How many persons where actually killed in the battle of Kuruksetra?

[Paramananda das]

PAMHO

AGTSP

I was listening to Srila Prabhupada wonderful lecture on Bhagavad Gita http://www.prabhupadavani.org/main/Bhagavad-gita/GT057.html  from  1966 to the vers 2.12

                                                                                                          God Is Individual Person"

Srila Prabhupada states: But here Lord Krsna says that "Myself, yourself, and all others who have come here..." There were about sixty millions of people assembled in that fight. It was not a small fight. In India there was... Of course, that was also great world, world war. Just like we had experience... I think in the First World War none of you had seen because you were all young men. And we were child...

 

 

 An Akshauhini (Sanskrit: अक्शौहिणि), was an ancient battle formation that consisted of 21,870 chariots (Sanskrit ratha); 21,870 elephants; 65,610 cavalry and 109,350 infantry,^[1] as per the Mahabharata (Adi Parva 2.15-23)

 I was very curious then how many Akshauhinis are described to be on each side of the Pandavas and Kauravas.

The Pandavas had 7 Akshauhinis and the Kauravas had 11

see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurukshetra_War#cite_note-13

So this comes to a total of  3.94 million killed

there it is stated

Army divisions and weaponry

Each army consisted of several divisions; the Kauravas had 11 while the Pandavas controlled 7. A division (akshauhini) includes 21,870 chariots and chariot-riders, 21,870 elephantsand riders, 65,610 horses and riders, and 109,350 foot-soldiers (in a ratio of 1:1:3:5). The combined number of warriors and soldiers in both armies was approximately 3.94 million.^[14]Each Akshohini was under a commander or a general, apart from the Commander in chief or the generalissimo who was the head of the entire army.

During the Kurukshetra War, the weapons used included: the bow and arrows, the weapon of choice for Arjuna, Bhishma, Drona, Karna and Abhimanyu; the mace, chosen by Bhima and Duryodhana, the spear and the dagger or sword. 

 

 If any devotees have any comments on this please let me know, I am doing some careful study of the 1th Chapter of Bhagavad Gita as it is also  looking up the commentaries of the Acaryas

and it makes complete sense

A nice chart is given that seems correct "

Commanders and leaders
Dhrishtadyumna, the crown prince ofPanchala. †	Bhishma, from the Kuru dynasty † Drona, the royal teacher † Karna, a friend of Prince Duryodhana † Shalya from Madra tribe † Ashwatthama, son of Drona.
Strength
7 Akshauhinis (1,530,900 soldiers)	11 Akshauhinis (2,405,700 soldiers)
Casualties and losses
Almost total, only 8 known survivors - the five Pandavas, Krishna, Satyaki, Yuyutsu. Normally 7 are recognized, with Yuyutsu excluded.	Almost total, only 4 known survivors - Ashwatthama, Sage Kripa, Kritavarma, Vrishakethu (son of Karna). Normally 3 are recognized, with Vrishskethu excluded.

 

It is a detail that does not make Srila Prabhupadas preaching any  less

When Srila Prabhupada said 60 million  in this lecture I was curious because I thought I had read he stated 900.000.000 million. Here it states 3.94 millions ..

But then I found this:

Mahabharata, Book 11 (Stri Parva), Chapter 26, Verses 7 & 8:

The royal sage Dhritarashtra, however, restraining the grief that arises from folly, enquired of Yudhishthira the just, saying, ‘If, O son of Pandu, thou knowest it, tell me the number of those that have fallen in this battle, as also of those that have escaped with life!’

Mahabharata, Book 11 (Stri Parva), Chapter 26, Verses 9 &10:

9 “दशायुतानाम अयुतं सहस्राणि च विंशतिः
कॊट्यः षष्टिश च षट चैव ये ऽसमिन राजमृधे हताः
10 अलक्ष्याणां तु वीराणां सहस्राणि चतुर्दश
दश चान्यानि राजेन्द्र शतं षष्टिश च पञ्च च”

9 ‘dasayutanam ayutam sahasrani ca vimsatih
koṭyah ṣastis ca ṣat caiva ye smin rajamrdhe hataḥ
10 alakṣyanam tu viranam sahasrani caturdasa
dasa canyani rajendra satam ṣastis ca panca ca’

Yudhishthira answered, 
‘One billion 660 million and 20,000 men have fallen in this battle. Of the heroes that have escaped, the number is 240,165.’

2) The Destination was Swarga, the Paradise:

Mahabharata, Book 11 (Stri Parva), Chapter 26, Verse 11:

"Dhritarashtra said, ‘Tell me, O mighty-armed one, for thou art conversant with everything, what ends have those foremost of men attained.’

Mahabharata, Book 11 (Stri Parva), Chapter 26, Verses 12 to 17:

"Yudhishthira said, ‘Those warriors of true prowess that have cheerfully cast off their bodies in fierce battle have all attained regions like those of Indra. 

Any comments on this? If there was 18 Akshuahinis   then the 3.94 millions are correct ,and are these proper translations of the Mahabharata to Mahabharata, Book 11 (Stri Parva), Chapter 26, Verses 9 &10:?

Mbh.5.19.826

And for the high-souled sons of Pandu there were thus assembled from various directions, seven Akshauhini of troops, bristling with banners of various forms.

Your servant

Paramananda das

Mbh.1.2.270	The Rishis said, We have a desire to know, O son of Suta, what is implied by the term Akshauhini that hath been used by thee.
Mbh.1.2.271	Tell us in full what is the number of horse and foot, chariots and elephants, which compose an Akshauhini for thou art fully informed'
Mbh.1.2.272	Sauti said, One chariot, one elephant, five foot-soldiers, and three horses form one Patti; three pattis make one Sena-mukha; three sena-mukhas are called a Gulma; three gulmas, a Gana; three ganas, a Vahini; three vahinis together are called a Pritana; three pritanas form a Chamu; three chamus, one Anikini; and an anikini taken ten times forms, as it is styled by those who know, an Akshauhini.
Mbh.1.2.273	O ye best of Brahmanas, arithmeticians have calculated that the number of chariots in an Akshauhini is twenty-one thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Mbh.1.2.276	These, O Brahmanas, as fully explained by me, are the numbers of anAkshauhini as said by those acquainted with the principles of numbers.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An Akshauhini, was an ancient battle formation that consisted of 21,870 chariots (Sanskrit ratha); 21,870 elephants; 65,610 cavalry and 109,350 infantry, as per the Mahabharata (Adi Parva 2.15-23). The ratio is 1 chariot : 1 elephant : 3 cavalry : 5 infantry soldiers. In each of these large number groups (65,610, etc.), the digits add up to 18.

[Paramananda das]

it makes no sense there was only 18 Auksuhinis it must be a mistake can only be many more

[Paramananda das]

Srila Prabhupada gave different number how many were killed in Mahabharata war here is from one conversation Prabhupāda: Hmm. So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was very much aggrieved. He was thinking, Vaiṣṇava, that “I am a petty king, and for giving me the throne, so many people have been killed.” That is the greatest war within the recollection of five thousand years, Kurukṣetra, Battle of Kurukṣetra. What is this figures? Six million, four hundred thousand people died in that battle. What is the statistics of the last war? How many people died? Is there any statistics?
Devotee: Two million.
Prabhupāda: Two million. And here it is six million.
Devotee: 640,000,000.
Prabhupāda: Eh? Last war?
Devotee: No, in Kurukṣetra, 640,000,000.
Prabhupāda: Oh. Six hundred forty?
Devotee: In the Bhagavad-gītā that you have published it was 640,000,000.
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.46, May 8, 1973 in Los Angeles):