Shloka 23
The Determination of the Extent of the Sacred Field and Related Matters
Kurukṣetra Māhātmya
ब्रह्मवेद्यां कुरुक्षेत्रे ये मृतास्तेऽपुनर्भवाः । ग्रहनक्षत्रताराणां कालेन पतनाद्भयम् ॥ २३ ॥
brahmavedyāṃ kurukṣetre ye mṛtāste'punarbhavāḥ | grahanakṣatratārāṇāṃ kālena patanādbhayam || 23 ||
Mereka yang wafat di Kurukṣetra, tanah suci yang dikenal sebagai Brahmavedyā, tidak kembali lagi ke kelahiran ulang. Bahkan planet, rasi bulan, dan bintang pun gentar, sebab oleh arus waktu mereka juga dapat jatuh dan lenyap.
Narada (teaching within the Kurukṣetra-māhātmya section; traditional dialogue frame with Sanatkumāra lineage implied)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It praises Kurukṣetra as a supreme tīrtha (Brahmavedyā) where death is said to culminate in apunarbhava—release from the cycle of rebirth—highlighting the extraordinary salvific power of sacred geography (kṣetra-māhātmya).
While not explicitly naming bhakti, it supports the bhakti-oriented Purāṇic view that surrender and sacred association—such as residing, worshipping, and ultimately departing in a holy kṣetra—can carry the soul toward liberation beyond ordinary karmic return.
It alludes to Jyotiṣa (Vedāṅga astrology) through graha, nakṣatra, and tārā, teaching a practical takeaway: even cosmic bodies are time-bound under Kāla, so one should prioritize dharma and tīrtha-based sādhana over reliance on astrological permanence.