Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 1
Plakṣaprasravaṇa–Kārapacana tīrtha-varṇana and Nārada’s war briefing (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 53)
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत शल्यपर्वके अन्तर्गत यदापर्वर्में बलदेवजीकी तीर्थयात्राके प्रसंगमें सारस्वतोपाख्यानविषयक बावनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ ॥/ ५२ ॥। ऑपनआक्राा छा अं क्ााज त्रिपठ्चाशत्तमोड्ध्याय: ऋषियोंद्वारा कुरुक्षेत्रकी सीमा और महिमाका वर्णन ऋषय ऊचु: प्रजापतेरुत्तरवेदिरुच्यते सनातनं राम समन्तपञठ्चकम् । समीजिरे यत्र पुरा दिवौकसो वरेण सत्रेण महावरप्रदा:
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | prajāpater uttaravedir ucyate sanātanaṃ rāma samantapañcakam | samījire yatra purā divaukaso vareṇa satreṇa mahāvarapradāḥ ||
Các hiền sĩ nói: “Hỡi Rāma (Balarāma), Samantapañcaka là miền thánh địa xưa cũ và vĩnh hằng. Nơi ấy được gọi là ‘bàn tế phương bắc của Prajāpati’. Thuở trước, chư thiên đã tụ hội tại đó và cử hành một đại tế lễ; nhờ vậy họ trở thành những đấng ban phát các ân huệ lớn lao.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Kurukṣetra/Samantapañcaka as a timeless ritual landscape: sacred places gain authority through ancient divine rites, and remembering such sanctity supports dharma by orienting human action toward reverence, restraint, and merit.
As Balarāma’s pilgrimage context begins, the sages describe the boundary and greatness of Kurukṣetra by identifying Samantapañcaka as Prajāpati’s ‘northern altar’ and recalling an ancient great satra performed there by the gods.
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