Hierarchy of Army and Soldiers in Mahabharata | iiQ8 Devotional

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There were four divisions of any Akshauhini army:

Elephant

Chariot

Horse

Soldier

An Akshauhini army was divided into 9 parts:

𝟏) 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢 : 1 elephant + 1 chariot + 3 horses + 5 foot soldiers

𝟐)𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐤𝐡 (𝟑 𝐱 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢): 3 elephants + 3 chariots +9 horses + 15 foot soldiers

𝟑) 𝐆𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐦 (𝟑 𝐱 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐤𝐡): 9 elephants +9 chariots + 27 horses + 45 foot soldiers

𝟒) 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐚 (𝟑 𝐱 𝐆𝐮𝐥𝐦): 27 elephants + 27chariots + 81 horses + 135 foot soldiers

𝟓) 𝐕𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐢 (𝟑 𝐱 𝐆𝐚𝐧): 81 elephants + 81 chariots +

243 horses + 405 foot soldiers

𝟔) 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐚 (𝟑 𝐱 𝐯𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐢): 243 elephants +243 chariots +729 horses + 1215 foot soldiers

𝟕) 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐮 (𝟑 𝐱 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐚): 729 elephants + 729 chariots +2187 horses + 3645 foot soldiers

𝟖) 𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐢 (𝟑 𝐱 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐮): 2187 elephants +

2187chariots + 6561 horses + 10935 foot soldiers

𝟗) 𝐀𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐢 (𝟏𝟎𝐱 𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐢): 21870 elephants + 21870 chariots + 65610 horses + 109350 foot

soldiers.

Hierarchy of Army and Soldiers in Mahabharata | iiQ8 Devotional

Let’s go step by step and break down the hierarchy of the army and soldiers in the Mahabharata in full detail. I’ll explain everything in a clear, structured, and easy-to-understand way.

1. The Four Divisions of an Army (Akshauhini)

In the Mahabharata, an Akshauhini army was divided into four main divisions, representing the military forces on the battlefield:

1. Elephants (Gaja) – The heavy armored war elephants, used to charge the enemy and break their ranks.
2. Chariots (Ratha) – Fast, mobile units, often driven by skilled warriors and archers.
3. Horses (Ashva) – Cavalry units for speed, mobility, and flanking enemy positions.
4. Foot Soldiers (Padati or Infantry) – The backbone of the army, the largest in number, holding the front lines.

These divisions were combined in different proportions to form larger units.

2. Hierarchy of Army Units

The Akshauhini army was organized in a nested structure, with each higher unit being 3 times larger than the previous, except the topmost level which is 10 times the previous.

Here’s the breakdown:

Key points:

• Each unit is a building block of the next.
• Multiplication by 3 is consistent up to Anikini.
• The Akshauhini, the largest army, is 10 × Anikini, forming the full scale army used in major battles like Kurukshetra.

3. Command Structure

Each unit had a commander who oversaw the soldiers. The titles indicate the strength and skill of the leader:

4. Understanding the Soldier Distribution

• Soldiers in each unit type (elephant, chariot, horse, infantry) were divided equally under their unit commander.
• Example: In a Patti (smallest unit):
  • 1 elephant → 1 commander
  • 1 chariot → 1 commander
  • 3 horses → 1 commander
  • 5 foot soldiers → 1 commander
• As units grow larger, the number of sub-commanders also increases proportionally.

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5. The Big Picture

To give you an idea of the scale of the Akshauhini:

• 1 Akshauhini:
  • 21,870 elephants
  • 21,870 chariots
  • 65,610 horses
  • 1,09,350 infantry
• With such massive armies, each commander’s role was critical to maintain order.
• The hierarchy ensured smooth coordination from battlefield strategy (Maharathi) to small unit tactics (Ardharathi).

6. Key Terms Simplified

• Patti = Smallest fighting unit
• Senamukh, Gulam, Gana = Medium units (building blocks)
• Vahini, Pritna, Chamu = Large units, elite leadership
• Anikini = Very large unit, led by Atirathi
• Akshauhini = Full-scale army, led by Maharathi
• Ardharathi < Rathi < Atirathi < Maharathi < Ati-Maharathi < Mahamaharathi → ranks of increasing power and skill

💡 Fun fact: The hierarchical system allowed strategic flexibility. Even in epic battles like Kurukshetra, armies could split into sub-units without losing command or coordination.