616 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 12
PURPORT

Death generally involves remaining in trance for seven months. A living
being, according to his own action, is allowed to enter into the womb of a
mother by the vehicle of a father’s semina, and thus he develops his de-
sired body. This is the law of birth in specific bodies according to one’s
past actions. When he is awake from trance, he feels the inconvenience of
being confined within the womb, and thus he wants to come out of it and
sometimes fortunately prays to the Lord for such liberation. Maharaja
Pariksit, while in the womb of his mother, was struck by the brahmastra
released by A&svatthama, and he was feeling the burning heat. But because
he was a devotee of the Lord, the Lord at once appeared Himself within
the womb by His all-powerful energy, and the child could see that someone
else had come to save him. Even in that helpless condition, the child
Pariksit endured the unbearable temperature due to his being a great
fighter by nature. And for this reason the word virah has been used.

TEXT 8

ateread si bh ela

angustha-matram amalam
sphurat-purata-maulinam

apivyadarsanam syamam
tadidvasasam acyutam

angustha—by the measure of a thumb; matram—only; amalam—tran-
scendental; sphurat—blazing; purata—gold; maulinam—helmet; aptvya—
very beautiful; darsanam—to look at; $yamam—blackish; tadit—lightning;
vasasam—clothing; acyutam—the Infallible (Lord).

TRANSLATION

He [the Lord] was only thumb high, but He was all transcendental.
He had a very beautiful, blackish, infallible body, and He wore a dress of

lightning yellow and a helmet of blazing gold. Thus He was seen by the
child.
