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Shloka 10

शूरलक्षणवर्णनम् | Marks and Typologies of Martial Temperament

बिडालकुब्जतनवस्तनुकेशास्तनुत्वच: । शीघ्राश्चपलवृत्ताश्व ते भवन्ति दुरासदा:,जिनका शरीर बिलावके समान कुबड़ा तथा सिरके बाल और देहकी खाल पतले होते हैं, वे शीघ्रतापूर्वक अस्त्र चलानेवाले चंचल और दुर्जय होते हैं

biḍālakubjatanavas tanukeśās tanutvacaḥ | śīghrāś capalavṛttāś ca te bhavanti durāsadāḥ ||

بھیشم نے کہا—جن کا بدن بلی کی طرح کُبڑا ہو، جن کے سر کے بال اور جسم کی کھال باریک ہو، وہ عمل میں تیز، عادت میں چنچل اور قابو میں نہ آنے والے ہوتے ہیں۔

बिडालकुब्जतनवःhaving a cat-like hunchbacked body
बिडालकुब्जतनवः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootबिडालकुब्जतनु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
तनुकेशाःhaving thin/sparse hair
तनुकेशाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootतनुकेश
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
तनुत्वचःhaving thin skin
तनुत्वचः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootतनुत्वच
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
शीघ्राःswift
शीघ्राः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशीघ्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
चपलवृत्ताश्चand of fickle/restless conduct
चपलवृत्ताश्च:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootचपलवृत्त
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
तेthey/those
ते:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
भवन्तिbecome/are
भवन्ति:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
दुरासदाःhard to approach/assail; formidable
दुरासदाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदुरासद
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

The verse conveys that certain observable traits are traditionally taken as signs of a person’s temperament—especially swiftness, restlessness, and difficulty to restrain—serving as a caution in judging reliability and managing conflict.

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on governance and practical wisdom; here he describes a type of person whose nature is quick and unstable, emphasizing their formidable, hard-to-subdue quality.