Shloka 13

Rathaghoṣa–Saṃjñāna: Damayantī’s Inference and the Dispatch of the Envoy (Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 71)

Devanagari script

तेजोबलसमायुक्तान्‌ कुलशीलसमन्वितान्‌ । वर्जिताल्लक्षणैहीनि: पृथुप्रोथान्‌ महाहनून्‌,वे तेज और बलसे युक्त थे। वे अच्छी जातिके और अच्छे स्वभावके थे। उनमें अशुभ लक्षणोंका सर्वथा अभाव था। उनकी नाक मोटी और थूथन (ठोड़ी) चौड़ी थी

Transliteration

tejobala-samāyuktān kula-śīla-samanvitān | varjitān lakṣaṇair hīnān pṛthu-prothān mahā-hanūn ||

Translation

Disse Bṛhadaśva: “Eram dotados de esplendor e força, e traziam os sinais de nobre linhagem e boa conduta. Neles não havia qualquer indício de maus presságios. De narinas largas e mandíbulas amplas, pareciam robustos e formidáveis.”

Word by Word

तेजोबलसमायुक्तान्endowed with energy and strength

कुलशीलसमन्वितान्possessed of good lineage and good conduct

वर्जितान्devoid of / free from

अलक्षणैःby/with bad marks (inauspicious signs)

हीनाःlacking / bereft

पृथुप्रोथान्having broad noses/snout (broad-protha)

महाहनून्having great/broad jaws

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bṛhadaśva

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links outer capability (tejas and bala) with inner virtue (kula and śīla), implying that true excellence is measured not only by power but also by good conduct and auspicious moral qualities.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva is describing a group’s appearance and qualities, emphasizing their strength, noble character, and the absence of inauspicious bodily signs, portraying them as fit and formidable.