In the Mahābhārata, the concept of raṇa-yajña (battle-sacrifice) is a central theme that characterizes the Kurukṣetra war. The war books depict this grand conflict not merely as a series of battles, but as a ritualistic sacrifice where the battlefield becomes an arena for a cosmic yajña (sacrificial ceremony). https://www.hua.edu/courses/mahabharata-iii-the-war-books