SB 1.12.2 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 2
Tasyajanma mahabuddheh karmani cha mahatmanah Nidhanam cha yatha eva asit sapretya gatavanyatha.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Yasya—his (of Maharaj Parikshit), Janma—birth, Mahabuddheh—of the great intelligent, Karmani—activities, Cha—also, Mahatmanah—of the great devotee, Nidhanam—demise, Cha—also, Yatha—as it was, Eva—of course, Asit—happened, Sa—he, Pretya—destination after death, Gatavan—achieved, Yatha—as it were.
TRANSLATION
How in that womb, the great Emperor Parikshit, who was highly intelligent and a great devotee,-was born and how his death took place and what did he achieve after his death?
PURPORT
The King of Hastinapur (now Delhi) used to become the Emperor of the world and this was continued at least till the time of the son of Emperor Parikshit. Maharaj Parikshit was saved by the Lord in the womb of his mother and similarly he could be saved even from the untimely death due to the ill will of the son of a Brahmin. Because the age of Kali began to act just after the assumption of power by Maharaj Parikshit, the first sign of the misgivings, of the age of Kali, was exhibited in the matter of cursing a great intelligent and devotee King like Maharaj Parikshit. The King is the protector of the helpless citizens and their welfare peace and prosperity all depend on the powerful intelligent and devotee king like Maharaj Parikshit. Unfortunately by the instigation of the fallen age of Kali an unfortunate Brahmin's son was employed to condemn Maharaj Parikshit without any serious fault on the part of the King; and as such the King had to prepare himself for death within seven days. This unfortunate incidence in the history of the world will be ever remembered as to how a great King was killed by the unkind intrigue of the fallen son of a Brahmin. Maharaj Parikshit, is specially famous as one who is protected by Vishnu and when he was unduly cursed by a Brahmin's son, he could have invoked the mercy of the Lord to save him but he did not like it to do because he was a pure devotee. A pure devotee never asks the Lord for any undue favor. Maharaj Parikshit knew it that the curse of the Brahmin's son upon him was undue as everyone knew it, but he did not like to counteract it because he knew also that the age of Kali had begun and the first symptom of the age namely degradation of the highly talented Brahmin community had thus begun. He did not like to interfere with the current of the time but he prepared himself for meeting the death very cheerfully and very properly. As fortunate he was, he got at least seven days time for preparing himself to meet death, and thus he properly utilised the time in the association of Sukdeva Goswami the great saint and devotee of the Lord .