Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.50.4
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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akṣauhiṇībhiḥ
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by akṣauhiṇī divisions
Each akṣauhiṇī: 21,870 elephants and chariots, 65,610 cavalry, 109,350 infantry. Twenty-three of them — a force greater than either side at Kurukṣetra. The scale is meant to show that no earthly defense exists for Mathurā apart from Kṛṣṇa Himself.
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mathurām
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Mathurā
Mathurā is Kṛṣṇa's birth-city, eternally non-different from Goloka in Gauḍīya theology (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.43). The siege of Mathurā is the demonic world pressing against the dhāma — and being broken by it.
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nyarudhat
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he besieged
Ni + √rudh — to obstruct, block. The same verb Kṛṣṇa later applies to Kālayavana (rurodha, v. 44). The chapter rhymes its sieges: outer-world adversaries hemming in the city in which the Lord chooses to dwell.
The numbers involved in an akṣauhiṇī division are given in the word meanings. An akṣauhiṇī was a standard fighting force in ancient times.
Each akṣauhiṇī consists of 21,870 soldiers on elephants, 21,870 charioteers, 65,610 cavalrymen and 109,350 infantry soldiers. He needs many troops to surround Mathurā because of its size. Hari-vaṁśa gives the details of how he surrounded the city on all sides. sarvato nagarī ceyaṁ janaughaiḥ parivāryatām / ayoyantrāṇi yujyantāṁ kṣepaṇīyāś ca mudgarāḥ / ūrdhvaṁ cāpi vāhyantāṁ prāsā vai tomarās tathā // madraḥ kaliṅgādhipatiś cekitānaḥ sabāhlikaḥ / kaśmīra-rājo gonardaḥ karūṣādhipatis tathā // drumaḥ kiṁpuruṣaś caiva pārvatīyaṣ hy anāmayaḥ / nagaryāḥ paścimaṁ dvāraṁ kṣipram ārohayantv iti // pauravo veṇudāravaḥ vaidarbhaḥ somakas tathā / rukmī ca bhojādhipatiḥ sūryākṣaś caiva gālavaḥ vindānuvindāv āvantyau dantavaktraś ca vīryavān chāgaliḥ purumitraś ca virāṭaś ca mahīpatiḥ // kauśālyo mālavaś caiva śatadhanvā vidūrathaḥ / bhūriśravās trigartaś ca bāṇaḥ pañcanadas tathā // uttaraṁ nagara-dvāram ete durgasahā nṛpāḥ / ārohantāṁ vimardantāṁ vajra-pratima gauravāḥ // ulūkaḥ kaitaveyaś ca vīraś cāṁśumataḥ sutaḥ / ekalavyo bṛhatkṣatraḥ kṣatradharmā jayadrathaḥ // uttamaujāś ca śalyaś ca kauravāḥ kekayās tathā / vaideho vāmadevaś ca sāketaś ca sinīpatiḥ // pūrvaṁ nagara-nirvyūham eteṣv āyattam astu naḥ / ahaṁ ca varadaś caiva cedirājena ca saṁgatāḥ / dakṣiṇaṁ nagara-dvāraṁ vārayiṣyāma daṁśitāḥ // Surround the city on all sides using iron machines, catapults and mallets. Carry pikes and lances above. The Madras, king of Kaliṅga,Ckitāna, Bāhlika, the king of Kaśmīra,Gonarda, the king of Karūṣa, Druma of the Kimpuruṣas, and Pārvatīya should climb the western gate of the city quickly. Paurava, Veṇudāri, Vaidarbha, Somakas, Rukmī, king of the Bhojas, Sūryākṣa, Gālava, Bindu and Anuvindu of Avantī, powerful Dantavakra, Chāgali, Purumitraś, the king of Virāṭa, Kauśālya, Mālava,Śatadhanvā, Vidūratha, Bhūriśravās, Trigarta,Bāṇa, and Pañcanada, all unconquerable, respectable kings, hard as thunderbolts, should climb and crush the northern gate. Ulūka, Kaitaveya, Vīraś the son of Aṁśumān, Ekalavya, Bṛhatkṣatra, Kṣatradharmā, Jayadratha, Uttamaujā, Śalya, the Kauravas and Kekayas, Vaideha, Vāmadeva, the warriors of Sāketa, and Sinīpatiḥ should quickly attack the eastern gate of the city. I, Varada, and Śiśupāla together, well-armed, will take the southern gate.
