Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 9: Liberation

Chapter 15: Parasurama, the Lord's Warrior Incarnation. Text 30

अचोदयद्धस्तिरथाश्वपत्तिभि
र्गदासिबाणर्ष्टिशतघ्निशक्तिभिः ।
अक्षौहिणीः सप्तदशातिभीषणा
स्ता राम एको भगवानसूदयत् ॥३०॥

acodayad dhasti-rathÄÅ›va-pattibhir
gadÄsi-bÄṇarṣṭi-Å›ataghni-Å›aktibhiḥ
aká¹£auhiṇīḥ sapta-daÅ›ÄtibhÄ«á¹£aṇÄs
tÄ rÄma eko bhagavÄn asÅ«dayat

 acodayat - he sent for fighting; hasti - with elephants; ratha - with chariots; aÅ›va - with horses; pattibhiḥ - and with infantry; gadÄ - with clubs; asi - with swords; bÄṇa - with arrows; á¹›á¹£á¹­i - with the weapons called ṛṣṭis; Å›ataghni - with weapons called Å›ataghnis; Å›aktibhiḥ - with weapons called Å›aktis; aká¹£auhiṇīḥ - whole groups of aká¹£auhiṇīs; sapta-daÅ›a - seventeen; ati-bhÄ«á¹£aṇÄḥ - very fierce; tÄḥ - all of them; rÄmaḥ - Lord ParaÅ›urÄma; ekaḥ - alone; bhagavÄn - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; asÅ«dayat - killed.


Text

Upon seeing ParaÅ›urÄma, KÄrtavÄ«ryÄrjuna immediately feared him and sent many elephants, chariots, horses and infantry soldiers equipped with clubs, swords, arrows, ṛṣṭis, Å›ataghnis, Å›aktis, and many similar weapons to fight against him. KÄrtavÄ«ryÄrjuna sent seventeen full aká¹£auhiṇīs of soldiers to check ParaÅ›urÄma. But Lord ParaÅ›urÄma alone killed all of them.

Purport

The word aká¹£auhiṇī 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 MahÄbhÄrata, Ä€di parva, Second Chapter, as follows:

eko ratho gajaś caikaḥ
 narÄḥ pañca padÄtayaḥ
trayaÅ› ca turagÄs taj-jñaiḥ
 pattir ity abhidhÄ«yate
pattiá¹ tu triguṇÄm etÄá¹
 viduḥ senÄmukhaá¹ budhÄḥ
trīṇi senÄmukhÄny eko
 gulma ity adhidhÄ«yate
trayo gulmÄ gaṇo nÄma
 vÄhinÄ« tu gaṇÄs trayaḥ
Å›rutÄs tisras tu vÄhinyaḥ
 pá¹›taneti vicaká¹£aṇaiḥ
camÅ«s tu pá¹›tanÄs tisraÅ›
 caá¹vas tisras tv anÄ«kinÄ«
anÄ«kinÄ«á¹ daÅ›a-guṇÄm
 Ähur aká¹£auhiṇīṠbudhÄḥ
aká¹£auhiṇyas tu saá¹…khyÄtÄ
 rathÄnÄá¹ dvija-sattamÄḥ
saá¹…khyÄ-gaṇita-tattvajñaiḥ
 sahasrÄṇy eka-viá¹Å›ati
Å›atÄny upari cÄṣṭau ca
 bhÅ«yas tathÄ ca saptatiḥ
gajÄnÄá¹ tu parÄ«mÄṇaá¹
 tÄvad evÄtra nirdiÅ›et
jñeyaṠśata-sahasraṠtu
 sahasrÄṇi tathÄ nava
narÄṇÄm adhi pañcÄÅ›ac
 chatÄni trīṇi cÄnaghÄḥ
pañca-á¹£aṣṭi-sahasrÄṇi
 tathÄÅ›vÄnÄá¹ Å›atÄni ca
daÅ›ottarÄṇi á¹£aá¹­ cÄhur
 yathÄvad abhisaá¹…khyayÄ
etÄm aká¹£auhiṇīṠprÄhuḥ
 saá¹…khyÄ-tattva-vido janÄḥ

“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 senÄmukha is three times what a patti is. Three senÄmukhas are known as one gulma, three gulmas are called a gaṇa, and three gaṇas are called a vÄhinÄ«. Three vÄhinÄ«s have been referred to by the learned as a pá¹›tanÄ, three pá¹›tanÄs equal one camÅ«, and three camÅ«s equal one anÄ«kinÄ«. The wise refer to ten anÄ«kinÄ«s as one aká¹£auhiṇī. The chariots of an aká¹£auhiṇī 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 aká¹£auhiṇī.â€