Shloka 24
पाण्डवसेनानायकाभिषेकः तथा बलरामागमन-उपदेशः | Appointment of Pandava Commanders and Balarama’s Counsel
सेना पञ्चशतं नागा रथास्तावन्त एव च | दश सेना च पृतना पृतना दशवाहिनी,पाँच सौ हाथियों और पाँच सौ रथोंकी एक सेना होती है। दस सेनाओंकी एक पृतना और दस पृतनाओंकी एक वाहिनी होती है
senā pañcaśataṃ nāgā rathās tāvanta eva ca | daśa senā ca pṛtanā pṛtanā daśavāhinī ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: “Ang isang ‘senā’ ay binubuo ng limandaang elepante at kapantay na bilang ng mga karwahe. Sampung senā ang bumubuo ng isang pṛtanā, at sampung pṛtanā ang bumubuo ng isang vāhinī.” Sa diwa ng Udyoga, ito’y isang malamig at pang-administratibong pagtutuos ng lakas—ipinakikitang ang digmaan ay isinasistema at binibilang bago pa man tumama ang unang hampas, at ipinahihiwatig ang bigat na moral ng mga pasyang nagpapakilos ng napakalaking, maayos na karahasan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines standardized military units (senā, pṛtanā, vāhinī), underscoring that war is not merely heroic combat but an organized, scalable enterprise—thereby intensifying the moral responsibility of leaders who choose mobilization and conflict.
In the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation setting, Vaiśampāyana explains how armies are counted and grouped, giving a formal measure of forces by elephants and chariots and showing the structured buildup toward the Kurukṣetra war.