The Greatness of Kurukshetra

Verse 1 (9.54.1)

प्रजापतेरुत्तरवेदिरुच्यते । सनातनं राम समन्तपञ्चकम् । समीजिरे यत्र पुरा दिवौकसो । वरेण सत्रेण महावरप्रदाः ॥

prajāpateruttaravedirucyate | sanātanaṃ rāma samantapañcakam | samījire yatra purā divaukaso | vareṇa satreṇa mahāvarapradāḥ

It is called the northern altar of Prajapati, the eternal Samantapanchaka, O Rama, where in ancient times the gods, givers of great boons, offered an excellent sacrificial session.

Verse 2 (9.54.2)

पुरा च राजर्षिवरेण धीमता । बहूनि वर्षाण्यमितेन तेजसा । प्रकृष्टमेतत्कुरुणा महात्मना । ततः कुरुक्षेत्रमितीह पप्रथे ॥

purā ca rājarṣivareṇa dhīmatā | bahūni varṣāṇyamitena tejasā | prakṛṣṭametatkuruṇā mahātmanā | tataḥ kurukṣetramitīha paprathe

And in ancient times the wise and radiant royal sage, the great-souled Kuru, ploughed this land for many years; therefore it became famous here as Kurukshetra.

Verse 3 (9.54.3)

किमर्थं कुरुणा कृष्टं क्षेत्रमेतन्महात्मना । एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं कथ्यमानं तपोधनाः ॥

kimarthaṃ kuruṇā kṛṣṭaṃ kṣetrametanmahātmanā | etadicchāmyahaṃ śrotuṃ kathyamānaṃ tapodhanāḥ

Why did the great-souled Kuru plough this field? This I wish to hear, O ascetics; please tell it.

Verse 4 (9.54.4)

पुरा किल कुरुं राम कर्षन्तं सततोत्थितम् । अभ्येत्य शक्रस्त्रिदिवात्पर्यपृच्छत कारणम् ॥

purā kila kuruṃ rāma karṣantaṃ satatotthitam | abhyetya śakrastridivātparyapṛcchata kāraṇam

Long ago, O Rama, Shakra came down from heaven to Kuru as he ploughed, ever unwearied, and asked him the reason:

Note on the text: Speaker: the page’s heading is ऋषय ऊचुः (the critical edition has no heading here).

Verse 5 (9.54.5)

किमिदं वर्तते कर्म प्रयत्नेन परेण च । राजर्षे किमभिप्रेत्य येनेयं कृष्यते क्षितिः ॥

kimidaṃ vartate karma prayatnena pareṇa ca | rājarṣe kimabhipretya yeneyaṃ kṛṣyate kṣitiḥ

“What is this work you are doing with such supreme effort? What do you intend, O royal sage, that you plough this earth?”

Note on the text: Speaker: the page prints the heading इन्द्र उवाच here (the critical edition prints none).

Verse 6 (9.54.6)

इह ये पुरुषाः क्षेत्रे जनिष्यन्ति शतक्रतो । ते गमिष्यन्ति सुकृतां लोकान्पापविवर्जितान् ॥

iha ye puruṣāḥ kṣetre janiṣyanti śatakrato | te gamiṣyanti sukṛtāṃ lokānpāpavivarjitān

“Those men who are born in this field, O Shatakratu, will go to the worlds of the righteous, free from sin.”

Note on the text: The page’s speaker heading reads कुरुरुवाच (कुरुः + उवाच, with sandhi). जनिष्यन्ति (“will be born”) is a recension variant; the critical edition reads mariṣyanti (“will die”).

Verse 7 (9.54.7)

अपहास्य तु तं शक्रो जगाम त्रिदिवं पुनः । राजर्षिरप्यनिर्विण्णः कर्षत्येव वसुन्धराम् ॥

apahāsya tu taṃ śakro jagāma tridivaṃ punaḥ | rājarṣirapyanirviṇṇaḥ karṣatyeva vasundharām

Shakra laughed at him and went back to heaven; and the royal sage, undismayed, went on ploughing the earth.

