If it aroused the faculty of discrimination, they might turn away from killing their cousins and negotiate a truce.
It means “Kurukshetra is the sacrificial arena of the celestial gods.” Hence, it was regarded as the sacred land that nourished dharma.ĭhritarashtra feared that the holy land might influence the minds of his sons. Kurukshetra is described as kurukṣhetraṁ deva yajanam in the Shatapath Brahman, the Vedic textbook detailing rituals. The words dharma kṣhetre, the land of dharma (virtuous conduct) used by Dhritarashtra depict the dilemma he was experiencing. Feeling guilty of the injustice he had done towards his nephews, his conscience worried him about the outcome of this battle. He had usurped the kingdom of Hastinapur from the rightful heirs the Pandavas, sons of his brother Pandu. The blind King Dhritarashtra’s fondness for his own sons had clouded his spiritual wisdom and deviated him from the path of virtue. Still, in this verse, King Dhritarashtra asked Sanjay, what his sons and his brother Pandu’s sons were doing on the battlefield? It was apparent that they would fight, then why did he ask such a question? The two armies had gathered on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, well prepared to fight a war that was inevitable.
