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 ||
ब्रह्मवेद्या म्हणून प्रसिद्ध अशा कुरुक्षेत्रात जे देह ठेवतात ते पुनर्जन्मास येत नाहीत। ग्रह, नक्षत्र व तारेही काळाच्या प्रवाहात पतनाच्या भयाने ग्रस्त होतात।
Narada (teaching within the Kurukṣetra-māhātmya section; traditional dialogue frame with Sanatkumāra lineage implied)
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"shanta","secondary_rasa":"bhayanaka","emotional_journey":"Begins with assurance of liberation for those dying at Kurukṣetra, then widens into a sobering cosmic reminder that even celestial bodies fall with time."}
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.