Shloka 22

Matsya Purana — Paurava Genealogy

Devanagari script

पुण्यं च रमणीयं च कुरुक्षेत्रं तु तत्स्मृतम् तस्यान्ववायः सुमहान् यस्य नाम्ना तु कौरवाः //

Transliteration

puṇyaṃ ca ramaṇīyaṃ ca kurukṣetraṃ tu tatsmṛtam tasyānvavāyaḥ sumahān yasya nāmnā tu kauravāḥ //

Translation

That region is remembered as Kurukṣetra—both holy and delightful. Great indeed is the lineage that arose there, from whose very name the Kauravas are known.

Word by Word

• puṇyam: meritorious, sacred

• ca: and

• ramaṇīyam: pleasing, delightful

• ca: and

• kurukṣetram: Kurukshetra (the ‘field of the Kurus’)

• tu: indeed

• tat: that (place/region)

• smṛtam: is remembered/known

• tasya: of it/of him (i.e., of that Kuru-associated place/line)

• anvavāyaḥ: lineage, succession, dynasty

• su-mahān: very great

• yasya: of whom/whose

• nāmnā: by name, from the name

• tu: indeed

• kauravāḥ: the Kauravas (descendants/people identified with Kuru).

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the tīrtha and its dynastic association

Entities Mentioned

• Kurukṣetra
• Kauravas
• Kuru (implied)

Tags

• Tirtha
• Kurukshetra
• Dynasties
• Kuru
• Sacred Geography

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse is not about pralaya; it functions as tīrtha-māhātmya, praising Kurukṣetra as intrinsically sacred (puṇya) and pleasant (ramaṇīya), emphasizing sanctity tied to place and memory rather than cosmic dissolution.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

By elevating Kurukṣetra as a meritorious region and linking it to an illustrious lineage, the verse supports the Purāṇic ethic that rulers and householders gain dharma through association with sacred geography—pilgrimage, righteous conduct in holy regions, and honoring ancestral dynasties.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or temple rule is stated here; the ritual takeaway is pilgrimage value—Kurukṣetra is presented as a prime sacred field where rites, vows, and ancestral offerings are traditionally understood to yield heightened merit.