608
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 1, Ch. 12]
his punishment by Arjuna, Queen Kuntīdevī's prayers, the Pāṇḍavas' visit to the place where Bhīṣmadeva was lying, his prayers and thereafter the Lord's departure for Dvārakā were discussed. His arrival at Dvārakā and residing with the sixteen thousand queens, etc., were narrated. They were absorbed in hearing such descriptions, but now they wanted to turn to the original topic, and thus the inquiry was made by Śaunaka Rṣi. So the subject of the release of the  brahmāstra  weapon by Aśvatthāmā is renewed.
TEXT 2
तस्य जन्म महाबुद्धेः कर्माणि च महात्मनः । निधनं च यथैवासीत्स प्रेत्य गतवान् यथा ॥ २ ॥
tasya janma mahā-buddheḥ karmāṇi ca mahātmanaḥ nidhanaṁ ca yathaivāsīt sa pretya gatavān yathā
tasya —his (of Mahārāja Parīkṣit);  janma —birth;  mahā-buddheḥ —of great intelligence;  karmāṇi —activities;  ca —also;  mahā-ātmanaḥ —of the great devotee;  nidhanaṁ —demise;  ca —also;  yathā —as it was;  eva —of course;  āsīt —happened;  saḥ —he;  pretya —destination after death;  gatavān —achieved;  yathā —as it were.
TRANSLATION
How was the great Emperor Parīkṣit, who was a highly intelligent and great devotee, born in that womb? How did his death take place, and what did he achieve after his death?
PURPORT
The King of Hastināpura (now Delhi) used to be the Emperor of the world, at least till the time of the son of Emperor Parīkṣit. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was saved by the Lord in the womb of his mother, so he could certainly be saved from an untimely death due to the ill will of the son of a  brāhmaṇa . Because the age of Kali began to act just after the assumption of power by Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the first sign of misgivings was exhibited in the cursing of a greatly intelligent and devoted king like