The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Adi Parva
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Adi Parva
Epic literature, Sanskrit
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.
Karna 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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