Śrutāyudha of Kaliṅga

Śrutāyudha was the king of Kaliṅga. He fought on the Kaurava side in the war at Kurukṣetra. He led one of the eleven akṣauhiṇī armies. An akṣauhiṇī is the full army unit of chariots, elephants, cavalry and foot soldiers.

He came to the battlefield with 60,000 chariots and 10,000 elephants, together with his ally Ketumanta. The banner on his chariot showed Agni, the fire. The Mahābhārata also names him among the mahārathas (great chariot warriors) who marched ahead of Bhīṣma.

One of the ten akṣauhiṇī commanders

In Chapter 16 of the Bhīṣma Parva, Sañjaya names the great kṣatriya warriors who each led one akṣauhiṇī:

  1. Śakuni
  2. Śalya
  3. Saindhava (Jayadratha)
  4. Vinda and Anuvinda
  5. The Kaikeyā brothers
  6. Sudakṣiṇa
  7. Śrutāyudha, king of Kaliṅga
  8. Jayatsena
  9. Bṛhadbala
  10. Kṛtavarmā

The text gives the line in this form:

śakuniśalya-saindhava-vindānuvindu-kaikaya-sudakṣiṇa-śrutāyudha-jayatsena-bṛhadbala-kṛtavarmā: ī pagururu kṣatriya vīrulu okkok’k akṣauhiṇī sēnaku adhināyakuḍu.

It means that these enemy kṣatriya heroes were each the leader of one akṣauhiṇī army.

At the battlefield

Chapter 17 describes Śrutāyudha’s forces and how he looked:

  • He had 60,000 chariots under his command.
  • He had 10,000 elephants.
  • His ally Ketumanta came with him. Ketumanta rode a great elephant covered with a golden ambāri (howdah, the seat on an elephant) and a golden net. The elephant shone like Bhagavān Sūrya seated on the clouds.
  • Śrutāyudha’s own great battle elephants carried yantra, tomara, quiver and banner decorations. They looked like mountains.
  • His chariot carried the Agni (fire) symbol on its banner.
  • He wore a white umbrella (śveta chattra), had cāmara fans waved beside him, and wore a gold necklace.

In Bhīṣma’s vanguard

Chapter 17 also describes the army on the march. It names Śrutāyudha among the seven mahārathas who went in front of Bhīṣma, riding chariots with golden banners at the head of the army. The seven are Śrutāyudha, Citrasena, Purumitra, Viviṃśati, Śalya, Bhūriśravas and Vikarṇa.

Sources

  • Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma Parva, Chapters 16–17