Kurukṣetra-anudarśanam — Rāma-hradāḥ and the Question of Kṣatra Continuity (शान्ति पर्व, अध्याय ४८)
भूतसंघानुचरितं रक्षोगणनिषेवितम् । पश्यन्तस्ते कुरुक्षेत्र ययुराशु महारथा:
bhūtasaṅghānucaritaṃ rakṣogaṇaniṣevitam | paśyantas te kurukṣetraṃ yayur āśu mahārathāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Beholding Kurukṣetra—haunted by roaming hosts of spirits and frequented by bands of rākṣasas—those great chariot-warriors hastened onward. The scene underscores how the field of dharma can appear fearsome and ominous, yet the duty-bound advance without wavering.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Even when the arena of duty appears terrifying—filled with ominous signs and fear-inducing imagery—the righteous course is to proceed with steadiness. The verse highlights resolve in dharma amid unsettling circumstances.
Vaiśampāyana describes the great warriors moving swiftly forward while looking upon Kurukṣetra, portrayed as a place haunted by hosts of spirits and frequented by rākṣasas—an atmosphere that intensifies the gravity of the events unfolding there.