Kurukshetra is an Allegorical Battlefield of the Complex Mind

Abstract.

The Mahabharata’s Kurukshetra war has traditionally been interpreted as a literal historical battle. However, close examination of scriptural texts, commentaries, and modern interpretations indicates that Kurukshetra is more appropriately understood as an allegorical battlefield representing the human mind in conflict. The war described in the Mahabharata and the B-Gita symbolizes the inner struggle between virtue and vice, knowledge and ignorance, and the conquest over sensory and egoistic attachments. This study synthesizes classical exegesis, including works of some of transcribers, writers, critic’s, alongside scriptural analysis from the Mahabharata, to demonstrate the symbolic nature of the Kurukshetra battlefield. The research also critically examines descriptions of armies, soldiers, logistics, and weapons, showing the implausibility of a literal historical battle, and reinforcing the allegorical interpretation of spiritual andpsychological warfare.