Bhagvad Geeta and Dharma: Part 2
DHARMKSHETRE KURUKSHETRE SAMAVETA YUYUTSAVAH I MAMAKA PANDVASHAIV KIMKUTVAT SANJAY II 1:1 II
The Geeta opens wth the word DHARMA. It it first word of first stanza combined with the word KSHETRA. Something like Teerthkshetra or place of pilgrimage. The next word is KURUKSHETRA. Kshetra related to the piece of land like large open ground or long river bank Etc. Here it is used to tell the name of battlefield. The question arises as why two names for one battlefield. KRUKSHTRA is easy to understand as the In wider sense one owned by KURUs. In wider sense Pandvas also hailed from same KURU VANSH as cousin brothers. But they came to be called as PANDAVAs after their father King Pandu when he was awarded the kingdom of INDRAPRASHTA So the battlefield named after KURU descenters is easy to digest but why DHARMKSHTRA ? In modern time we do not distinguish between TEERTHKSHETRA and DHARMAKSHETRA and visualised as a place with lot of Temples. How ca such a place be selected as battlefield ? We have been told thta it was so named before war and Shrikrushna has visited it on his way from Brindaban to Dwarka. Still it is difficult to visualize as a place interlaced with temples.
We believe it has more to do with rules of war. A war which was DHARMYUDHHA A war that was declared when the demands wer ade denied followed by plenty of peace breaking efforts. A war that was joined by contemporary rulers either on this side or that side. A war that saw Eighteen Akshhini ( a term of larger count than any term known to English language ) soldiers. A war which was fought s long as the Sun is shining in the sky only. A war where attack was ot allowed on any woman or one who without any weapon to fight or one who has surrendered. The size and the rules made it war termed as MAHAYUDHHA .
The DHRITARASHTFZ rightly called it as Dharmaksehtra and ordere SANJAY to report who did what by those assembled with war fever.
