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 ||
Rāma nói: “Hãy nói cho chúng ta thật chính xác toàn bộ quy mô của một akṣauhiṇī—trong đó có bao nhiêu bộ binh, ngựa, chiến xa và voi. Hãy giảng giải đúng như thực, vì mọi điều ấy đều đã tỏ tường đối với ngươi.”
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.