From the Maha-Bharata Adi Parva, Sangraha
An #aksauhini is a whole army consisting of 109,350 foot soldiers, 65,610 horses, 21,870 chariots, and 21,870 elephants.
The Maha-bharata explains what is an aksauhini:
The Rishis said,
“We have a desire to know, Oh son of Suta, what is implied by the term Akshauhini that hath been used by thee. Tell us in full what is the number of horses and foot soldiers, chariots and elephants, which compose an Akshauhini for you are fully informed.”
Sauti said,
“One chariot, one elephant, five foot-soldiers, and three horses form one Patti; three pattis make one Sena-mukha; three sena-mukhas are called a Gulma; three gulmas, a Gana; three ganas, a Vahini; three vahinis together are called a Pritana; three pritanas form a Chamu; three chamus, one Anikini; and an anikini taken ten times forms, as it is styled by those who know, an Akshauhini. Oh you best of Brahmanas, arithmeticians have calculated that the number of chariots in an Akshauhini is twenty-one thousand eight hundred and seventy. The measure of elephants must be fixed at the same number. Oh you pure, you must know that the number of foot-soldiers is one hundred and nine thousand, three hundred and fifty, the number of horses is sixty-five thousand, six hundred and ten.
These, Oh Brahmanas, as fully explained by me, are the numbers of an Akshauhini as said by those acquainted with the principles of numbers. Oh, best of Brahmanas, according to this calculation, so the eighteen Akshauhinis of the Kaurava and the Pandava army were composed.
From Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 1
A solid phalanx of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 109,650 infantry and 65,600 cavalry is called an Aksauhini.
This is a section of the book “A Sidelong Glance”.
To buy the complete book, click above
Post view 696 times
