Shloka 2
Plakṣaprasravaṇa–Kārapacana tīrtha-varṇana and Nārada’s war briefing (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 53)
पुरा च राजर्षिवरेण धीमता बहूनि वर्षाण्यमितेन तेजसा । प्रकृष्टमेतत् कुरुणा महात्मना ततः कुरुक्षेत्रमितीह पप्रथे
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
purā ca rājarṣivareṇa dhīmatā bahūni varṣāṇy amitena tejasā |
prakṛṣṭam etat kuruṇā mahātmanā tataḥ kurukṣetram itīha paprathe ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Pada zaman dahulu, tanah ini digarap dengan sangat baik selama bertahun-tahun oleh Kuru yang berhati agung—terutama di antara para rājaṛṣi, bijaksana, dan bercahaya tak terukur. Karena itu, di dunia ini ia termasyhur dengan nama ‘Kurukṣetra’.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links a place’s sanctity and fame to sustained righteous effort: Kurukṣetra is revered because a virtuous king-sage, Kuru, labored there for years, implying that dharmic action can consecrate land and memory.
Vaiśampāyana explains the origin of the name “Kurukṣetra,” stating that in ancient times King Kuru cultivated and developed this region for many years, and thus it became widely known by that name.