Introduction - this post's motive/objective is to discover/unravel the truth about how many soldiers fought in the goharana battle (other name for virat yudh). Only soldiers that fought on hastinapur's side will be considered/counted and not any trigarta warrior.
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Term division is mentioned.
Duryodhan says; "We also marching in two divisions, will seize thousands of excellent kine furnished with auspicious marks."
Size of a division:
"The mighty Bhima, with his mace, crushed those 21,000 foot-soldiers who were without cars and steeds and elephants. Having slain that strong division, Bhima, of prowess incapable of being baffled, showed himself with Dhrishtadyumna in his front."
Logic - Basic math indicates that 2 times 21 thousand means 42,000 but its unlikely that the kauravas took only that much with them, So i assume their exists more than two divisions of their army.
Due to this quote it's been proven that their's way more than just 2 divisions.
{Begin}
"Arjuna who was advancing towards Duryodhana. And beholding their countless divisions firmly arrayed in order of battle with countless banners waving over them."
Division mentioned:
[Begin]
"Take me without delay to the van of Bhishma's division. I will cut off his very bow-string in the battle."
Analysis - his division had remained unscathed for a large portion of the goharana battle. They were basically inactive until arjuna choose to target them. Apart from this Kripacharya also had his own personal division of troops.
It is mentioned that the number of flags their was impossible to count hence the term innumerable is applied by the translator;
"Arjuna urged the steeds towards the Kuru army over which floated innumerable flags."
Basics - a flag is only ever on a chariot whenever a military group is mentioned in MB. If they brought an aukshouni that means the kauravas had 3 times as many cavalry compared to their chariot group and five times as much infantry.
They snatched upto 60 thousand cow's.
quote;
"The Kauravas, surrounding all sides with a multitude of cars, seized sixty thousands of kine."
Half abandoned the field during arjuna's entrance;
[passage of text]
"Proceed thou towards the capital, without loss of time, taking with thee a fourth part of the army. And let another fourth march, escorting the kine. With half the troops we will fight the Pandava. Myself and Drona, and Karna and Aswatthaman and Kripa will resolutely withstand Vibhatsu, or the king of the Matsyas, or Indra himself, if he approaches."
Basic's - 25 % monitored the cows, another 25 percent were the bodyguards of Suyodhan. While 50 % stay back to fight arjuna and ensure the conquest of matsya desh.
Calculation's; if one fourth is adequate to escort all cows its fair to assume that for each cow their was a soldier, so 60 thousand soldier's were their. Most likely the full army of the kauravas here was 240,000 then cause 1/4th is guarding the 60 thousand cows.
2ND SEGMENT OF THE POST.
A inconsistency of how much was with Duryodhan:
"That warrior who stayeth on his car, cased in golden mail and surrounded by a third part of the army consisting of the most efficient troops, and whose flag beareth the device of an elephant in a ground of gold, is the illustrious king Duryodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra."
Comment: Basically first it was mentioned that he had a fourth, now due to arjuna's dialogue/statement its possible he actually had control of a full third of their army, or maybe arjuna was guessing (based on whatever he saw).
Description of army:
[begins] "And that large army of theirs looked like the vast sea or a forest of innumerable trees moving through the sky. And then was seen, O best among the Kurus, the dust raised by that moving army which reached the sky and obstructed the sight of all creatures. And beholding that mighty host abounding in elephants, horses and chariots, and protected by Karna and Duryodhana and Kripa and Santanu's son, and that intelligent and great bowman Drona." [completed]
Logic; no real amount is mentioned, just that its a massive army.
Possibility of other nations (besides trigarta/prasthala) supporting hastinapore in this war.
4 character's (most likely not relatives of kaurava royalty);
"Those mighty car-warriors, Chitrasena and Sangramajit and Satrusaha and Jaya, desirous of aiding Karna, rushed with arrows and long shafts, towards the advancing hero of Bharata's race. Then that foremost of men, inflamed with wrath, began to consume by means of fiery arrows shot from his bow, that array of cars belonging to those bulls among the Kurus, like a tremendous conflagration consuming a forest."
Evidence of their death's;
"Then the warriors that followed the son of Radha rushed in crowds at Arjuna, but Partha sent them all to the abode of Yama by means of arrows shot from the Gandiva."
[end]
Logic - it is entirely possible because maybe the kauravas wanted to fight a war without risking their own resources, they would rather ask other kingdoms (which they formerly conquered) to provide soldiers that they can lead into battle so hastinapore's army remains alive/unharmed and never decreased in size. Like how the british emprie made use of Indian sepoys.
MY CLAIM - i think their were at minimum 240,000 soldiers that were following the kauravas here, i do not believe their was more than that.
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