Shloka 7
The Birth of Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Prophecies of His Greatness
मातुर्गर्भगतो वीर: स तदा भृगुनन्दन । ददर्श पुरुषं कञ्चिद्दह्यमानोऽस्त्रतेजसा ॥ ७ ॥
mātur garbha-gato vīraḥ sa tadā bhṛgu-nandana dadarśa puruṣaṁ kañcid dahyamāno ’stra-tejasā
โอ บุตรแห่งภฤคุ เมื่อวีรบุรุษปริกษิตอยู่ในครรภ์ของมารดาอุตตราและถูกความร้อนแห่งพรหมาสตราแผดเผา เขาได้เห็นบุรุษทิพย์ผู้หนึ่งเสด็จมาใกล้—คือพระผู้เป็นเจ้าสูงสุดเอง
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 semen, and thus he develops his desired 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. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, while in the womb of his mother, was struck by the brahmāstra released by Aśvatthāmā, 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 Parīkṣit endured the unbearable temperature due to his being a great fighter by nature. And for this reason the word vīraḥ has been used.
FAQs
This verse describes the unborn Parikshit being burned by the weapon’s heat yet seeing a divine Person—indicating the Lord’s direct protection even in seemingly inescapable danger.
Because Ashvatthama’s deadly weapon threatened him before birth; the narrative explains that the Lord personally intervened, revealing Himself to the child as the protector.
When facing overwhelming fear or uncertainty, remember the Lord’s shelter and act with faith and integrity—doing one’s duty while trusting that protection ultimately rests with the Divine.