An ''akshauhini'' ( sa, अक्षौहिणी ''akṣauhiṇī'') is described in the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...

( Adi Parva 2.15-23) as a battle formation consisting of 21,870 chariots (Sanskrit ''ratha''); 21,870 elephants (Sanskrit ''gaja''); 65,610 horses (Sanskrit ''turaga'') and 109,350 infantry (Sanskrit ''pada sainyam''). Thus one akshauhini consisted of 218,700 warriors (not including the charioteers, who didn't fight). The ratio is 1 chariot : 1 elephant : 3 cavalry : 5 infantry soldiers. In each of these large number groups (65,610, etc.), the digits add up to 18. It is mentioned in the ''Mahabharata'' that in the Kurukshetra War the

Pandava The Pandavas ( Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic '' Mahabharata''. They are acknowle ...

army consisted of seven ''akshauhinis'' (1,530,900 warriors), and the

Kaurava ''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his w ...

army had eleven ''akshauhinis'' (2,405,700 warriors).

Composition

:Patti (company) : 1 Elephant (Gaja) + 1 Chariot (Ratha) + 3 Horse (Ashwa) + 5 Foot Soldiers (Padati)=10 Warriors :Senamukha = (3 x Patti) : 3 Elephant + 3 Chariot + 9 Horse + 15 Foot Soldiers = 30 Warriors :Gulma = (3 x Senamukha) : 9 Elephant + 9 Chariot + 27 Horse + 45 Foot Soldiers = 90 Warriors :Gana = (3 x Gulma) : 27 Elephant + 27 Chariot + 81 Horse + 135 Foot Soldiers = 270 Warriors :Wahini = (3 x Gana) : 81 Elephant + 81 Chariot + 243 Horse + 405 Foot Soldiers = 810 Warriors :Pritana/Prutana = (3 x Wahini) : 243 Elephant + 243 Chariot + 729 Horse + 1215 Foot Soldiers = 2,430 Warriors :Chamu = (3 x Pritana/Prutana) : 729 Elephant + 729 Chariot + 2187 Horse + 3645 Foot Soldiers = 7,290 Warriors :Anikini = (3 x Chamu) : 2187 Elephant + 2187 Chariot + 6561 Horse + 10935 Foot Soldiers = 21,870 Warriors :Akshauhini = (10 x Anikini) : 21870 Elephant + 21870 Chariot + 65610 Horse + 109350 Foot Soldiers = 218,700 Warriors

Kaurava Army and their Allies

Kuru Army is a coalition of 11 ''akshauhinis'' formed by the kingdom of Hastinapura in alliance with races like the Samsaptakas, Trigartas, the Narayana army, the Sindhu army and Shalya of Madra. * Bhagadatta, king of Pragjyotisha Kingdom - 1 Akshauhini * Shalya, king of Madra ( Madri) - 1 Akshauhini *

Bhurishravas Bhoorishravas (Sanskrit: भूरिश्रवस् / भूरिश्रवा) was a prince of a minor kingdom''Essential Hinduism'' by Steven J. Rosen and Graham M. Schweig. Greenwood Publishing, 2006, page 96Google books linkaccessed May ...

, Prince of the Bahlika Kingdom and the grandson of the king Bahlika (Mahabharata)- 1 Akshauhini * Kritavarma (who leads

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...

's Narayani Sena consisting of Yadava clans of Andhakas, Vrishnis, Kukuras, Bhojas and the Shainyas offered prior to the war) - 1 Akshauhini * Jayadratha (king of the Sindhu Kingdom) - 1 Akshauhini * Sudakshina, king of Kambhoja - 1 Akshauhini (has Yavanas & Sakas in his troops) *

Karna Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the Pa ...

, king of Anga - 1 Akshauhini * Kalinga Forces - 1 Akshauhini * Shakuni of

Gandhara Gandhāra is the name of an ancient region located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, more precisely in present-day north-west Pakistan and parts of south-east Afghanistan. The region centered around the Peshawar Val ...

- 1 Akshauhini * Susharma of Trigarta - 1 Akshauhini * Kurus and other Allies - 1 Akshauhini

Pandava Army and their allies

Pandava Army is a coalition of 7 ''akshauhinis'', primarily the Panchala and Matsya forces, the Rakshasa forces of Bhima's son, Ghatotkacha and Vrishni -Yadava heroes. Army of Pandavas

Satyaki Yuyudhana ( sa, युयुधान, '), better known as Satyaki ( sa, सात्यकि, ), was a powerful Yadava chieftain of Narayani Sena, belonging to the Vrishni clan to which Krishna also belonged. According to the Puranas, he was th ...

of the Vrishni clan - 1 ''akshauhini'' * Malaydhwaja king of Early Pandyas having a Conjugated armed force of Pandyas, Cholas and Cheras- 1 ''akshauhini'' * Dhrishtaketu, king of Chedis - 1 ''akshauhini'' *

Sahadeva Sahadeva (Sanskrit: सहदेव) was the youngest of the Pandava brothers, the five principal protagonists of the epic ''Mahabharata''. He and his twin brother, Nakula, were blessed to King Pandu and Queen Madri by invoking the twin gods Ash ...

, son of Jarasandha - 1 ''akshauhini'' (from

Magadh Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was rule ...

a) * Drupada with his sons - 1 ''akshauhini'' * Virata the king of Matsya - 1 ''akshauhini'' * Ghatotkacha and other allies - 1 ''akshauhini'' The 4 types of units that make up an ''akshauhini'' can also be seen in Chaturanga, the predecessor of

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

References

3
Akshauhini Wars in Detail - A Study
{HinduMythology Tactical formations Mahabharata

Composition

Kaurava Army and their Allies

Pandava Army and their allies

See also

References