Shloka 1
The Determination of the Extent of the Sacred Field and Related Matters
Kurukṣetra Māhātmya
अथ कुरुक्षेत्रमाहात्म्यं प्रारभ्यते । मोहिन्युवाच । वसो कृपालो धर्मज्ञ त्वया बहुविदा मम । तीर्थराजस्य माहात्म्यं प्रयागस्य निरूपितम् ॥ १ ॥
atha kurukṣetramāhātmyaṃ prārabhyate | mohinyuvāca | vaso kṛpālo dharmajña tvayā bahuvidā mama | tīrtharājasya māhātmyaṃ prayāgasya nirūpitam || 1 ||
Ahora comienza la glorificación de Kurukṣetra. Dijo Mohinī: «Oh Vasu, compasivo y conocedor del dharma: de muchas maneras me has expuesto la grandeza de Prayāga, el rey de los tīrtha».
Mohinī
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It formally transitions from the earlier praise of Prayāga to the commencement of Kurukṣetra’s māhātmya, framing pilgrimage (tīrtha-yātrā) as a dharma-centered means of purification and merit.
Bhakti is implied through śravaṇa (devotional listening) to tīrtha-māhātmya: the seeker respectfully hears sacred glories from a dharma-knowing guide, which prepares the mind for reverence, worship, and disciplined practice at holy places.
The verse signals an anukrama-style transition (“atha… prārabhyate”), reflecting structured textual organization and traditional discourse markers—useful for recital, chapter mapping, and ritual-context study, though no specific Vedāṅga (like Jyotiṣa) is directly taught in this line.