Krishna went to Dwaraka and met with his family, and his wives received him with love, having been separated from him for so long. Shaunaka asked Suta what happened to the baby in the womb of Uttara who was being chased by the Brahmastra sent by Ashwathama and protected by Krishna.
The storyteller Suta said that the Lord himself appeared in the womb with his four arms. He handed the mace and quelled the fire released by the Brahmastra. The child in the womb got to witness the scene.
The child was later born at a very auspicious time, continuing the lineage of the Pandavas. Great priests, including Dhaumya and Kripa, anointed and blessed the child. Since Lord Sri Vishnu himself protected the child, he was called Vishnurata. The Brahmins blessed the child and said that he would rule the kingdom like the great Vivaswan, Ikshwaku, Sri Rama and Ranti Deva. He was called Parikshit because he had the special vision of the Lord when he was in his mother’s womb. Even after he was born, his eyes were keenly examining and searching for the person who saved his life.
After this, King Yudhishthira worshipped the Lord with three Ashwamedha Yagnas in which Sri Krishna also participated. Vidura, Dhritarashtra’s brother, returned from his pilgrimage on hearing about the news from Sage Maitreya. He was received by the Pandavas, Draupadi, Gandhari, Dhritarashtra and Yuyutsu, the only surviving son of Dhritarashtra.
Yudhishthira asked him about his pilgrimage and his visit to Dwaraka. Vidura narrated to him everything that he knew, sparing only the information about the extermination of the Yadava race as he could not bear to convey the very distressful news.
Vidura’s gaze fell on his elder brother. It was time for some hard talk. He told him that the time of the eventual end was approaching. He reminded Dhritarashtra that all his sons were killed and he was living under the grace of those very people who had killed their sons in war. Dhritarashtra and his wife Gandhari quietly left the palace along with Vidura.
When Yudhishthira could not see his uncles in the palace, he wondered where they could have gone. It was then that the divine sage Narada appeared and said that his uncles and Gandhari were in the Himalayan forests preparing themselves for their final journey.
Yudhishthira was resolved of his worry on hearing the divine words of the sage. The sage also said that Vidura would further go on a pilgrimage while Dhritarashtra and Gandhari would remain in meditation in the forest.
The author is Sevak, Chinmaya Mission, Tiruchi; brni.sharanyachaitanya@gmail.com
www.sharanyachaitanya.blogspot.in