Note on the text: Speaker: narration by the sages (the input carried Kuru over from verse 6); the same correction applies to the following verses except where noted.

Verse 8 (9.54.8)

आगम्यागम्य चैवैनं भूयोभूयोऽपहास्य च । शतक्रतुरनिर्विण्णं पृष्ट्वापृष्ट्वा जगाम ह ॥

āgamyāgamya caivainaṃ bhūyobhūyo'pahāsya ca | śatakraturanirviṇṇaṃ pṛṣṭvāpṛṣṭvā jagāma ha

Coming back again and again, and mocking him again and again, Shatakratu would question the undismayed king and then leave.

Note on the text: Corrected शत्रक्रतुरनिर्विण्णं → शतक्रतुरनिर्विण्णं (misprint in Wikisource; stray ्र in the second syllable; the critical edition reads śatakratur).

Verse 9 (9.54.9)

यदा तु तपसोग्रेण चकर्ष वसुधां नृपः । ततः शक्रोऽब्रवीद्देवान्राजर्षेर्यच्चिकीर्षितम् ॥

yadā tu tapasogreṇa cakarṣa vasudhāṃ nṛpaḥ | tataḥ śakro'bravīddevānrājarṣeryaccikīrṣitam

When the king had ploughed the earth for a long time with fierce austerity, Shakra told the gods what the royal sage intended.

Verse 10 (9.54.10)

एतच्छ्रुत्वाऽब्रुवन्देवाः सहस्राक्षमिदं वचः । वरेण च्छन्द्यतां शक्र राजर्षिर्यदि शक्यते ॥

etacchrutvā'bruvandevāḥ sahasrākṣamidaṃ vacaḥ | vareṇa cchandyatāṃ śakra rājarṣiryadi śakyate

Hearing this, the gods said to the thousand-eyed one: “Tempt the royal sage with a boon, Shakra, if it can be done.

Note on the text: Line 2 is the gods’ own speech; line 1 narration, so the verse stays with the narrator.

Verse 11 (9.54.11)

यदि ह्यत्र प्रसूता वै स्वर्गं गच्छन्ति मानवाः । अस्माननिष्ट्वा क्रतुभिर्भागो नो न भविष्यति ॥

yadi hyatra prasūtā vai svargaṃ gacchanti mānavāḥ | asmānaniṣṭvā kratubhirbhāgo no na bhaviṣyati

If men who are born here go to heaven, we shall have no share, since they will not have worshipped us with sacrifices.”

Note on the text: Speaker: the gods’ words fill the whole verse (the input carried Kuru over).

Verse 12 (9.54.12)

आगम्य च ततः शक्रस्तदा राजर्षिमब्रवीत् । अलं खेदेन भवतः क्रियतां वचनं मम ॥

āgamya ca tataḥ śakrastadā rājarṣimabravīt | alaṃ khedena bhavataḥ kriyatāṃ vacanaṃ mama

Then Shakra came to the royal sage and said: “Enough of your toil; do as I say.

Note on the text: Line 2 is Indra’s speech; line 1 narration, so the verse stays with the narrator.

Verse 13 (9.54.13)

मानवा ये निराहारा देहं त्यक्ष्यन्त्यतन्द्रिताः । युधि वा निहताः सम्यगपि तिर्यग्गता नृप ॥

mānavā ye nirāhārā dehaṃ tyakṣyantyatandritāḥ | yudhi vā nihatāḥ samyagapi tiryaggatā nṛpa

Those men who, without food and with unflagging care, give up their bodies here, or who fall properly in battle, or even those who die in animal births, O king,

Note on the text: Speaker: Indra’s words fill the whole verse (the input carried Kuru over).

Verse 14 (9.54.14)

ते स्वर्गभाजो राजेन्द्र भवन्त्विह हतास्तु ये । तथास्त्विति ततो राजा कुरुः शक्रमुवाच ह ॥

te svargabhājo rājendra bhavantviha hatāstu ye | tathāstviti tato rājā kuruḥ śakramuvāca ha

let them, and those who are slain here, be sharers in heaven, O king of kings.” “So be it,” King Kuru then said to Shakra.

Note on the text: Line 1 closes Indra’s speech; line 2 is narration, so the verse stays with the narrator.

Verse 15 (9.54.15)

ततस्तमभ्यनुज्ञाप्य प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना । जगाम त्रिदिवं भूयः क्षिप्रं बलनिषूदनः ॥

tatastamabhyanujñāpya prahṛṣṭenāntarātmanā | jagāma tridivaṃ bhūyaḥ kṣipraṃ balaniṣūdanaḥ

Having obtained his consent, the slayer of Bala, glad at heart, quickly went back to heaven.

Verse 16 (9.54.16)

एवमेतद्यदुश्रेष्ठ कृष्टं राजर्षिणा पुरा । शक्रेण चाभ्यनुज्ञातः पुण्ये प्राणान्मुमोच ह ॥

evametadyaduśreṣṭha kṛṣṭaṃ rājarṣiṇā purā | śakreṇa cābhyanujñātaḥ puṇye prāṇānmumoca ha

So, O best of the Yadus, did the royal sage plough this land of old; and with Shakra’s consent he gave up his life in this holy place.

Note on the text: Recension variant of the critical edition’s 9.52.16 (line 2: śakreṇa cāpy anujñātaṃ puṇyaṃ prāṇān vimuñcatām).

Verse 17 (9.54.17)

शक्रेण चाभ्यनुज्ञातं ब्रह्माद्यैश्च सुरैस्तथा । नातः परतरं पुण्यं भूमेः स्थानं भविष्यति ॥

śakreṇa cābhyanujñātaṃ brahmādyaiśca suraistathā | nātaḥ parataraṃ puṇyaṃ bhūmeḥ sthānaṃ bhaviṣyati

This was approved by Shakra, and likewise by Brahma and the other gods: there will be no holier place on earth than this.

Note on the text: Corrected ब्राह्मद्यैश्च → ब्रह्माद्यैश्च (misprint in Wikisource; ब्राह्मद्यैः is not a word; the evident word is ब्रह्माद्यैः, “by Brahma and the rest”). Removed the square brackets around this passage (editorial marks in Wikisource that set off the interpolated lines 17–21). Not in the critical edition’s constituted text (found in the vulgate recension). Line 1 is a recension variant of the critical edition’s 9.52.16c blended with its star passage 9.52.16d*0300_01 (brahmādyaiś ca suraśreṣṭhaiḥ); line 2 is the star passage 9.52.16d*0301_01.

Verse 18 (9.54.18)

इह तप्स्यन्ति ये केचित्तपः परमकं नराः । देहत्यागेन ते सर्वे यास्यन्ति ब्रह्मणः क्षयम् ॥

iha tapsyanti ye kecittapaḥ paramakaṃ narāḥ | dehatyāgena te sarve yāsyanti brahmaṇaḥ kṣayam

Whatever men perform supreme austerity here will, by giving up the body, all go to the abode of Brahma.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition’s constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as the star passage 9.52.16d*0301_02–03.

Verse 19 (9.54.19)

ये पुनः पुण्यभाजो वै दानं दास्यन्ति मानवाः । तेषां सहस्रगुणितं भविष्यत्यचिरेण वै ॥

ye punaḥ puṇyabhājo vai dānaṃ dāsyanti mānavāḥ | teṣāṃ sahasraguṇitaṃ bhaviṣyatyacireṇa vai

And those men of merit who give gifts here will find them increased a thousandfold before long.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition’s constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as the star passage 9.52.16d*0301_04–05.

