Shloka 25
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
ज्ञेय शतसहस््रं तु सहस्नाणि नवैव तु । नराणामपि पजञ्चाशच्छतानि त्रीणि चानघा:,निष्पाप ब्राह्मणो! एक अक्षौहिणीमें पैदल मनुष्योंकी संख्या एक लाख नौ हजार तीन सौ पचास (१,०९,३५०) जाननी चाहिये
jñeyaṃ śatasahasraṃ tu sahasrāṇi navaiva tu | narāṇām api pañcāśacchatāni trīṇi cānaghā ||
निष्पाप! एका अक्षौहिणीत पायदळ मनुष्यांची संख्या—एक लाख, त्यावर नऊ हजार, आणि पुढे तीनशे पन्नास—अशी जाणावी.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse conveys the importance of fixed standards and clear accounting in matters as grave as warfare—armies are defined by agreed measures (here, the infantry count), implying that power should be structured and answerable rather than chaotic.
A formal description of an akṣauhiṇī is being given; this line specifies the exact number of foot-soldiers (infantry) that constitute the infantry component: 100,000 + 9,000 + 350 = 109,350.