Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 9.15.30

acodayad dhasti-rathasva-pattibhir

gadasi-banarshti-sataghni-saktibhih

akshauhinih sapta-dasatibhishanas

ta rama eko bhagavan asudayat

SYNONYMS

acodayat -- he sent for fighting; hasti -- with elephants; ratha -- with chariots; asva -- with horses; pattibhih -- and with infantry; gada -- with clubs; asi -- with swords; bana -- with arrows; rishti -- with the weapons called rishtis; sataghni -- with weapons called sataghnis; saktibhih -- with weapons called saktis; akshauhinih -- whole groups of akshauhinis; sapta-dasa -- seventeen; ati-bhishanah -- very fierce; tah -- all of them; ramah -- Lord Parasurama; ekah -- alone; bhagavan -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead; asudayat -- killed.

TRANSLATION

Upon seeing Parasurama, Kartaviryarjuna immediately feared him and sent many elephants, chariots, horses and infantry soldiers equipped with clubs, swords, arrows, rishtis, sataghnis, saktis, and many similar weapons to fight against him. Kartaviryarjuna sent seventeen full akshauhinis of soldiers to check Parasurama. But Lord Parasurama alone killed all of them.

PURPORT

The word akshauhini refers to a military phalanx consisting of 21,870 chariots and elephants, 109,350 infantry soldiers and 65,610 horses. An exact description is given in the Mahabharata, Adi parva, Second Chapter, as follows:

eko ratho gajas caikah

narah panca padatayah

trayas ca turagas taj-jnaih

pattir ity abhidhiyate

pattim tu trigunam etam

viduh senamukham budhah

trini senamukhany eko

gulma ity adhidhiyate

trayo gulma gano nama

vahini tu ganas trayah

srutas tisras tu vahinyah

pritaneti vicakshanaih

camus tu pritanas tisras

camvas tisras tv anikini

anikinim dasa-gunam

ahur akshauhinim budhah

akshauhinyas tu sankhyata

rathanam dvija-sattamah

sankhya-ganita-tattvajnaih

sahasrany eka-vimsati

satany upari cashtau ca

bhuyas tatha ca saptatih

gajanam tu parimanam

tavad evatra nirdiset

jneyam sata-sahasram tu

sahasrani tatha nava

naranam adhi pancasac

chatani trini canaghah

panca-shashti-sahasrani

tathasvanam satani ca

dasottarani shat cahur

yathavad abhisankhyaya

etam akshauhinim prahuh

sankhya-tattva-vido janah

"One chariot, one elephant, five infantry soldiers and three horses are called a patti by those who are learned in the science. The wise also know that a senamukha is three times what a patti is. Three senamukhas are known as one gulma, three gulmas are called a gana, and three ganas are called a vahini. Three vahinis have been referred to by the learned as a pritana, three pritanas equal one camu, and three camus equal one anikini. The wise refer to ten anikinis as one akshauhini. The chariots of an akshauhini have been calculated at 21,870 by those who know the science of such calculations, O best of the twice-born, and the number of elephants is the same. The number of infantry soldiers is 109,350, and the number of horses is 65,610. This is called an akshauhini."

<<< >>>

Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness