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कुरुक्षेत्रकथन (kurukSetrakathana)

 
Mahabharata
English
Kurukshetrakathana(ṃ) (“relation of Kurukshetra”). § 615kk (Baladevat.): The Ṛ. said to Bala-Rāma: This Samantapañcaka is said to be the eternal northern altar of Prajāpati
there, in days of yore, the gods performed a great sacrifice. The R.-ṛ. Kuru had cultivated this field for many years
hence it came to be called Kurukeshetra (“the field of Kuru”). Requested by Bala-Rāma, the Ṛ. related: In days of yore Kuru was engaged in perseveringly tilling this field
requested by Indra, he said: “Those that will die upon this plain, shall proceed to regions of bliss after being cleansed of their sins.” Śakra, ridiculing this, went back to heaven. This happened repeatedly. Indra summoned the gods, who asked him to stop Kuru by granting him a boon
“if men, by only dying there, were to come to heaven, without having performed sacrifices to us, our very existence would be endangered.” Indra then came, and they agreed that Kuru should not toil any more
but those that would die there, having abstained from food, with all their senses awake, and those that would perish there in battle, should go straight to heaven. It was sanctioned by all the principal gods, headed by Brahmán, that on earth there should be no more sacred spot than this
those men that performed austere penances here would all, after laying down their bodies, go to Brahmán's abode
those who gave away their wealth here would soon have their wealth doubled
those who would reside constantly here would never have to behold the region of Yama
those kings that would perform great sacrifices here would reside as long in heaven as earth would last. Indra had himself composed a verse here and sang it: “The very dust of Kurukshetra… shall cleanse persons of wicked acts and carry them to heaven.” The principal gods, brahmans, kings as Nṛga, etc., having performed costly sacrifices here, have, after abandoning their bodies, proceeded to heaven. The space between Tarantuka and Arantuka and the lakes of Rāma (Rāmahradānāṃ) and Macakruka (C. ºkraº), this Kurukshetra-Samantapañcaka is called the northern altar of Prajāpati. All that Śakra said was approved by Brahmán, Vishṇu, and Maheśvara (IX, 53).