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 ||
罗摩说道：“请你准确告诉我们一支‘阿克绍希尼’（akṣauhiṇī）的完整编制：其中有多少步兵、多少战马、多少战车、多少战象。务必如实详述，因为这一切你都了然于心。”
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.