Shloka 11

शूरलक्षणवर्णनम् | Marks and Typologies of Martial Temperament

Devanagari script

गोधानिमीलिता: केचिन्मृदुप्रकृतयस्तथा । तरड्भगतिनिर्घोषास्ते नरा: पारयिष्णव:

Transliteration

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

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Có người nửa khép mắt như kỳ đà, bản tính nhu hòa, và khi bước đi phát ra tiếng như vó ngựa gõ. Những người ấy có thể vượt qua hiểm nạn chiến trường mà sang đến bờ bên kia.

Word by Word

• गोधा-निमीलिताः: having eyes closed like an iguana
• गोधा-निमीलिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोधानिमीलित (गोधा + निमीलित)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क- (प्रातिपदिक: किम्-सम्बन्धी सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मृदु-प्रकृतयः: those of gentle nature
• मृदु-प्रकृतयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृदुप्रकृति (मृदु + प्रकृति)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: and/also; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• तरड्भगति-निर्घोषाः: whose sound (is) like the rumbling/clang of swift movement
• तरड्भगति-निर्घोषाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरड्भगतिनिर्घोष (तरड्भगति + निर्घोष)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पारयिष्णवः: able to carry across; capable of crossing over
• पारयिष्णवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारयिष्णु (√पॄ/पार् caus. पारयति + इष्णु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• godhā (iguana/lizard)
• horse (as implied by hoofbeat simile)
• battle/war (yuddha, implied by context)

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.