Shloka 18
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
अक्षौहिण्या: परीमाणं नराश्वरथदन्तिनाम् । यथावच्चैव नो ब्रहि सर्व हि विदितं तव,अक्षौहिणी सेनामें कितने पैदल, घोड़े, रथ और हाथी होते हैं? इसका हमें यथार्थ वर्णन सुनाइये; क्योंकि आपको सब कुछ ज्ञात है
akṣauhiṇyāḥ parimāṇaṃ narāśvarathadantinām | yathāvac caiva no brūhi sarvaṃ hi viditaṃ tava ||
Wika ni Rāma: “Isalaysay mo sa amin nang tumpak ang ganap na sukat ng isang akṣauhiṇī—ilang kawal na naglalakad, ilang kabayo, ilang karwaheng pandigma, at ilang elepante ang nilalaman nito. Ipaliwanag mo nang eksakto ayon sa tunay na kalagayan, sapagkat ang lahat ng ito’y batid mo.”
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the importance of precise knowledge and reliable authority in matters that affect collective welfare—here, the exact reckoning of military strength. It models disciplined inquiry: asking for accurate definitions rather than vague impressions.
A speaker identified as Rāma requests an exact description of an ‘akṣauhiṇī’—the standard epic unit for an army—specifically the counts of infantry, horses, chariots, and elephants, acknowledging that the addressee is knowledgeable about such classifications.