In the great war of the Mahabharata, a total of 18 armies (Akshauhinis) fought in the Kurukshetra War.

Distribution of armies

• Kaurava side: 11 armies

• Pandava side: 7 armies

The Kauravas therefore had more soldiers, but the Pandavas eventually won the war.

What is an Akshauhini?

An Akshauhini was a massive ancient military formation consisting of:

• 21,870 chariots

• 21,870 elephants

• 65,610 cavalry (horses)

• 109,350 infantry

Total forces in the war

Since there were 18 Akshauhinis, the total forces were approximately:

393,660 chariots
393,660 elephants
1,180,980 horses
1,968,300 soldiers

So the war involved millions of warriors, making it one of the largest battles described in ancient literature.

Pandavas' Armies

The Seven Akshauhinis of the Pandavas were -

1. The Panchalas contributed 1 Akshauhini.

2. Matsyas under King Virata contributed 1 Akshauhini.

3. Vrishni Satyaki contributed 1 Akshauhini.

4. Pandyan king contributed 1 Akshauhini.

5. Sahadeva of Magadha contributed 1 Akshauhini.

6. Dhrishtaketu of Chedi contributed 1 Akshauhini.

7. The remaining Akshauhini would have been formed by the armies of Nila of Mahishmati and the 5 brothers from Kekaya.

Iravan (son of Arjun by Naga princess Ulupi) contributed an army of Nagas.

 Ghatotkacha (son of Bheem by demoness Hidimba) contributed 1 army of Rakshasas.

Dhrishtadyumna was the army commander of the entire army despite not being the strongest or the most skilled warrior.

Symbolic meaning

Many scholars believe the number 18 is symbolic in the Mahabharata:

• 18 days of war

• 18 armies

• 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita

This number is often interpreted as representing the completeness of the cosmic struggle between dharma and adharma.

Krishna says to Arjun that he knew the war was coming and would be a difficult one; so he had already killed Shishupal and Jarasandha years ago (who had a massive army of many Akshohinis) so it would be easier for Pandavas to win Kauravas! Had they been alive they would have aligned with Kauravas and made the war impossible to win.