Adi Parva Part 7

"The Rishis said, 'O son of Suta, we wish to hear a full and circumstantial account of the place mentioned by you as Samanta-

panchaya.'

"Sauti said, 'Listen, O ye Brahmanas, to the sacred descriptions I utter O ye best of men, ye deserve to hear of the place known

as Samanta-panchaka. In the interval between the Treta and Dwapara Yugas, Rama (the son of Jamadagni) great among all

who have borne arms, urged by impatience of wrongs, repeatedly smote the noble race of Kshatriyas. And when that fiery

meteor, by his own valour, annihilated the entire tribe of the Kshatriyas, he formed at Samanta-panchaka five lakes of blood.

We are told that his reason being overpowered by anger he offered oblations of blood to the manes of his ancestors, standing in

the midst of the sanguine waters of those lakes. It was then that his forefathers of whom Richika was the first having arrived

there addressed him thus, 'O Rama, O blessed Rama, O offspring of Bhrigu, we have been gratified with the reverence thou

hast shown for thy ancestors and with thy valour, O mighty one! Blessings be upon thee. O thou illustrious one, ask the boon

that thou mayst desire.'

"Rama said, 'If, O fathers, ye are favourably disposed towards me, the boon I ask is that I may be absolved from the sins born

of my having annihilated the Kshatriyas in anger, and that the lakes I have formed may become famous in the world as holy

shrines.' The Pitris then said, 'So shall it be. But be thou pacified.' And Rama was pacified accordingly. The region that lieth

near unto those lakes of gory water, from that time hath been celebrated as Samanta-panchaka the holy. The wise have declared

that every country should be distinguished by a name significant of some circumstance which may have rendered it famous. In

the interval between the Dwapara and the Kali Yugas there happened at Samanta-panchaka the encounter between the armies

of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. In that holy region, without ruggedness of any kind, were assembled eighteen Akshauhinis

of soldiers eager for battle. And, O Brahmanas, having come thereto, they were all slain on the spot. Thus the name of that

region, O Brahmanas, hath been explained, and the country described to you as a sacred and delightful one. I have mentioned

the whole of what relateth to it as the region is celebrated throughout the three worlds.'

"The Rishis said, 'We have a desire to know, O 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 horse and foot, chariots and elephants, which compose an Akshauhini for thou art

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. O ye 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. O ye pure, you

must know that the number of foot-soldiers is one hundred and nine thousand, three hundred and fifty, the number of horse is

sixty-five thousand, six hundred and ten. These, O Brahmanas, as fully explained by me, are the numbers of an Akshauhini as

said by those acquainted with the principles of numbers. O best of Brahmanas, according to this calculation were composed the

eighteen Akshauhinis of the Kaurava and the Pandava army. Time, whose acts are wonderful assembled them on that spot and

having made the Kauravas the cause, destroyed them all. Bhishma acquainted with choice of weapons, fought for ten days.

Drona protected the Kaurava Vahinis for five days. Kama the desolator of hostile armies fought for two days; and Salya for

half a day. After that lasted for half a day the encounter with clubs between Duryodhana and Bhima. At the close of that day,

Aswatthaman and Kripa destroyed the army of Yudishthira in the night while sleeping without suspicion of danger.

'O Saunaka, this best of narrations called Bharata which has begun to be repeated at thy sacrifice, was formerly repeated at the

sacrifice of Janamejaya by an intelligent disciple of Vyasa. It is divided into several sections; in the beginning are Paushya,

Pauloma, and Astika parvas, describing in full the valour and renown of kings. It is a work whose description, diction, and

sense are varied and wonderful. It contains an account of various manners and rites. It is accepted by the wise, as the state

called Vairagya is by men desirous of final release. As Self among things to be known, as life among things that are dear, so is

this history that furnisheth the means of arriving at the knowledge of Brahma the first among all the sastras. There is not a story

current in this world but doth depend upon this history even as the body upon the foot that it taketh. As masters of good lineage

are ever attended upon by servants desirous of preferment so is the Bharata cherished by all poets. As the words constituting

the several branches of knowledge appertaining to the world and the Veda display only vowels and consonants, so this

excellent history displayeth only the highest wisdom.

'Listen, O ye ascetics, to the outlines of the several divisions (parvas) of this history called Bharata, endued with great wisdom,

of sections and feet that are wonderful and various, of subtile meanings and logical connections, and embellished with the

substance of the Vedas.