Not far from either Hastinapura or Indraprastha was the vast meadow on which Parasurama had long ago performed some sacred rites. Also, King Kuru, the sire of both the branches of the princes, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, had performed a great Yajna there. The place, famous after his name as Kurukshetra, was also called by the sages as the Dharmakshetra or a ground that was sanctifi ed. It was believed that the soul of anyone who might die there while engaged in a battle or engrossed in penance, would ascend to heaven. No wonder Kurukshetra was chosen to serve as the battlefield.
Both the camps plunged into preparations for the crucial confrontation. At Krishna's suggestion, Yudhishthira chose Dhristadyumna, the Prince of Panchala, as the chief commander of the Pandava army.
It was the great Bhishma who was entrusted with the task of commanding the Kaurava army. But this sage-prince declared that he would not kill any of the Pandava brothers, though he was ready to cause havoc for their army.
Scores of kings with their armies arrived at Kurukshetra to join either of the camps. Chariots of different kinds fl ying colourful fl ags, stout horses and huge elephants, and innumerable soldiers and the dust raised by them blinded the horizon. The leaders of both the camps agreed that nobody should harm an enemy who had lost his weapons or who had decided to refrain from fi ghting. With the sunset, the battle should be taken as over for the day. Thereafter, the enemies could be friendly with each other till the beginning of the battle the next day.