Verse 20 (9.54.20)

ये चेह नित्यं मनुजा निवत्स्यन्ति शुभैषिणः । यमस्य विषयं ते तु न द्रक्ष्यन्ति कदाचन ॥

ye ceha nityaṃ manujā nivatsyanti śubhaiṣiṇaḥ | yamasya viṣayaṃ te tu na drakṣyanti kadācana

And those men who, seeking what is good, dwell here always will never see the realm of Yama.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition’s constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as the star passage 9.52.16d*0301_06–07.

Verse 21 (9.54.21)

यक्ष्यन्ति ये च क्रतुभिर्महद्भिर्मनुजेश्वराः । तेषां त्रिविष्टपे वासो यावद्भूमिर्धरिष्यति ॥

yakṣyanti ye ca kratubhirmahadbhirmanujeśvarāḥ | teṣāṃ triviṣṭape vāso yāvadbhūmirdhariṣyati

And those lords of men who sacrifice here with great sacrifices will dwell in heaven for as long as the earth endures.

Note on the text: Removed the closing square bracket and the stray double danda before it (editorial marks in Wikisource; see verse 17). Not in the critical edition’s constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as the star passage 9.52.16d*0301_08–09.

Verse 22 (9.54.22)

अपि चात्र स्वयं शक्रो जगौ गाथां सुराधिपः । कुरुक्षेत्रनिबद्धां वै तां शृणुष्व हलायुध ॥

api cātra svayaṃ śakro jagau gāthāṃ surādhipaḥ | kurukṣetranibaddhāṃ vai tāṃ śṛṇuṣva halāyudha

Here too Shakra himself, the lord of the gods, once sang a verse bound to Kurukshetra; listen to it, O wielder of the plough.

Verse 23 (9.54.23)

पांसवोऽपि कुरुक्षेत्राद्वायुना समुदीरिताः । अपि दुष्कृतकर्माणं नयन्ति परमां गतिम् ॥

pāṃsavo'pi kurukṣetrādvāyunā samudīritāḥ | api duṣkṛtakarmāṇaṃ nayanti paramāṃ gatim

“Even the dust of Kurukshetra, raised by the wind, carries even a doer of evil deeds to the highest state.

Note on the text: Speaker: Indra’s verse (the gāthā the sages introduce in verse 22) fills the whole verse; so too verses 24–26.

Verse 24 (9.54.24)

कुरुक्षेत्रं गमिष्यामि कुरुक्षेत्रे वसाम्यहम् । इत्येवं निश्चितो भूत्वा तेन स्वर्गं गमिष्यति ॥

kurukṣetraṃ gamiṣyāmi kurukṣetre vasāmyaham | ityevaṃ niścito bhūtvā tena svargaṃ gamiṣyati

“I shall go to Kurukshetra; I shall live in Kurukshetra” — whoever has resolved thus will go to heaven by that very resolve.

Note on the text: Removed the stray wiki quote mark (`) at the start of the passage (lines of verses 24–26 form one quoted gāthā). Not in the critical edition’s constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as the star passage 9.52.18d*0302_01–02.

Verse 25 (9.54.25)

कुरुक्षेत्रं गमिष्यामि कुरुक्षेत्रे वसाम्यहम् । तथा स्थानं च मौनं च वीरासनमुपास्महे ॥

kurukṣetraṃ gamiṣyāmi kurukṣetre vasāmyaham | tathā sthānaṃ ca maunaṃ ca vīrāsanamupāsmahe

“I shall go to Kurukshetra; I shall live in Kurukshetra” — so we keep to our place, to silence, and to the hero’s seat.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition’s constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as the star passage 9.52.18d*0302_03–04.

