Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c10.159

c10.159

Of the second kind appear to be the following. Kurukṣetra was so named because king Kuru ploughed it,¹⁰ whereas it really denoted that it was his cultivated territory,¹¹ east of which lay his tract (apparently less cultivated) called Kurujāṅgala.¹² Sītā received her name, because her father Sīradhvaja¹³ found her in a furrow (sītā),¹⁴ whereas it was a natural feminine name expressing the idea of human propagation found in kṣetra, kṣetraja and bīja (cf. Ahalya); and the mistake led on to the epithet ayonijā given her.¹⁵ Arjuna Kārtavīrya had a thousand arms (bāhu-sahasra),¹⁶ whereas it seems probable he had the name Sahasrabāhu.¹⁷