TEXT
1
dhrtarastra
uvaca
dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre
samaveta yuyutsavah
mamakah pandavas caiva
kim akurvata sanjaya
dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre
samaveta yuyutsavah
mamakah pandavas caiva
kim akurvata sanjaya
SYNONYMS
dhrtarastrah--King
Dhrtarastra; uvaca--said; dharma-ksetre--in the place of
pilgrimage; kuru-ksetre--in the place named Kuruksetra; samavetah--assembled;
yuyutsavah--desiring to fight; mamakah--my party (sons); pandavah--the
sons of Pandu; ca--and; eva--certainly; kim--what; akurvata--did
they do; sanjaya--O Sanjaya.
TRANSLATION
Dhrtarastra said: O Sanjaya, after assembling in the place
of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, being
desirous to fight?
PURPORT
Bhagavad-gita is the widely read theistic science
summarized in the Gita-mahatmya (Glorification of the Gita).
There it says that one should read Bhagavad-gita very scrutinizingly
with the help of a person who is a devotee of Sri Krsna and try to understand
it without personally motivated interpretations. The example of clear
understanding is there in the Bhagavad-gita itself, in the way the
teaching is understood by Arjuna, who heard the Gita directly from the
Lord. If someone is fortunate enough to understand Bhagavad-gita in that
line of disciplic succession, without motivated interpretation, then he
surpasses all studies of Vedic wisdom, and all scriptures of the world. One
will find in the Bhagavad-gita all that is contained in other
scriptures, but the reader will also find things which are not to be found
elsewhere. That is the specific standard of the Gita. It is the perfect
theistic science because it is directly spoken by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna.
The topics discussed by Dhrtarastra and Sanjaya, as described in the Mahabharata, form the basic principle for this great philosophy. It is understood that this philosophy evolved on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, which is a sacred place of pilgrimage from the immemorial time of the Vedic age. It was spoken by the Lord when He was present personally on this planet for the guidance of mankind.
The word dharma-ksetra (a
place where religious rituals are performed) is significant because, on the
Battlefield of Kuruksetra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present on
the side of Arjuna. Dhrtarastra, the father of the Kurus, was highly doubtful
about the possibility of his sons' ultimate victory. In his doubt, he inquired
from his secretary Sanjaya, "What did my sons and the sons of Pandu
do?" He was confident that both his sons and the sons of his younger
brother Pandu were assembled in that Field of Kuruksetra for a determined
engagement of the war. Still, his inquiry is significant. He did not want a
compromise between the cousins and brothers, and he wanted to be sure of the
fate of his sons on the battlefield. Because the battle was arranged to be
fought at Kuruksetra, which is mentioned elsewhere in the Vedas as a
place of worship--even for the denizens of heaven--Dhrtarastra became very
fearful about the influence of the holy place on the outcome of the battle. He
knew very well that this would influence Arjuna and the sons of Pandu
favorably, because by nature they were all virtuous. Sanjaya was a student of
Vyasa, and therefore, by the mercy of Vyasa, Sanjaya was able to envision the
Battlefield of Kuruksetra even while he was in the room of Dhrtarastra. And so,
Dhrtarastra asked him about the situation on the battlefield.
Both the Pandavas and the sons of Dhrtarastra belong to the same family, but Dhrtarastra's mind is disclosed herein. He deliberately claimed only his sons as Kurus, and he separated the sons of Pandu from the family heritage. One can thus understand the specific position of Dhrtarastra in his relationship with his nephews, the sons of Pandu. As in the paddy field the unnecessary plants are taken out, so it is expected from the very beginning of these topics that in the religious field of Kuruksetra where the father of religion, Sri Krsna, was present, the unwanted plants like Dhrtarastra's son Duryodhana and others would be wiped out and the thoroughly religious persons, headed by Yudhisthira, would be established by the Lord. This is the significance of the words dharma-ksetre and kuru-ksetre, apart from their historical and Vedic importance.
The topics discussed by Dhrtarastra and Sanjaya, as described in the Mahabharata, form the basic principle for this great philosophy. It is understood that this philosophy evolved on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, which is a sacred place of pilgrimage from the immemorial time of the Vedic age. It was spoken by the Lord when He was present personally on this planet for the guidance of mankind.
The word dharma-ksetra (a
place where religious rituals are performed) is significant because, on the
Battlefield of Kuruksetra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present on
the side of Arjuna. Dhrtarastra, the father of the Kurus, was highly doubtful
about the possibility of his sons' ultimate victory. In his doubt, he inquired
from his secretary Sanjaya, "What did my sons and the sons of Pandu
do?" He was confident that both his sons and the sons of his younger
brother Pandu were assembled in that Field of Kuruksetra for a determined
engagement of the war. Still, his inquiry is significant. He did not want a
compromise between the cousins and brothers, and he wanted to be sure of the
fate of his sons on the battlefield. Because the battle was arranged to be
fought at Kuruksetra, which is mentioned elsewhere in the Vedas as a
place of worship--even for the denizens of heaven--Dhrtarastra became very
fearful about the influence of the holy place on the outcome of the battle. He
knew very well that this would influence Arjuna and the sons of Pandu
favorably, because by nature they were all virtuous. Sanjaya was a student of
Vyasa, and therefore, by the mercy of Vyasa, Sanjaya was able to envision the
Battlefield of Kuruksetra even while he was in the room of Dhrtarastra. And so,
Dhrtarastra asked him about the situation on the battlefield. Both the Pandavas and the sons of Dhrtarastra belong to the same family, but Dhrtarastra's mind is disclosed herein. He deliberately claimed only his sons as Kurus, and he separated the sons of Pandu from the family heritage. One can thus understand the specific position of Dhrtarastra in his relationship with his nephews, the sons of Pandu. As in the paddy field the unnecessary plants are taken out, so it is expected from the very beginning of these topics that in the religious field of Kuruksetra where the father of religion, Sri Krsna, was present, the unwanted plants like Dhrtarastra's son Duryodhana and others would be wiped out and the thoroughly religious persons, headed by Yudhisthira, would be established by the Lord. This is the significance of the words dharma-ksetre and kuru-ksetre, apart from their historical and Vedic importance.
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