Verse 26 (9.54.26)

एवं प्रलपमानोऽपि चिन्तयंश्च मुहुर्मुहुः । दूरस्थो यदि वा तिष्ठँल्लभेत्स्वर्गं सुनिश्चितम् ॥

evaṃ pralapamāno'pi cintayaṃśca muhurmuhuḥ | dūrastho yadi vā tiṣṭham̐llabhetsvargaṃ suniścitam

Even one who only mutters this and thinks of it again and again, whether he stays far away or near, will surely gain heaven.”

Note on the text: Removed the stray wiki quote mark (') closing the quoted gāthā. Not in the critical edition’s constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as the star passage 9.52.18d*0302_05–06.

Verse 27 (9.54.27)

सुरर्षभा ब्राह्मणसत्तमाश्च । तथा नृगाद्या नरदेवमुख्याः । इष्ट्वा महार्हैः क्रतुभिर्नृसिंह । सन्त्यज्य देहान्सुगतिं प्रपन्नाः ॥

surarṣabhā brāhmaṇasattamāśca | tathā nṛgādyā naradevamukhyāḥ | iṣṭvā mahārhaiḥ kratubhirnṛsiṃha | santyajya dehānsugatiṃ prapannāḥ

The foremost of gods, the best of brahmins, and likewise kings such as Nriga, chiefs among rulers, having sacrificed with costly sacrifices, O lion among men, and cast off their bodies, have reached a good end.

Verse 28 (9.54.28)

तरन्तुकारन्तुकयोर्यदन्तरं । रामह्रदानां च मचक्रुकस्य च । एतत्कुरुक्षेत्रसमन्तपञ्चकं । प्रजापतेरुत्तरवेदिरुच्यते ॥

tarantukārantukayoryadantaraṃ | rāmahradānāṃ ca macakrukasya ca | etatkurukṣetrasamantapañcakaṃ | prajāpateruttaravedirucyate

The land between Tarantuka and Arantuka, and between the lakes of Rama and Machakruka: this is Kurukshetra, Samantapanchaka, called the northern altar of Prajapati.

Note on the text: Corrected तंरन्तुकारन्तुकयोर्यदन्तरं → तरन्तुकारन्तुकयोर्यदन्तरं (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara for र; the critical edition reads tarantukārantukayoḥ). Corrected रामहदानां → रामह्रदानां (misprint in Wikisource; dropped the conjunct ह्र; the critical edition reads rāmahradānāṃ).

Verse 29 (9.54.29)

शिवं महापुण्यमिदं दिवौकसां । सुसम्मतं स्वर्गगुणैः समन्वितम् । अतश्च सर्वे निहता नृपा रणे । यास्यन्ति पुण्यां गतिमक्षयां सदा ॥

śivaṃ mahāpuṇyamidaṃ divaukasāṃ | susammataṃ svargaguṇaiḥ samanvitam | ataśca sarve nihatā nṛpā raṇe | yāsyanti puṇyāṃ gatimakṣayāṃ sadā

This auspicious and greatly holy place, honoured by the gods and endowed with the virtues of heaven: therefore all kings slain here in battle will go to the holy and imperishable state for ever.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition’s 9.52.21a (varied); line 2 is a recension variant of 9.52.21c (the critical edition reads hatā gamiṣyanti mahātmanāṃ gatim).

Verse 30 (9.54.30)

इत्युवाच स्वयं शक्रः सह ब्रह्मादिभिस्तदा । तच्चानुमोदितं सर्वं ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वरैः ॥

ityuvāca svayaṃ śakraḥ saha brahmādibhistadā | taccānumoditaṃ sarvaṃ brahmaviṣṇumaheśvaraiḥ

So Shakra himself spoke then, together with Brahma and the others, and all this was approved by Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara.

Note on the text: Corrected ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेष्वरैः] → ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वरैः (misprint in Wikisource; ष्व for श्व; the critical edition reads maheśvaraiḥ). Removed the square brackets (editorial marks in Wikisource). Not in the critical edition’s constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as the star passage 9.52.21d*0303_01–02.