Shloka 10
Kuntī’s Prayers and the Neutralization of the Brahmāstra
Uttarā Protected; Yudhiṣṭhira’s Grief Begins
अभिद्रवति मामीश शरस्तप्तायसो विभो । कामं दहतु मां नाथ मा मे गर्भो निपात्यताम् ॥ १० ॥
abhidravati mām īśa śaras taptāyaso vibho kāmaṁ dahatu māṁ nātha mā me garbho nipātyatām
โอ พระผู้เป็นเจ้า พระองค์ทรงมีฤทธานุภาพทุกประการ ศรเหล็กอันร้อนแรงกำลังพุ่งตรงมาที่หม่อมฉัน ขอให้มันเผาผลาญหม่อมฉันเถิดหากพระองค์ทรงปรารถนา แต่ขออย่าให้มันทำลายทารกในครรภ์ของหม่อมฉันเลย
This incident took place after the death of Abhimanyu, the husband of Uttarā. Abhimanyu’s widow, Uttarā, should have followed the path of her husband, but because she was pregnant, and Mahārāja Parīkṣit, a great devotee of the Lord, was lying in embryo, she was responsible for his protection. The mother of a child has a great responsibility in giving all protection to the child, and therefore Uttarā was not ashamed to express this frankly before Lord Kṛṣṇa. Uttarā was the daughter of a great king, the wife of a great hero, and student of a great devotee, and later she was the mother of a good king also. She was fortunate in every respect.
FAQs
In this verse, Uttarā takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa as a helpless devotee, praying that He protect her unborn child even at the cost of her own life—showing the Bhagavatam theme that the Lord becomes the direct protector of those who surrender.
Aśvatthāmā released a deadly weapon to destroy the Pāṇḍava dynasty’s last heir; seeing the danger, Uttarā appealed to Kṛṣṇa to save the child (Parīkṣit), even offering herself instead.
When facing unavoidable संकट, one can pray with humility, place what is most sacred (dharma, family, spiritual life) at the Lord’s feet, and act responsibly—trusting divine protection while accepting personal hardship if needed.