SanskritIASTMeaning
श्रुत्वाśrutvāhaving heard; having listened to
अहम्ahamI
ताःtāḥthose
विचित्रार्थाःvicitra-arthāḥfilled with wondrous meaning; of manifold content; marvelous in meaning
महाभारतसंश्रिताःmahābhārata-saṃśritāḥbelonging to the Mahabharata; connected with the Mahabharata; pertaining to the Mahabharata
बहूनिbahūnimany
संपरिक्रम्यsaṃparikramyahaving gone around; having made a pilgrim's circuit; having visited
तीर्थानिtīrthāniholy places; tirthas; pilgrimage sites
आयतनानिāyatanānisacred abodes; shrines; temples
चcaand
समन्तपञ्चकम्samantapañcakamSamantapanchaka (a place, Kurukshetra)
नामnāmanamed; called
पुण्यम्puṇyamholy; auspicious; sanctified
द्विजनिषेवितम्dvija-niṣevitamhonored by the twice-born (brahmins); frequented by brahmins
गतवान् अस्मिgatavān asmiI have come; I set out; I have visited
तम्tamto that; that
देशम्deśamregion; land; territory
युद्धम्yuddhambattle; combat
यत्रyatrawhere
अभवत्abhavattook place; was; happened
पुराpurāonce; in ancient times; formerly
पाण्डवानाम्pāṇḍavānāmof the Pandavas
कुरूणाम्kurūṇāmof the Kurus (Kauravas)
चcaand
सर्वेषाम्sarveṣāmall
चcaand
महीक्षिताम्mahī-kṣitāmkings of the earth; rulers of the land; sovereigns
श्रुत्वाहंśrutvāhaṃoriginal form "śrutvāhaṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ताtāoriginal form "tā", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
विचित्रार्थाvicitrārthāoriginal form "vicitrārthā", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
महाभारतसंश्रिताःmahābhāratasaṃśritāḥoriginal form "mahābhāratasaṃśritāḥ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तीर्थान्य्tīrthānyoriginal form "tīrthāny", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
समन्तपञ्चकंsamantapañcakaṃoriginal form "samantapañcakaṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पुण्यंpuṇyaṃoriginal form "puṇyaṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
द्विजनिषेवितम्dvijaniṣevitamoriginal form "dvijaniṣevitam", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तंtaṃoriginal form "taṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
देशंdeśaṃoriginal form "deśaṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
युद्धंyuddhaṃoriginal form "yuddhaṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
यत्राभवत्yatrābhavatoriginal form "yatrābhavat", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पाण्डवानांpāṇḍavānāṃoriginal form "pāṇḍavānāṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
कुरूणांkurūṇāṃoriginal form "kurūṇāṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सर्वेषांsarveṣāṃoriginal form "sarveṣāṃ", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
महीक्षिताम्mahīkṣitāmoriginal form "mahīkṣitām", added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
Having heard the auspicious narratives, the Sauti does not remain idle but sets out on pilgrimage to holy places. This is the natural fruit of hearing (shravana): what is heard about the Lord and His devotees draws the soul toward active purification. Among the tirthas he comes to Samantapanchaka — Kurukshetra, the "field of dharma," a sanctified land honored by brahmins. It was here that the Pandavas and Kauravas once met in battle; and it was here, on this very field, that Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita. Thus already at the outset of the epic the place where the divine word was spoken directly is pointed to. At the same time, the tradition reminds us: outer tirthas purify, but the highest tirtha is the narration about the Supreme itself and the company of His devotees, toward which the Sauti is now journeying.