shall it be. But be thou pacified.' And Rama was pacified accordingly.
The region that lieth near unto those lakes of gory water, from that time
hath been celebrated as Samanta-panchaka the holy. The wise have declared
that every country should be distinguished by a name significant of some
circumstance which may have rendered it famous. In the interval between
the Dwapara and the Kali Yugas there happened at Samanta-panchaka the
encounter between the armies of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. In that
holy region, without ruggedness of any kind, were assembled eighteen
Akshauhinis of soldiers eager for battle. And, O Brahmanas, having come
thereto, they were all slain on the spot. Thus the name of that region, O
Brahmanas, hath been explained, and the country described to you as a
sacred and delightful one. I have mentioned the whole of what relateth to
it as the region is celebrated throughout the three worlds.'

"The Rishis said, 'We have a desire to know, O son of Suta, what is
implied by the term Akshauhini that hath been used by thee. Tell us in
full what is the number of horse and foot, chariots and elephants, which
compose an Akshauhini for thou art fully informed.'

"Sauti said, 'One chariot, one elephant, five foot-soldiers, and three
horses form one Patti; three pattis make one Sena-mukha; three
sena-mukhas are called a Gulma; three gulmas, a Gana; three ganas, a
Vahini; three vahinis together are called a Pritana; three pritanas form
a Chamu; three chamus, one Anikini; and an anikini taken ten times forms,
as it is styled by those who know, an Akshauhini. O ye best of Brahmanas,
arithmeticians have calculated that the number of chariots in an
Akshauhini is twenty-one thousand eight hundred and seventy. The measure
of elephants must be fixed at the same number. O ye pure, you must know
that the number of foot-soldiers is one hundred and nine thousand, three
hundred and fifty, the number of horse is sixty-five thousand, six