समन्तपञ्चकमिति यदुक्तं सूतनन्दन। एतत्सर्वं यथातत्त्वं श्रोतुमिच्छामहे वयम्
O son of Sūta, you spoke of the Samantapañcaka; we wish to hear all about it, exactly as it happened.
शृणुध्वं मम भो विप्रा ब्रुवतश्च कथाः शुभाः। समन्तपञ्चकाख्यं च श्रोतुमर्हथ सत्तमाः
Hear from me, O Brahmins, as I recount auspicious tales; you, the best among men, are worthy to listen to the account of Samantapañcaka.
त्रेताद्वापरयोः सन्धौ रामः शस्त्रभृतां वरः। असकृत्पार्थिवं क्षत्रं जघानामर्षचोदितः
At the junction of the Tretā and Dvāpara ages, Rāma, the best of warriors, driven by wrath, repeatedly destroyed the royal Kṣatriya class.
स सर्वं क्षत्रमुत्साद्य स्ववीर्येणानलद्युतिः। समन्तपञ्चके पञ्च चकार रुधिरह्रदान्
Having annihilated all the Kṣatriyas by his own might, blazing like fire, he made five pools of blood at Samantapañcaka.
स तेषु रुधिराम्भःसु ह्रदेषु क्रोधमूर्च्छितः। पितॄन्संतर्पयामास रुधिरेणेति नः श्रुतम्
In those pools filled with blood, overcome by anger, he satisfied his ancestors with blood—so we have heard.
अथर्चीकादयोऽभ्येत्य पितरो राममब्रुवन्। राम राम महाभाग प्रीताः स्म तव भार्गव
Then the ancestors, beginning with Rcīka, approached and spoke to Rāma: 'Rāma, Rāma, greatly fortunate one, we are pleased with you, O Bhārgava.'
अनया पितृभक्त्या च विक्रमेण तव प्रभो। वरं वृणीष्व भद्रं ते यमिच्छसि महाद्युते
Because of this devotion to her father and her valor, O lord, choose a boon, O greatly illustrious one, whatever you desire; may it be auspicious for you.
यदि मे पितरः प्रीता यद्यनुग्राह्यता मयि। यच्च रोषाभिभूतेन क्षत्रमुत्सादितं मया
If my fathers are pleased with me, if I am worthy of their favor, and because, overcome by anger, I destroyed the Kshatriyas—
अतश्च पापान्मुच्येऽहमेष मे प्रार्थितो वरः। ह्रदाश्च तीर्थभूता मे भवेयुर्भुवि विश्रुताः
Therefore, may I be freed from sin—this is the boon I request; and may these lakes become holy places, renowned throughout the earth.
एवं भविष्यतीत्येवं पितरस्तमथाब्रुवन्। तं क्षमस्वेति निषिषिधुस्ततः स विरराम ह
So shall it be—thus the fathers spoke to him; they forbade him, saying, 'Forgive,' and then he desisted.
तेषां समीपे यो देशो ह्रदानां रुधिराम्भसाम्। समन्तपञ्चकमिति पुण्यं तत्परिकीर्तितम्
The region near them, of the lakes filled with blood, is celebrated as the sacred Samantapanchaka.
येन लिङ्गेन यो देशो युक्तः समुपलक्ष्यते। तेनैव नाम्ना तं देशं वाच्यमाहुर्मनीषिणः
By whatever characteristic a place is properly recognized, by that very name, say the wise, should the place be called.
अन्तरे चैव संप्राप्ते कलिद्वापरयोरभूत्। समन्तपञ्चके युद्धं कुरुपाण्डवसेनयोः
And when the interval between the Kali and Dvapara ages arrived, there was a battle at Samantapanchaka between the armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas.
तस्मिन्परमधर्मिष्ठे देशे भूदोषवर्जिते। अष्टादश समाजग्मुरक्षौहिण्यो युयुत्सया
In that supremely righteous land, free from the faults of the earth, eighteen armies assembled, eager for battle.
समेत्य तं द्विजास्ताश्च तत्रैव निधं गताः। एतन्नामाभिनिर्वृत्तं तस्य देशस्य वै द्विजाः
Having gathered there, those twice-born warriors met their end in that very place; O twice-born, thus the name of that land arose.
