Shloka 31
The Determination of the Extent of the Sacred Field and Related Matters
Kurukṣetra Māhātmya
वनानां चापि तीर्थानां सरितामपि मोहिनि । यो नरः कुरुते यात्रां कुरुक्षेत्रस्य पुण्यदाम् ॥ ३१ ॥
vanānāṃ cāpi tīrthānāṃ saritāmapi mohini | yo naraḥ kurute yātrāṃ kurukṣetrasya puṇyadām || 31 ||
O enchantress, that man who undertakes the pilgrimage of Kurukṣetra—the bestower of merit—gains the fruit of sacred forests, holy tīrthas, and even holy rivers as well.
Narada (in dialogue context with the Sanatkumara tradition; verse addresses a feminine interlocutor as 'Mohini')
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It declares Kurukṣetra-yātrā as a concentrated source of puṇya, equating its pilgrimage-fruit with that of visiting multiple sacred forests, tīrthas, and rivers.
By praising tīrtha-yātrā, it supports bhakti through embodied practice—seeking sacred places that intensify remembrance, reverence, and dharma, which traditionally culminate in devotion to the Lord.
Kalpa-oriented practice is implied: the regulated act of yātrā (pilgrimage as a dharmic observance) and its stated puṇya-phala, central to Purāṇic ritual guidance.