Each akṣauhiṇī consists of 21,870 soldiers on elephants, 21,870 charioteers, 65,610 cavalrymen and 109,350 infantry soldiers. He needs many troops to surround Mathurā because of its size. Hari-vaṁśa gives the details of how he surrounded the city on all sides. “Since he was religious why would he attack a holy city like Mathurā?” It was the Yadu capital. sarvato nagarī ceyaṁ janaughaiḥ parivāryatām / ayoyantrāṇi yujyantāṁ kṣepaṇīyāś ca mudgarāḥ / ūrdhvaṁ cāpi vāhyantāṁ prāsā vai tomarās tathā // madraḥ kaliṅgādhipatiś cekitānaḥ sabāhlikaḥ / kaśmīra-rājo gonardaḥ karūṣādhipatis tathā // drumaḥ kiṁpuruṣaś caiva pārvatīyaṣ hy anāmayaḥ / nagaryāḥ paścimaṁ dvāraṁ kṣipram ārohayantv iti // pauravo veṇudāravaḥ vaidarbhaḥ somakas tathā / rukmī ca bhojādhipatiḥ sūryākṣaś caiva gālavaḥ vindānuvindāv āvantyau dantavaktraś ca vīryavān chāgaliḥ purumitraś ca virāṭaś ca mahīpatiḥ // kauśālyo mālavaś caiva śatadhanvā vidūrathaḥ / bhūriśravās trigartaś ca bāṇaḥ pañcanadas tathā // uttaraṁ nagara-dvāram ete durgasahā nṛpāḥ / ārohantāṁ vimardantāṁ vajra-pratima gauravāḥ // ulūkaḥ kaitaveyaś ca vīraś cāṁśumataḥ sutaḥ / ekalavyo bṛhatkṣatraḥ kṣatradharmā jayadrathaḥ // uttamaujāś ca śalyaś ca kauravāḥ kekayās tathā / vaideho vāmadevaś ca sāketaś ca sinīpatiḥ // pūrvaṁ nagara-nirvyūham eteṣv āyattam astu naḥ / ahaṁ ca varadaś caiva cedirājena ca saṁgatāḥ / dakṣiṇaṁ nagara-dvāraṁ vārayiṣyāma daṁśitāḥ // Surround the city on all sides using iron machines, catapults and mallets. Carry pikes and lances above. The Madras, king of Kaliṅga,Ckitāna, Bāhlika, the king of Kaśmīra,Gonarda, the king of Karūṣa, Druma of the Kimpuruṣas, and Pārvatīya should climb the western gate of the city quickly. Paurava, Veṇudāri, Vaidarbha, Somakas, Rukmī, king of the Bhojas, Sūryākṣa, Gālava, Bindu and Anuvindu of Avantī, powerful Dantavakra, Chāgali, Purumitraś, the king of Virāṭa, Kauśālya, Mālava,Śatadhanvā, Vidūratha, Bhūriśravās, Trigarta,Bāṇa, and Pañcanada, all unconquerable, respectable kings, hard as thunderbolts, should climb and crush the northern gate. Ulūka, Kaitaveya, Vīraś the son of Aṁśumān, Ekalavya, Bṛhatkṣatra, Kṣatradharmā, Jayadratha, Uttamaujā, Śalya, the Kauravas and Kekayas, Vaideha, Vāmadeva, the warriors of Sāketa, and Sinīpatiḥ should quickly attack the eastern gate of the city. I, Varada, and Śiśupāla together, well-armed, will take the southern gate.
- Where does your inner Jarāsandha throw resources at problems that aren't actually solvable that way?
- What 'sieges' have you launched that scripture would call futile?
Twenty-three akṣauhiṇīs ring Mathurā like a black tide. From the watchtowers it looks final — but inside the city sits the Lord who lifted Govardhana on one finger. The siege measures Jarāsandha; it does not measure Kṛṣṇa.
My note
Source: vedabase.io