Shloka 50

अध्याय ९५: चित्राङ्गदस्य गन्धर्वेण सह संग्रामः तथा विचित्रवीर्यस्य राज्याभिषेकः

Chitrāṅgada’s duel with the Gandharva and Vicitravīrya’s consecration

Devanagari script

कुरुक्षेत्र स तपसा पुण्यं चक्रे महातपा: । अश्ववन्तमभिष्यन्तं तथा चैत्ररथं मुनिम्‌,उन महातपस्वी कुरुने अपनी तपस्याके बलसे कुरक्षेत्रको पवित्र बना दिया। उनके पाँच पुत्र सुने गये हैं--अश्ववान्‌, अभिष्यन्त, चैत्ररथ, मुनि तथा सुप्रसिद्ध जनमेजय। इन पाँचों पुत्रोंकी उनकी मनस्विनी पत्नी वाहिनीने जन्म दिया था

Transliteration

kuru-kṣetraṃ sa tapasā puṇyaṃ cakre mahā-tapāḥ | aśvavantaṃ abhiṣyantaṃ tathā caitrarathaṃ munim |

Translation

त्या महातपस्वी कुरुने आपल्या तपस्येच्या सामर्थ्याने कुरुक्षेत्र पुण्यभूमी केले. (त्याच्यापासून) अश्ववंत, अभिष्यंत, तसेच चैत्ररथ आणि मुनि (इत्यादी पुत्र) झाले.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'kuru-kṣetram', 'definition': 'Kurukṣetra

• the field/region of the Kurus, later famed as a sacred land'}, {'term': 'tapasā', 'definition': 'by austerity, ascetic heat

• disciplined spiritual effort'}, {'term': 'puṇyam', 'definition': 'merit, sanctity, sacredness'}, {'term': 'cakre', 'definition': 'made, rendered, caused to be'}, {'term': 'mahā-tapāḥ', 'definition': 'a great ascetic

• one possessing great tapas'}, {'term': 'aśvavantam', 'definition': "Aśvavant (proper name

• lit. 'possessing horses')"}, {'term': 'abhiṣyantam', 'definition': 'Abhiṣyant (proper name)'}, {'term': 'caitraratham', 'definition': "Caitraratha (proper name

• associated with 'Citraratha' tradition/name-forms)"}, {'term': 'munim', 'definition': "Muni (proper name here

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kurukṣetra
• Kuru (implied by Kuru-kṣetra)
• Aśvavant
• Abhiṣyant
• Caitraratha
• Muni

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Tapas (disciplined austerity) is presented as a force that can sanctify land and legacy: spiritual effort generates puṇya, shaping sacred geography and strengthening a righteous lineage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes how a great ascetic made Kurukṣetra holy through austerities and then begins listing notable sons in that line (Aśvavant, Abhiṣyant, Caitraratha, and Muni), situating Kurukṣetra’s sanctity within dynastic memory.