Text 2] How Pariksit Received the Age of Kali 837

TEXT 2

q TRA TIT WAT |
FAMATATAMAT GAT UN 2 I

sa uttarasya tanayam
upayenca iravatim

Janamejayadims caturas
tasyam utpadayat sutan

sah—he; uttarasya—of King Uttara; tanayam—daughter; upayeme—mar-
ried; iravatim—Iravati; janamejaya-adin—headed by Maharaja Janamejaya;
caturah—four in number; tasyam—her; utpddayat—married; sutan—sons.

TRANSLATION

King Pariksit married the daughter of King Uttara and begot four sons
headed by Maharaja Janamejaya.

PURPORT

Maharaja Uttara was the son of Virata and maternal uncle of Maharaja
Pariksit. Iravati, being the daughter of Maharaja Uttara, was the cousin
sister of Maharaja Pariksit, but cousin brothers and sisters were allowed to
get married if they did not belong to the same gotra or family. In the
Vedic system of marriage, the importance of the gotra or family was
stressed. Arjuna also married Subhadra, although she was his maternal
cousin sister.

Janamejaya. One of the rajarsi kings and the famous son of Maharaja
Pariksit. His mother’s name is Iravati, or according to some, Madravati.
Maharaja Janamejaya begot two sons of the names Jiiatanika and Sanku-
karna. He celebrated several sacrifices in the Kuruksetra pilgrimage, and he
had three younger brothers named Srutasena, Ugrasena and Bhimasena II.
He invaded Taxsila (Ajanta), and he decided to avenge the unlawful curse
upon his great father Maharaja Pariksit. He performed a great sacrifice
called Sarpa yajfia to kill the race of serpents, including the Taksaka,
which had bitten his father to death. On request from many influential
demigods and sages, he had to change his decision to kill the race of snakes,
but despite stopping the sacrifice, he satisfied everyone concerned in the
