SB 1.12.7 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 7
Matri garvbha gato birah sa tada bhrigunandana. Dadarsn purusham kamchit dahyamano astras tejasa.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Matri—mother, Garvbha—womb, Gato—being situated there, Birah—the great fighter, Sa—child Parikshit, Tada—at that time, Bhrigunanuana—oh the son of Bhrigu, Dadarsa—could see, Purusham—the Supreme Lord, Kanchit—as somebody else, Dahyamano—while suffering being burnt by the temperature of Brahmastra, Astra—Brahmastra, Tejasa—temperature.
TRANSLATION
Oh the son of Bhrigu (Sounaka) while the child Parikshit the great fighter was lying down in the womb of his mother Uttara, and was suffering the burning heat from the Brahmastra (thrown by the Aswatthama) at that time he could observe the Supreme Lord as some body come.
PURPORT
Death means generally to remain 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 father's semina and thus develops his desired body by the nursing mother beginning from the womb. This is the law of birth of the living being in specific body according to one's past actions. When he is awake from the trance, he feels the inconvenience of being packed up within the womb and thus wants to come out of it and sometimes fortunately prays to the Lord for such liberation. Maharaj Parikshit while thus in the womb of his mother, he was struck by the Brahmastra released by Aswathama and he was feeling the burning temperature but because he was devotee of the Lord, the Lord at once appeared Himself within the womb by His all powerful energy and the child could see that somebody else had come to save him. Even in that helpless condition of being packed up in the womb of his mother, the child Parikshit was enduring the unbearable temperature of Brahmastra on account of his becoming a great fighter by nature. And for this reason the word 'birah' has been used.