KANDSON Of- ARjUNA, TH£ PANDAVA APPROVEO BY THE COMICS CODE Pareekshit was the posthumous son of the valiant Abhimanyu, and the grandson of the Pandava prince, Arjuna. While yet in the womb of his mother, he was the target of the fatal Brahmastra, released by Ashwatthama, son of Drona, but Lord Krishna saved him. It is interesting to note that according to Puranic traditions, the Kali Yuga (era) is said to have started from the year of his accession, which is also the year in which Lord Krishna left the earth, for his celestial abode, Vaikuntha. In this book is given a mythological account of Pareekshit’s death at the hands of the Naga King, Takshaka. Many scholars, including Shri R.C.Majumdar and Shri A.D. Pusalker, hold that this clash with the Nagas could be a genuine historical fact. They feel that taking advantage of the weakened condition of the successors of Dhritarashtra, after the Mahabharata War, Takshaka, the King of Gandhara, might have marched against Hastinapura and Pareekshit might have died in his attempt to check their ottack. The “sarpasatra", referred to in the story might be nothing but the attempts of Janamejaya, the son of Pareekshit, to avenge his father’s death. AMAR CHITRA KATHA means good reading. Over 200 titles are now on sale. Published by II.G. Mirchandani for India Book House Education Trust, 29, Wodohouse Road, Bombay - 400 039 and printed by A. C Chcbe at IBM Printers, Marol Naka, Mathuradas Vissanji Hoad, Andheri (Eastl, Bombay - 4 00 059. Editor : Anant Poi Script : B.R. Bhagwat Artwork: Prabhakar Khanolkar TWO GENERATIONS AFTER THE GREAT MAHABHARATA WAR, HASTINAPURB WAS RULED B'i KING PAREEKSHIT, SON OF THE VALIANT ABHIMANYU AND GRANP SON OF THE PAN PA VA PRINCE, ARJUNA . HE WAS FOND OF HUNTING. 1 amar chitra katha ONCE, WHILE ON A PEER HUNT IN A FOREST, THE TIREP AND THIRST'S KING CAME TO THE HERMITAGE OF A SAGE- HE PIP NOT KNOW THAT THE SAGE WAS r ------jnj 03SERVING A MOUNA ? gP^lll!!iJlMlifiilifirmM[j I 9 > L’~ W, W P ARE EKSHIT THE KING FELT SLIGHTED A5 HE WALKED OUT OF THE HERMITAGE HE SAW A DEAD SERPENT. LIFTING IT I MU5T WITH HIS BOW • • • I — ■ ■ ■ HUMBLE THI5 ARROGANT k SAGE• / ■■■HE WENT BACK AND LAID IT AROUND THE HOLV MAN'S shoulders.! / vw^p, lasE A BRAHMAN SOUTH OBSERVED THIS ACTION OF THE KING. ornar chitra katha 'SHRINGI MUST HEAR OF THIS IN5ULT TO HIS PIOU£> FATHER. THOUGH A MERE LAP, SHRINGI HAP LATER, WHEN THE SAGE tIAD BROKEN HIS ACQUIRED GREAT POWER &W HIS VOW OF SILENCE, SHR/NGI TOLD HIM WHAT PENANCES - BUT HE HAD NOT HE HAD PONE. CONTROLLED HIS GREATEST ENEMY— ANGER-AND IN A RAGE, HE CURSED ^TVHAT THE KING PAREEKSHIT. Tv)o me. OUT OF IGNORANCE .ME WAS ' WITHIN SEVEN P/1 VS.,THE > WEAKENED BV HUNGER AIIGHTV SERPENT TAKSHAKA ^ANP THIRST THEN -A SHALL KILL THE WRETCH WHO PAREP PLACE A DEAD SNAKE k ON m PIOUS FATHER'S ^ SHOULPERS. J pareekshit r... you ARE WISE.VOU SHOULD NOT HAVE CURSED OUR NOBLE KING , WHO IS OTHER- j k WISE A TRUE PRO- A k. TECTOR OF HIS M ifiJP ^PEOPLE. BUT SHRINGl’6 EWES f WHETHER My ACT 1 rl KNOW VOU ARE POWERFUL, ^ WERE STILL FLAMING WAS PROPER OR NOT, MY SON • BUT ANGER DIMINISHES WITH ANGER- finBlfflT MV WORDS ARE NEVER THE MERITS THAT ASCETICS .SPOKEN IN VAIN, A k ACQUIRE WITH GREAT PAINS . k k FATHER. ^ S \ WJ SHALL LET THE KING M ? ^ know of the curse. WHEN THE KING WAS TOLD OF THE CURSE,AND WHV THE SAGE HAP NOT ANSWERED HIM , HE WAS FULL OF REMORSE. \ ^---------TTj— V\ r ^ ' WHAT HAVE I DONE! iF S / f d ^ :1U 0 MW At!" F/^k JA ( I HAD BUT STOPPED TO Wa 3 v OMVAVtf- f 4v l W THINK TH/VT ™E 5AGE iXLk m ol Th ^ U (MIGHT be OBSERVING THE Ejjlpro^ / 1 ' ® r li H I V0W 0F s/lence! 1 W \XMtJ HOW COULD I HAVE i v ) insultec? such a % 7 j \ V] 3/ m I great souli \ v_rJ^^niT ^ 5 arnar chitra katha THE KING CALLED A MEETING OF HIS COUNCILLORS AND TOLD THEM THE WHOLE STORfy. I-----------------------------------------------ITC^-----------V-----------------T------ f SOMETHING MUST BE PONE TO SAVE THE KOVAL LIFE . IT IS THE .WISH OF THE SAGE-> TIME IS SHORT ONE OF THE COUNCILLORS STEPPED FORWARD. LET US CONSTRUCT A PALACE ON TOP I’VE A PLAN v OF A PILLAR. YOUR .MAJESTY- SPEAK OUT! EVERYONE SEEMED IMPRESSED BY HIS PLAN. PAREEKSHIT A QOOP I PEA | ... ANP EA5V r I ST PRESERVE IT WOULD BE TO guard! MV LIFE AT ALL INACCESSIBLE- COSTS• MV THEN START SUBJECTS NEEP WORK ON IT. ME. > PLANS FOR. THE PALACE WERE. 5QON DRAWN UP. ^ - .-i (£“ ARTISANS, ENGINEERS AND ...HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS.OF WORKMEN-- |-------------- — mTHEM TOIsLED mDAY ANP NIGHT. amar chitra katha SOON A TALL , IMPOSING PILLAR OF MARBLE, TOPPED BY A MAGNIFICENT PALACE, POSE INTO THE SKIES. |----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ' NEVER BEFORE IN N MAN’S HISTORY HAS SUCH WONDROUS ARCHITECTURE / v BEEN SEEN I /