Shloka 50

अध्याय ९५: चित्राङ्गदस्य गन्धर्वेण सह संग्रामः तथा विचित्रवीर्यस्य राज्याभिषेकः

Chitrāṅgada’s duel with the Gandharva and Vicitravīrya’s consecration

Devanagari script

कुरुक्षेत्र स तपसा पुण्यं चक्रे महातपा: । अश्ववन्तमभिष्यन्तं तथा चैत्ररथं मुनिम्‌,उन महातपस्वी कुरुने अपनी तपस्याके बलसे कुरक्षेत्रको पवित्र बना दिया। उनके पाँच पुत्र सुने गये हैं--अश्ववान्‌, अभिष्यन्त, चैत्ररथ, मुनि तथा सुप्रसिद्ध जनमेजय। इन पाँचों पुत्रोंकी उनकी मनस्विनी पत्नी वाहिनीने जन्म दिया था

Transliteration

kuru-kṣetraṃ sa tapasā puṇyaṃ cakre mahā-tapāḥ | aśvavantaṃ abhiṣyantaṃ tathā caitrarathaṃ munim |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: That great ascetic Kuru, by the power of his austerities (tapas), made Kurukṣetra a sacred and meritorious land. From him were born sons such as Aśvavant, Abhiṣyant, Caitraratha, and Muni—names remembered in the lineage by which tapas and righteous continuity sanctified the Kuru country.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'kuru-kṣetram', 'definition': 'Kurukṣetra

• the field/region of the Kurus, later famed as a sacred land'}, {'term': 'tapasā', 'definition': 'by austerity, ascetic heat

• disciplined spiritual effort'}, {'term': 'puṇyam', 'definition': 'merit, sanctity, sacredness'}, {'term': 'cakre', 'definition': 'made, rendered, caused to be'}, {'term': 'mahā-tapāḥ', 'definition': 'a great ascetic

• one possessing great tapas'}, {'term': 'aśvavantam', 'definition': "Aśvavant (proper name

• lit. 'possessing horses')"}, {'term': 'abhiṣyantam', 'definition': 'Abhiṣyant (proper name)'}, {'term': 'caitraratham', 'definition': "Caitraratha (proper name

• associated with 'Citraratha' tradition/name-forms)"}, {'term': 'munim', 'definition': "Muni (proper name here

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kurukṣetra
• Kuru (implied by Kuru-kṣetra)
• Aśvavant
• Abhiṣyant
• Caitraratha
• Muni

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Tapas (disciplined austerity) is presented as a force that can sanctify land and legacy: spiritual effort generates puṇya, shaping sacred geography and strengthening a righteous lineage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes how a great ascetic made Kurukṣetra holy through austerities and then begins listing notable sons in that line (Aśvavant, Abhiṣyant, Caitraratha, and Muni), situating Kurukṣetra’s sanctity within dynastic memory.