Shloka 15

शूरलक्षणवर्णनम् | Marks and Typologies of Martial Temperament

Devanagari script

प्रविशन्ति च वेगेन साम्पराये ह्युपस्थिते । वारणा इव सम्मत्तास्ते भवन्ति दुरासदा:

Transliteration

praviśanti ca vegena sāmparāye hy upasthite | vāraṇā iva sammattās te bhavanti durāsadāḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：当战场上最后的决战来临，他们便以极快之势冲入敌军阵列。犹如狂象，他们令对手无法抵御——刚猛不屈，难以近身，战斗中令人胆寒。

Word by Word

• प्रविशन्ति: they enter
• प्रविशन्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश्
• Form: Lat (Present), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वेगेन: with speed/force
• वेगेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• साम्पराये: in the battle/at the time of combat
• साम्पराये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्पराय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• उपस्थिते: when (it is) present/arrived
• उपस्थिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-स्था
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वारणाः: elephants
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• सम्मत्ताः: maddened/intoxicated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-मद्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they/those (men)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भवन्ति: become/are
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Lat (Present), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• दुरासदाः: hard to assail/approach; formidable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरासद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• elephants (vāraṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ideal of fearless, decisive engagement in a righteous battle: when the crisis arrives, true fighters do not hesitate but press forward with controlled ferocity, becoming formidable to adversaries.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing a class of warriors who, once battle is joined, surge into the enemy formation with great momentum; the simile of maddened elephants conveys their unstoppable, hard-to-resist force.