12.102
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
O Bhārata, what kind of people, of what character, origin, form, armor, and weapons, would be present in battle, O king?
Bhīṣma said.
As conduct is established here as the scriptural rule, so a person acts in accordance with conduct in all actions.
The Gandharas, Sindhus, Sauvīras, warriors with clawed weapons, the Ābhīras, and the mighty ones—all these made up that army capable of overcoming every obstacle.
The Uśīnaras are indeed courageous and skilled in all weapons. The easterners are skilled in elephant warfare and are cunning warriors.
Likewise, the Yavanas and Kambojas, and those around Mathurā—these are skilled in combat, southerners, armed with swords and hide armor.
Heroes of great strength and spirit are born everywhere. Generally, this is the indication; but now listen to the characteristics from me.
They have the eyes and speech of lions and tigers, move like lions and tigers, and have the eyes of pigeons and waterfowl; all are valiant and fierce warriors.
Some had voices like deer, some had eyes like tigers, some had eyes like bulls, and others were talkative, very fierce, angry, and had voices like kinnaris.
Some had voices like clouds, some had angry faces, some sounded like trumpeting elephants; some had crooked noses and thighs, and some could go far and fall at a distance.
Cats, hunchbacks, the thin, those with scanty hair, those with thin skin, the brave, and the fickle-minded are all difficult to approach.
Some men, gentle by nature, closed their eyes like cows; yet, with the sound of the horses' movement, those men were eager to cross.
They are well-joined, slender-bodied, broad-chested, and well-settled; at the signal, they dance and rejoice in battles.
All the heroes, with deep eyes, protruding or tawny eyes, frowning faces, and mongoose-like eyes, were ready to give up their bodies in battle.
They were crooked-eyed, with prominent foreheads, fleshless jaws, crooked arms and fingers, emaciated, and their veins were visible.
When the battle has arrived, they rush in with great speed; like intoxicated elephants, they become impossible to approach.
They had shining, bristling hair-ends, thick sides, faces with large jaws, raised shoulders, broad necks, monstrous forms, and thick muscles.
They were upraised, with beautiful necks, bent like birds; with round heads and serpent-like mouths, and faces resembling hornets.
They are fierce-voiced, wrathful, shouting loudly in battle, ignorant of righteousness, arrogant, terrible, and display ferocity.
All these outcastes, having abandoned their lives and never turning back, are always placed at the front in the army; they are killed and they also kill others.
For those who are unrighteous and of divided conduct, defeat is certain; in the same way, these people frequently become very angry even with the king.
