Rajadharmanushasana Parva — The conduct and dress of the warriors

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.

Of wicked conduct and foreign manners, they consider soft speeches as marks of defeat. If treated leniently, they always show anger against their sovereign.