युधिष्ठिर उवाच किंशीला: किंसमाचाराः कथंरूपाश्च भारत। किंसन्नाहाः कथंशस्त्रा जनाः स्युः संगरे क्षमाः॥
Yudhishthira said Of what nature, of what conduct, of what form, how clad, and how armed should the warriors be in order that they may be competent for battle?
भीष्म उवाच यथाऽऽचरितमेवात्र शस्त्रं पत्रं विधीयते। आचाराद् वीरपुरुषस्तथा कर्मसु वर्तते॥
Bhishma said The soldier should use those weapons and cars with which they have become familiar by use. Taking those weapons and vehicles, brave soldiers, engage in battle.
गान्धाराः सिन्धुसौवीरा नखर प्रासयोधिनः। अभीरवः सुबलिनस्तद्वलं सर्वपारगम्॥
The Gandharas, the Sindhus, and the Sauviras fight best with their nails and lances. They are brave and very strong. Their armies are capable of defeating all forces.
सर्वशस्त्रेषु कुशलाः सत्त्ववन्तो ह्यशीनराः। प्राच्या मातङ्गयुद्धेषु कुशलाः कूटयोधिनः॥
The Ushinaras are endued with great strength and skilled in all sorts of weapons. The Easterners are skilled in fighting from the backs of elephants and are masters of all the ways of unfair fight.
तथा यवनकाम्बोजा मथुरामभितश्च ये। एते नियुद्धकुशला दाक्षिणात्यासिपाणयः॥
The Yavanas, the Kamvojas, and those that live around Mathura are well skilled in fighting with bare arms. The Southerners are expert in fighting with bare arms. Southerners are expert in fighting swords in hand.
सर्वत्र शूरा जायन्ते महासत्त्वा महाबलाः। प्राय एव समुद्दिष्टा लक्षणानि तु मे शृणु॥
It is well known that persons endued with great strength and great courage are born in almost every country. Listen to me as I describe their characteristics.
सिंहशार्दूलवाड्नेत्राः सिंहशार्दूलगामिनः। पारावतकुलिङ्क्षाक्षाः सर्वे शूराः प्रमाथिनः॥
Those, who have voices and eyes like those of the lion or the tiger, those who have a gait like that of the lion and the tiger, and those who have eyes like those of the pigeon or of the snake, are all heroes capable of grinding the enemies.
मृगस्वरा द्वीपिनेत्रा ऋषभाक्षास्तरस्विनः। प्रमादिनश्च मन्दाश्च क्रोधनाः किङ्किणीस्वनाः॥
Those, who have a voice like a deer, and eyes like those of the leopard or the bull, are highly active. Those, whose voice is like that of bells, are excitable, wicked, and wrathful.
मेघस्वनाः क्रोधमुखाः केचित् करभसंनिभाः। जिह्मनासाग्रजिह्वाश्च दूरगा दूरपातिनः॥
Those, who have a voice deep like the muttering of the clouds, who have angry faces or faces like those of camels, those who have hooked noses and tongues, are gifted with great speed and can shoot or hurl their weapons to a great distance.
शीघ्राश्चपलवृत्ताश्च ते भवन्ति दुरासदाः॥
Those, who have bodies curved like that of the cat, and thin hair and thin skin are gifted with great speed and restlessness, and are almost invincible in battle.
गोधानिमीलिताः केचिन्मृदुप्रकृतयस्तथा। तरङ्गगतिनि?षास्ते नरा: पारयिष्णवः॥
Some who have eyes closed like those of iguana, a mild disposition and speed and voice like the horse's are capable to fight all enemies,
सुसंहताः सुतनवो व्यूढोरस्काः सुसंस्थिताः। प्रवादितेषु कुप्यन्ति हृष्यन्ति कलहेषु च॥ गम्भीराक्षा निःसृताक्षाः पिङ्गाक्षा भृकुटीमुखाः। नकुलाक्षास्तथा चैव सर्वे शूरास्तनुत्यजः॥
Those, who have well-formed, and symmetrical and beautiful bodies, and broad chests, who are irate upon hearing the enemy's drum or trumpet, who take delight in fights of every kind, who have eyes indicative of gravity, or eyes which seem to shoot out, or eyes which are green, those who have frowning faces, or eyes like those of the mongoose, are all brave and capable of sacrificing their lives in battle.
जिह्माक्षाः प्रललाटाश्च निर्मांसहनवोऽपि च। वज्रबाहङ्गुलीचक्राः कृशा धमनिसंतताः॥ प्रविशन्ति च वेगेन साम्पराये छुपस्थिते। वारणा इव सम्मत्तास्ते भवन्ति दुरासदाः॥
Those, who have crooked eyes, and broad foreheads, and check-bones not fleshy, and arms strong as thunderbolts, and fingers bearing circular marks, and who are sparely built, and whose arteries and nerves are visible, rush with great impetuosity when the collision of battle takes place. Resembling angry elephants, they become irresistible.
दीप्तस्फुटितकेशान्ता: स्थूलपार्श्वहनूमुखाः। उन्नतांसाः पृथुग्रीवा विकटाः स्थूलपिण्डिकाः॥ उद्धता इव सुग्रीवा विनताविहगा इव।। पिण्डशीर्षातिवक्त्राश्च वृषदंशमुखास्तथा॥ उग्रस्वरा मन्युमन्तो युद्धेष्वारावसरिणः। अधर्मज्ञावलिप्ताश्च घोरा रौद्रप्रदर्शनाः॥ त्यक्तात्मानः सर्व एते अन्त्यजा ह्यनिवर्तिनः। पुरस्कार्याः सदा सैन्ये हन्यन्ते मन्ति चापि ये॥
They who have greenish and curling hairs, who have flanks, cheeks, and faces fat and fleshy, who have elevated shoulders and broad necks, who have fearful faces and fat calves, who are fiery like the horse Sugriva or like the son of Garuda the son of Vinata, who have round heads, large mouths, faces like those of cats, shrill voice and angry temper, who rush to battle, impelled by its din, who are wicked and full of arrogance, who are of dreadful countenances, and who live in the outlying districts never care for their lives and do rever fly away from battle. Such troops should always be planted in the van. They always kill their foes in fight and suffer themselves to be killed without flying.
अधार्मिका भिन्नवृत्ताः सान्त्वेनैषां पराभवः। एवमेव प्रकुप्यन्ति राज्ञोऽप्येते ह्यभीक्ष्णशः॥
Of wicked conduct and foreign manners, they consider soft speeches as marks of defeat. If treated leniently, they always show anger against their sovereign.