The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s5.64.3

c2.s5.64.3

Thus, Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s whole force of eleven *akṣauhiṇī* is called *vīratamā mahācamūḥ* (viii. 60. 92; ix. 64. 9). Other irregular names for the whole army are found vi. 72. 34 (*vāhinī*); vi. 50; 100. 24, 34; 105. 15 (*pāṇḍavī camūḥ*); vii. 161. 18; 168. 1 (*mahācamūḥ* and *camūḥ* of Kurus); *pṛtanāpati* is the same as *akṣauhiṇīpati* (viii. 73. 15; vi. 87. 15). Poetical names abound: *dhvajinī*, vii. 92. 5; vi. 54. 91; *ripuvāhinī*, vi. 109. 10, etc. The ‘lines’ deserve notice, although, as far as I have observed, no use or effect of orderly lines is perceivable in the battle-scenes. The rule that fighting must cease when a priest appears between two lines of battle (*anīkayoḥ*) means of course only the opposing acies (xii. 96. 8); *anīkavelāyām* (where a brave should fight) is ‘on the van of the front line’ (ib. 97. 18). The real unit of battle-order is not the line, but the group, *çreṇi*, viii. 73. 16. The battle itself is called *saṃkhya*, *saṃgara*, *saṃgrāma* (collision, conflict) or simply ‘fighting’ (*yuddha*, or *yudh*, e. g. i. 19. 14: cf. R. ii. 94. 12, *çakyaḥ soḍhuṃ yudhi*, etc.), but has also its poetical side, and is termed *āhava*, *ākranda*, *āmarda*, ‘challenging,’ ‘advance,’ ‘crush’; or, still