Shloka 27
The Determination of the Extent of the Sacred Field and Related Matters
Kurukṣetra Māhātmya
सभृत्यैस्तेऽष्टसाहस्रैर्द्धनुर्बाणधरैः सदा । रक्षंति च कुरुक्षेत्रं वारयंति च पापिनः ॥ २७ ॥
sabhṛtyaiste'ṣṭasāhasrairddhanurbāṇadharaiḥ sadā | rakṣaṃti ca kurukṣetraṃ vārayaṃti ca pāpinaḥ || 27 ||
आपल्या सेवकांसह ते आठ हजार धनुर्धर सदैव धनुष्यबाण धारण करून कुरुक्षेत्राचे रक्षण करतात आणि पापींना दूर ठेवतात।
Narrator (within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue context)
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_journey":"Martial protection is emphasized through the image of eight thousand armed attendants, culminating in a calming assurance that sinners are barred and the kṣetra remains safeguarded."}
FAQs
It affirms that Kurukṣetra is not merely a geographic site but a protected tīrtha-kṣetra, preserved by divine/appointed guardians so that the sanctity of pilgrimage and merit (puṇya) is not violated by impure conduct.
By emphasizing the safeguarding of a holy field, the verse supports bhakti indirectly: devotion matures through reverent approach to sacred spaces, disciplined behavior, and avoidance of pāpa—conditions that protect and deepen one’s worship and remembrance.
The practical takeaway aligns with Dharma-śāstra and tīrtha-vidhi (rules of pilgrimage): maintain ritual purity and right conduct when visiting kṣetras; the verse implies regulated access and behavior rather than a technical lesson in a specific Vedāṅga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.