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.
अहनी युयुधे द्वे तु कर्णः परबलार्दनः। शल्योऽर्धदिवसं चैव गदायुद्धमतः परम्
Karna, destroyer of enemy ranks, fought for two days; and then Shalya, after that, for half a day in mace combat.
तस्यैव दिवसस्यान्ते द्रौणिहार्दिक्यगौतमाः। प्रसुप्तं निशि विश्वस्तं जघ्नुर्यौधिष्ठिरं बलम्
At the end of that very day, Drona's son, Kritavarma, and Kripa, slew the Yudhishthira army, trusting and asleep at night.
यत्तु शौनक सत्रे ते भारताख्यानमुत्तमम्। जनमेजयस्य तत्सत्रे व्यासशिष्येण धीमता
And that supreme tale called the Bharata, O Shaunaka, was recited at Janamejaya's sacrifice by Vyasa's wise disciple.
कथितं विस्तरार्थं च यशो वीर्यं महीक्षिताम्। पौष्यं तत्र च पौलोममास्तीकं चादितः स्मृतम्
It was told in full detail—the glory and valor of kings; and there, at the beginning, Pauṣya, Pauloma, and Astika are remembered.
विचित्रार्थपदाख्यानमनेकसमयान्वितम्। प्रतिपन्नं नरैः प्राज्ञैर्वैराग्यमिव मोक्षिभिः
With stories of varied meaning and expression, containing many occasions, it was embraced by wise men as detachment is by seekers of liberation.
आत्मेव वेदितव्येषु प्रियेष्विव हि जीवितम्। इतिहासः प्रधानार्थः श्रेष्ठः सर्वागमेष्वयम्
Just as life is dear among things to be known, so is this history the foremost and best among all scriptures.
अनाश्रित्येदमाख्यानं कथा भुवि न विद्यते। आहारमनपाश्रित्य शरीरस्येव धारणम्
No tale exists on earth without drawing from this narrative, just as the body cannot be sustained without food.
तदेतद्भारतं नाम कविभिस्तूपजीव्यते। उदयतेप्सुभिर्भृत्यैरभिजात इवेश्वरः
This Bharata is indeed lived upon by poets, as a lord is by his noble servants who seek his rise.
इतिहासोत्तमे यस्मिन्नर्पिता बुद्धिरुत्तमा। स्वरव्यञ्जनयोः कृत्स्ना लोकवेदाश्रयेव वाक्
Where the best intellect is devoted to the supreme history, speech, with all its tones and accents, rests as in worldly and Vedic lore.
तस्य प्रज्ञाभिपन्नस्य विचित्रपदपर्वणः। सूक्ष्मार्थन्याययुक्तस्य वेदार्थैर्भूषितस्य च
For one whose wisdom is thus engaged, whose chapters are adorned with varied words, subtle meanings, sound reasoning, and Vedic import—