Shloka 3
Plakṣaprasravaṇa–Kārapacana tīrtha-varṇana and Nārada’s war briefing (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 53)
राम उवाच किमर्थ कुरुणा कृष्ट क्षेत्रमेतन््महात्मना । एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं कथ्यमानं तपोधना:,बलरामजीने पूछा--तपोधनो! महात्मा कुरुने इस क्षेत्रकों किसलिये जोता था? मैं आपलोगोंके मुखसे यह कथा सुनना चाहता हूँ
rāma uvāca kimarthaṁ kuruṇā kṛṣṭaṁ kṣetram etan mahātmanā | etad icchāmy ahaṁ śrotuṁ kathyamānaṁ tapodhanāḥ ||
Rāma said: “For what purpose did the great-souled Kuru plough this field? I wish to hear this account as it is told, O you rich in austerity.”
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dharmic inquiry: sacred places and traditions are to be understood through respectful questioning and listening to qualified ascetics, emphasizing humility and the proper transmission of cultural memory.
Balarāma addresses ascetics and asks why the noble Kuru once ploughed this field—seeking to hear the traditional account that explains the significance of the region (Kurukṣetra).