Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 20: Daśaratha Refuses to Give Rāma
Text 1.20.3

इयमक्षौहिणी पूर्णा यस्याहं पतिरीश्वरः।
अनया संवृतो गत्वा योद्धाहं तैर्निशाचरैः॥

iyam akṣauhiṇī pūrṇā yasyāhaṁ patir īśvaraḥ
anayā
saṁvṛto gatvā yoddhāhaṁ tair niśācaraiḥ

iyam = here is; akṣauhiṇī = akṣauhiṇī; pūrṇā = a complete; yasya = whose; aham = myself; patiḥ = protector; īśvaraḥ = and controller is; anayā saṁvṛtaḥ = with it; gatvā yoddhā = will go for war; aham = I; taiḥ = with those; niśācaraiḥ = night rangers [who disrupt your sacrifices].

Here is a complete akṣauhiṇī whose protector and controller is myself. With it, I will go for war with those night rangers who disrupt your sacrifices.

Akṣauhiṇī has been described in the Ādi-parva of the Mahābhārata as follows: A patti consists of a chariot, elephant, five foot-soldiers and three horses. Three pattis make one senā-mukha. Three senā-mukhas make one gulma. Three gulmas make one gaṇa. Three gaṇas make one vāhinī. Three vāhinīs make one pṛtanā. Three pṛtanās make one camū. Three camūs make one anīkinī. Ten anīkinīs make one akṣauhinī .[4]

[4] eko ratho gajaś caiko narāḥ pañca padātayaḥ / trayaś ca turagās taj-jñaiḥ pattir ity abhidhīyate; pattiṁ tu tri-guṇām ekaṁ viduḥ senā-mukhaṁ budhāḥ / trīṇi senā-mukhāny eko gulma ity abhidhīyate; trayo gulmā gaṇo nāma vāhinī tu gaṇās trayaḥ / smṛtās tisras tu vāhinyaḥ pṛtaneti vicakṣaṇaiḥ; camūs tu pṛtanās tisras tāś ca tisras tv anīkinī / anīkinīṁ daśa-guṇāṁ prāhur akṣauhiṇīṁ budhāḥ.