Pandavas and the Kauravas of Mahabharata are descendants of King Kuru. King Kuru gave rise to the Kuru dynasty and fifteen generations the Pandavas and the Kauravas were born. The story of King Kuru and Kurukshetra was narrated to the Pandavas during their exile period in the Vana Parva of Mahabharata by Rishis. They had met Rishis on the advice of Indra who wanted Pandavas to use their years of exile wisely to travel, see new places, and learn new skills and to spend time with sages and learned people. This would help them in becoming better human beings and rulers.
Kurukshetra the land near Hastinapur was named after King Kuru.
King Kuru had tilled the earth here using his flesh as seed and blood as water to please Indra. An exasperated Indra appeared before King Kuru and asked him what he sought.
Kuru wanted nothing for himself but asked for heaven for those who died in Kurukshetra. Indra agreed but laid a condition, saying it was not enough for a person to die on Kurukshetra; the manner of their death should matter, too. Only those who voluntarily rejected this world or died in war would ascend to heaven.
The story symbolically asks human beings to work for the better of the world and to willingly accept death without fear or remorse.