Shloka 27
पाण्डवसेनानायकाभिषेकः तथा बलरामागमन-उपदेशः | Appointment of Pandava Commanders and Balarama’s Counsel
अक्षौहिण्यस्तु सप्तैव पाण्डवानामभूद् बलम् | अक्षौहिण्यो दशैका च कौरवाणामभूद् बलम्,पाण्डवोंकी सेना केवल सात अक्षौहिणी थी और कौरवोंके पक्षमें ग्यारह अक्षौहिणी सेनाएँ एकत्र हो गयी थीं
akṣauhiṇyastu saptaiva pāṇḍavānām abhūd balam | akṣauhiṇyo daśaikā ca kauravāṇām abhūd balam ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: A força militar dos Pāṇḍavas somava apenas sete akṣauhiṇī, ao passo que a dos Kauravas somava onze akṣauhiṇī. Assim, na guerra que se aproximava, o lado que se apoderara do reino também se apresentava com a maior força reunida—uma vantagem exterior que torna ainda mais aguda a questão ética de onde, de fato, se encontra o dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Numerical strength is not the sole measure of legitimacy: the verse highlights an imbalance of forces to frame the larger Mahābhārata inquiry—whether dharma depends on power or stands independent of it.
In the war-preparation context of the Udyoga Parva, Vaiśampāyana reports the assembled forces: the Pāṇḍavas have seven akṣauhiṇīs, while the Kauravas have eleven, indicating the Kauravas’ superior military aggregation before Kurukṣetra.