस्तथा । तरड्भगतिनिर्घोषास्ते नरा: पारयिष्णव:,जो गोहटीके समान आँखें बन्द किये रहते हैं, जिनका स्वभाव कोमल होता है तथा जिनके चलनेपर घोड़ेकी टाप पड़ने-जैसी आवाज होती है, वे मनुष्य युद्धके पार पहुँच जाते हैं

Transliteration

godhā-nimīlitāḥ kecin mṛdu-prakṛtayas tathā | taraḍ-bhaga-ti-nirghoṣās te narāḥ pārayiṣṇavaḥ ||

Translation

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ചിലർ ഗോധയെപ്പോലെ കണ്ണുകൾ പകുതി അടച്ചിരിക്കും, സ്വഭാവത്തിൽ മൃദുവായിരിക്കും; അവരുടെ നടപ്പിൽ കുതിരക്കുളമ്പിന്റെ താളംപോലൊരു ശബ്ദം കേൾക്കും. അത്തരം മനുഷ്യർ യുദ്ധത്തിന്റെ ഭീഷണി കടന്നുപോകുന്നു.

Word by Word

गोधा-निमीलिताःhaving eyes closed like an iguana

केचित्some

मृदु-प्रकृतयःthose of gentle nature

तथाand/also; likewise

तरड्भगति-निर्घोषाःwhose sound (is) like the rumbling/clang of swift movement

तेthose

नराःmen

पारयिष्णवःable to carry across; capable of crossing over

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

godhā (iguana/lizard)

horse (as implied by hoofbeat simile)

battle/war (yuddha, implied by context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma highlights that gentleness, restraint, and composed conduct can enable a person to endure and ‘cross over’ the dangers of conflict; moral steadiness is presented as a protective strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira in Śānti Parva, he describes a type of person—quiet, mild, and controlled—who can pass safely through the turmoil of battle, contrasting inner discipline with outward aggression.