Srimad Bhagavatam

Canto 1: Creation
Chapter 12: Birth of Emperor Parikshit

Text 1: The sage Åšaunaka said: The womb of UttarÄ, mother of MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it, was spoiled by the dreadful and invincible brahmÄstra weapon released by AÅ›vatthÄmÄ. But MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it was saved by the Supreme Lord.
Text 2: 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?
Text 3: We all respectfully want to hear about him [MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it] to whom Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« imparted transcendental knowledge. Please speak on this matter.
Text 4: ÅšrÄ« SÅ«ta GosvÄmÄ« said: Emperor Yudhiṣṭhira administered generously to everyone during his reign. He was exactly like his father. He had no personal ambition and was freed from all sorts of sense gratification because of his continuous service unto the lotus feet of the Lord ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa.
Text 5: News even reached the celestial planets about MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira’s worldly possessions, the sacrifices by which he would attain a better destination, his queen, his stalwart brothers, his extensive land, his sovereignty over the planet earth, his fame, etc.
Text 6: O brÄhmaṇas, the opulence of the King was so enchanting that the denizens of heaven aspired for it. But because he was absorbed in the service of the Lord, nothing could satisfy him except the Lord’s service.
Text 7: O son of Bhá¹›gu [Åšaunaka], when the child ParÄ«ká¹£it, the great fighter, was in the womb of his mother, UttarÄ, and was suffering from the burning heat of the brahmÄstra [thrown by AÅ›vatthÄmÄ], he could observe the Supreme Lord coming to him.
Text* 8: 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.
Text 9: The Lord was enriched with four hands, earrings of molten gold and eyes blood red with fury. As He loitered about, His club constantly encircled Him like a shooting star.
Text* 10: The Lord was thus engaged in vanquishing the radiation of the brahmÄstra, just as the sun evaporates a drop of dew. He was observed by the child, who thought about who He was.
Text 11: While thus being observed by the child, the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul of everyone and the protector of the righteous, who stretches in all directions and who is unlimited by time and space, disappeared at once.
Text 12: Thereupon, when all the good signs of the zodiac gradually evolved, the heir apparent of PÄṇá¸u, who would be exactly like him in prowess, took birth.
Text 13: King Yudhiṣṭhira, who was very satisfied with the birth of MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it, had the purificatory process of birth performed. Learned brÄhmaṇas, headed by Dhaumya and Ká¹›pa, recited auspicious hymns.
Text 14: Upon the birth of a son, the King, who knew how, where and when charity should be given, gave gold, land, villages, elephants, horses and good food grains to the brÄhmaṇas.
Text* 15: The learned brÄhmaṇas, who were very satisfied with the charities of the King, addressed him as the chief amongst the PÅ«rus and informed him that his son was certainly in the line of descent from the PÅ«rus.
Text 16: The brÄhmaṇas said: This spotless son has been restored by the all-powerful and all-pervasive Lord Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead, in order to oblige you. He was saved when he was doomed to be destroyed by an irresistible supernatural weapon.
Text 17: For this reason this child will be well known in the world as one who is protected by the Personality of Godhead. O most fortunate one, there is no doubt that this child will become a first-class devotee and will be qualified with all good qualities.
Text 18: The good King [Yudhiṣṭhira] inquired: O great souls, will he become as saintly a king, as pious in his very name and as famous and glorified in his achievements, as others who appeared in this great royal family?
Text 19: The learned brÄhmaṇas said: O son of Pá¹›thÄ, this child shall be exactly like King Iká¹£vÄku, son of Manu, in maintaining all those who are born. And as for following the brahminical principles, especially in being true to his promise, he shall be exactly like RÄma, the Personality of Godhead, the son of MahÄrÄja DaÅ›aratha.
Text 20: This child will be a munificent donor of charity and protector of the surrendered, like the famous King Åšibi of the Uśīnara country. And he will expand the name and fame of his family like Bharata, the son of MahÄrÄja Duá¹£yanta.
Text 21: Amongst great bowmen, this child will be as good as Arjuna. He will be as irresistible as fire and as unsurpassable as the ocean.
Text 22: This child will be as strong as a lion, and as worthy a shelter as the HimÄlaya Mountains. He will be forbearing like the earth, and as tolerant as his parents.
Text 23: This child will be like his grandfather Yudhiṣṭhira or BrahmÄ in equanimity of mind. He will be munificent like the lord of the KailÄsa Hill, Åšiva. And he will be the resort of everyone, like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, NÄrÄyaṇa, who is even the shelter of the goddess of fortune.
Text 24: This child will be almost as good as Lord ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa by following in His footsteps. In magnanimity he will become as great as King Rantideva. And in religion he will be like MahÄrÄja YayÄti.
Text 25: This child will be like Bali MahÄrÄja in patience, a staunch devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa like PrahlÄda MahÄrÄja, a performer of many aÅ›vamedha [horse] sacrifices and a follower of the old and experienced men.
Text 26: This child will be the father of kings who will be like sages. For world peace and for the sake of religion, he will be the chastiser of the upstarts and the quarrelsome.
Text 27: After hearing about his death, which will be caused by the bite of a snakebird sent by a son of a brÄhmaṇa, he will get himself freed from all material attachment and surrender unto the Personality of Godhead, taking shelter of Him.
Text 28: After inquiring about proper self-knowledge from the son of VyÄsadeva, who will be a great philosopher, he will renounce all material attachment and achieve a life of fearlessness.
Text 29: Thus those who were expert in astrological knowledge and in performance of the birth ceremony instructed King Yudhiṣṭhira about the future history of his child. Then, being sumptuously remunerated, they all returned to their respective homes.
Text 30: So his son would become famous in the world as Parīkṣit [examiner] because he would come to examine all human beings in his search after that personality whom he saw before his birth. Thus he would come to constantly contemplate Him.
Text* 31: As the moon, in its waxing fortnight, develops day after day, so the royal prince [Parīkṣit] very soon developed luxuriantly under the care and full facilities of his guardian grandfathers.
Text 32: Just at this time, King Yudhiṣṭhira was considering performing a horse sacrifice to get freed from sins incurred from fighting with kinsmen. But he became anxious to get some wealth, for there were no surplus funds outside of fines and tax collection.
Text 33: Understanding the hearty wishes of the King, his brothers, as advised by the infallible Lord Kṛṣṇa, collected sufficient riches from the north [left by King Marutta].
Text 34: By those riches, the King could procure the ingredients for three horse sacrifices. Thus the pious King Yudhiṣṭhira, who was very fearful after the Battle of Kurukṣetra, pleased Lord Hari, the Personality of Godhead.
Text 35: Lord ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, being invited to the sacrifices by MahÄrÄja Yudhiṣṭhira, saw to it that they were performed by qualified [twice-born] brÄhmaṇas. After that, for the pleasure of the relatives, the Lord remained a few months.
Text 36: O Åšaunaka, thereafter the Lord, having bade farewell to King Yudhiṣṭhira, DraupadÄ« and other relatives, started for the city of DvÄrakÄ, accompanied by Arjuna and other members of the Yadu dynasty.