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Kurukshetra (literally "Region of the Kurus"), also known as Dharmakshetra (the "Region of Dharma"), [10] was the battleground on which the Kurukshetra War was fought. [11] The first Mahābhārata says that this site was chosen because a sin committed on land was forgiven because of the land's sanctity.
Witzel notes this battle to be the probable archetype/prototype of the Kurukshetra War, narrated in the Mahabharata. [14] John Brockington takes a similar approach. [15] S. S. N. Murthy goes to the extent of proposing the battle as the very "nucleus" of the Kurukshetra War; Walter Ruben adopts a similar stance.
The historicity of the Kurukshetra War is unclear. Many historians estimate the date of the Kurukshetra war to Iron Age India of the 10th century BCE. [45] The setting of the epic has a historical precedent in Iron Age India, where the Kuru kingdom was the center of political power during roughly 1200 to 800 BCE. [46]
Hindu teachings prescribe war as the final option, to be employed only after all peaceful methods are exhausted. [1] Participation in righteous war, or dharmayuddha, was said to be honourable and was a principal duty of the Kshatriya or the warrior varna, and victory in such wars was regarded as a matter of honour. [2]
Dhritarashtra also fathered a son, Yuyutsu, through a maid, who later sided with the Pandavas during the war. During the Kurukshetra War, Dhritarashtra depended on his charioteer Sanjaya, who had divine vision, to learn about the entire details of the war, the deaths of the prominent warriors, and the profound teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.
Kritavarma chose the Kaurava side in the Kurukshetra War when his assistance was sought by Duryodhana, promising to lend him one akshauhini. [4] On the first day of the war, he fought a duel with Satyaki. As a maharathi, was placed at the head of the flying-heron formation that had been set up by Bhishma. He engaged in a number of conflicts ...
The Kurukshetra War of the Mahabharata is believed to have taken place here. Thaneswar, whose urban area is merged with Kurukshetra, is a pilgrimage site with many locations attributed to Mahabharata. [4] In the Vedas, Kurukshetra is described not as a city but as a region ("kshetra" means "region" in Sanskrit).
Karna suggests the Kauravas and Hastinapura to fight on the land of Kurukshetra.. The Parva begins with a meeting of two sides where the rules of war are agreed upon. Rishi Veda Vyasa, the grandfather to both Kauravas and Pandavas, offers the gift of sight to King Dhritarashtra – who is blind – so he can foresee the tragedy about to unfold.