SB 1.16.2 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 2
Sa uttarasya tanayam upayeme irabatim Janmejandins chaturas tasyam upapadayat sutan.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Sa—he, Uttarasya—of king Uttar, Tanayam—daughter, Upayeme—married, Iravatim—of the name, Janmejaydins—headed by Maharaj Janmejaya, Chaturas—four in number, Sutam-sons.
TRANSLATION
King Parikshit married the daughter of King Uttara and begot four sons headed by Maharaj Janmejaya by his wife.
PURPORT
Maharaj Uttar was the son of Virata and maternal uncle of Maharaj Parikshit. Iravati being the daughter of Maharaj Uttar, she was the cousin sister of Maharaj Parikshit but such cousin brothers and sisters are allowed to get married because they do not belong to the same Gotra or family. In the Vedic system of marriage importance on different Gotra or family is stressed. