3413) "Akshauhini" (or "Battle Formations") (Part II) during the Mahabharat War:
Links:
2) "The Mahabharat": A Brief (Part One): About the Smriti Text compiled by the Sage Vyas:
3) "Akshauhini" (or "Battle Formations") (Part II) during the Mahabharat War
4) 50 Deadly Weapons used in the Mahabhart War (Part III)
5) The Mahabharat War: A Day to Day account as narrated in the Epic (Part IV)
We hear of everyone learning the Bhagwad Gita these days. I was inspired to research the Mahabharat War, beginning with the Battle formations.
An Aakshauhini (Sanskrit: अक्षौहिणी akṣauhiṇī)
is described in the Mahabharat (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 Mahabharat that in the Kurukshetra War the Pandav army consisted of seven Akshauhinis (1,530,900 warriors), and the Kaurava army had eleven Akshauhinis (2,405,700 warriors).
Composition of the Armed formations:
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
Kaurav army and their allies:
The Kuru army was a coalition of 11 Akshauhinis formed by the kingdom of Hastinapur in alliance with races like the Samsaptakas, Trigartas, the Narayan army, the Sindhu army and Shalya of Madra.
Bhagadatta, King of Pragjyotisha – 1 Akshauhini
Shalya, king of Madra – 1 Akshauhini
Bhurishravas, Prince of the Bahlika kingdom and the grandson of the King Bahlika – 1 Akshauhini
Kritavarma (who leads Krishna's Narayani Sena consisting of Yadav clans of Andhaka, 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, King of Anga – 1 Akshauhini
Srutayudha, King of Kalinga – 1 Akshauhini
Shakuni, king of Gandhara – 1 Akshauhini
Susharma, king of Trigarta – 1 Akshauhini
Kurus and other allies – 1 Akshauhini
Pandava army and their allies:
The Pandav army was a coalition of 7 Akshauhinis, primarily the Panchal and Matsya forces, the Rakshas forces of Bhim's son, Ghatotkacha and Vrishni–Yadava heroes.
Kuntibhoja, King of Kunti kingdom – 1 Akshauhini
Malayadhvaja, King of Early Pandyas having a Conjugated armed force of Pandyas, Cholas and Cheras – 1 Akshauhini
Dhrishtaketu, king of Chedis – 1 Akshauhini
Sahadeva (Son of Jarasandha), king of Magadh – 1 Akshauhini
Drupada, king of Panchala, with his sons – 1 Akshauhini
Virata, king of Matsya – 1 Akshauhini
Ghatotkach 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).
Rajan Trikha has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very informative post narrating mythology 👍👍"
Thank you Trikha sahab.
DeleteVikram Bhatnagar has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very precise and mathematical!"
Absolutely Vikram. And to think that the battle formations are from 5000 odd years ago.
DeleteVikram Bhatnagar has further commented:
Delete"Those folks were very advanced then; the nuclear blowout ruined all the advancement and, Kalyug started with a naught kind of level!"
Dhruv Kumar Seth has commented:
ReplyDelete"Ati sundar jaankari".
Thank you so much.
DeleteRaj Kumar Srivastava has commented:
ReplyDelete"Informative."
Thanks, Raj.
DeleteDhruv Kumar Seth has commented:
ReplyDelete"Great itni jaankari ke liey",
Thank you so much Seth sahab.
Delete