Shloka 8

Devanagari script

गत्वा हि श्रद्धया युक्त: कुरुक्षेत्र कुरूद्वह । फल प्राप्रोति च तदा राजसूयाश्चमेधयो:,कुरुश्रेष्ठ! श्रद्धासे युक्त होकर कुरक्षेत्रकी यात्रा करनेपर मनुष्य राजसूय और अश्वमेधयज्ञोंका फल पाता है

Transliteration

gatvā hi śraddhayā yuktaḥ kurukṣetraṁ kurūdvaḥ | phalaṁ prāpnoti ca tadā rājasūyāśvamedhayoḥ kurūśreṣṭha |

Translation

Ghūlastya (Nārada) said: “O best of the Kurus, one who journeys to Kurukṣetra with sincere faith attains, at that time, the merit equal to that of the Rājasūya and the Aśvamedha sacrifices.”

Word by Word

गत्वाhaving gone

हिindeed/for

श्रद्धयाwith faith

युक्तःendowed/connected (with)

कुरुक्षेत्रम्Kurukṣetra

कुरूद्वहO best of the Kurus

फलम्fruit/result

प्राप्नोतिobtains/attains

चand

तदाthen/at that time

राजसूयof the Rājasūya (sacrifice)

अश्वमेधयोःof the two Aśvamedha sacrifices / of Aśvamedha (dual form as in text)

कुरुश्रेष्ठO best of the Kurus

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ghūlastya

Kurukṣetra

Kuru (dynasty)

Rājasūya

Aśvamedha

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Faith (śraddhā) and sincere intention elevate a pilgrimage: traveling to Kurukṣetra with devotion yields merit comparable to major Vedic royal sacrifices, emphasizing inner disposition over mere external action.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker, Ghūlastya, praises Kurukṣetra as a supremely meritorious sacred place and tells a Kuru noble that a faithful visit there grants the fruit of the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha rites.