Shloka 26
पाण्डवसेनानायकाभिषेकः तथा बलरामागमन-उपदेशः | Appointment of Pandava Commanders and Balarama’s Counsel
एवं व्यूढान्यनीकानि कौरवेयेण धीमता । अक्षौहिण्यो दशैका च संख्याता: सप्त चैव ह,इस प्रकार बुद्धिमान् दुर्योधनने अपनी सेनाओंको व्यूहरचनापूर्वक संगठित किया था। कुरक्षेत्रमें यारह और सात मिलकर अठारह अक्षौहिणी सेनाएँ एकत्र हुईं थीं
evaṁ vyūḍhāny anīkāni kauraveyeṇa dhīmatā | akṣauhiṇyo daśaikā ca saṅkhyātāḥ sapta caiva ha ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Demikianlah putera bijaksana dari keturunan Kuru (Duryodhana) menyusun formasi pertempuran dalam aturan yang rapi. Di medan Kurukṣetra, “sepuluh dan satu”—bersama “tujuh”—menjadi lapan belas akṣauhiṇī yang berhimpun, menandai besarnya perang yang bakal meletus serta beratnya beban moral apabila pertikaian dipilih mengatasi perdamaian.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the immense, organized mobilization for war—implying that when leaders choose hostility over reconciliation, the resulting conflict becomes vast and morally weighty, affecting countless lives.
Vaiśampāyana reports that Duryodhana has arranged the Kaurava forces in battle formations, and the total forces gathered at Kurukṣetra are counted as eighteen akṣauhiṇīs (eleven on one side and seven on the other).