The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s5.58

c2.s5.58

Each division is thrice its preceding, except in the last example, where the *akṣauhiṇī* or complete army is ten times the *anīkinī*. Other authorities make *gulma* the same as *gaṇa*, and *senāmukha* also thrice its present size. But even the Epic itself formally contradicts this division, and makes one army-corps (*senā*) consist of five hundred elephants and the same number of chariots; while ten of these make a *pṛtanā*; and ten of these, a *vāhinī*; the *patti* has five and fifty men; the gulma, one hundred and sixty-five; three gulmas make a gaṇa; and there is no difference between a patti and a senāmukha.* We have here a mixture of three and ten multiples. The earliest mention of formal army-divisions in the codes appears to point to a squad of ten factors as the unit of measurement; these factors being perhaps, as above, cavalrymen, foot-soldiers, war-car, and elephant: though no explanation of the ‘ten’ is given in the rule of Vasistha containing this division.†