पुण्यश्च रमणीयश्च स देशो वः प्रकीर्तितः। तदेतत्कथितं सर्वं मया ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः।। यथा देशः स विख्यातस्त्रिषु लोकेषु सुव्रताः
That land, sacred and delightful, has been described to you; thus, O best of Brahmanas, I have told you all, just as that land became renowned in the three worlds, O virtuous ones.
अक्षौहिण्य इति प्रोक्तं यत्त्वया सूतनन्दन। एतदिच्छामहे श्रोतुं सर्वमेव यथातथम्
O son of Suta, you have mentioned 'Akshauhini'; we wish to hear in detail, exactly and truly, all about it.
अक्षौहिण्याः परीमाणं नराश्वरथदन्तिनाम्। यथावच्चैव नो ब्रूहि सर्वं हि विदितं तव
Tell us the measure of an Akshauhini—of men, horses, chariots, and elephants—just as it is, for all is known to you.
एको रथो गजश्चैको नराः पञ्च पदातयः। त्रयश्च तुरगास्तज्ज्ञैः पत्तिरित्यभिधीयते
One chariot, one elephant, five foot soldiers, and three horses—this, according to those who know, is called a 'patti.'
पत्तिं तु त्रिगुणामेतामाहुः सेनामुखं बुधाः। त्रीणि सेनामुखान्येको गुल्म इत्यभिधीयते
The wise say that three times this 'patti' is called a 'senamukha'; three 'senamukhas' make one 'gulma,' so it is declared.
त्रयो गुल्मा गणो नाम वाहिनी तु गणास्त्रयः। स्मृतास्तिस्रस्तु वाहिन्यः पृतनेति विचक्षणैः
Three 'gulmas' are called a 'gana,' and three 'ganas' make a 'vahini'; three 'vahinis' are known by the discerning as a 'pritaṇa.'
चमूस्तु पृतनास्तिस्रस्तिस्रश्चम्वस्त्वनीकिनी। अनीकिनीं दशगुणां प्राहुरक्षौहिणीं बुधाः
Three 'pritaṇas' make a 'camū,' and three 'camūs' make an 'anīkinī'; the wise say that ten times an 'anīkinī' is called an 'akshauhini.'
अक्षौहिण्याः प्रसंख्याता रथानां द्विजसत्तमाः। संख्यागणिततत्त्वज्ञैः सहस्राण्येकविंशतिः
O best of Brahmanas, the reckoned number of chariots in an Akshauhini, according to those skilled in calculation, is twenty-one thousand.
शतान्युपरि चैवाष्टौ तथा भूयश्च सप्ततिः। गजानां च परीमाणमेतदेव विनिर्दिशेत्
And, in addition, eight hundred, and again seventy—this is also specified as the number of elephants.
ज्ञेयं शतसहस्रं तु सहस्राणि नवैव तु। नराणामपि पञ्चाशच्छतानि त्रीणि चानघाः
It should be known: one hundred thousand, and indeed nine thousand more; and, O sinless ones, also fifty and three hundred of men.
पञ्च षष्टिसहस्राणि तथाश्वानां शतानि च। दशोत्तराणि षट् प्राहुर्यथावदिह संख्यया
Sixty-five thousand, and also hundreds of horses—one hundred and six, as is properly stated here by number.
एतामक्षौहिणीं प्राहुः संख्यातत्त्वदितो जनाः। यां वः कथितवानस्मि विस्तरेण तपोधनाः
Those who know the truth of numbers declare this to be an akshauhini, which I have described to you in detail, O ascetics.
एतया संख्यया ह्यासन्कुरुपाण्डवसेनयोः। अक्षौहिण्यो द्विजश्रेष्ठाः पिण्डिताष्टादशैव तु
With this reckoning, O best of twice-born, there were indeed eighteen akshauhinis marshaled for the armies of the Kurus and Pandavas.
समेतास्तत्र वै देशे तत्रैव निधं गताः। कौरवान्कारणं कृत्वा कालेनाद्भुतकर्मणा
Gathered together in that place, they met their end there, having made the Kauravas the cause, through the wondrous workings of time.
अहानि युयुधे भीष्मो दशैव परमास्त्रवित्। अहानि पञ्च द्रोणस्तु ररक्ष कुरुवाहिनीम्
Bhishma, master of divine weapons, fought for ten days; Drona then protected the Kuru army for five days.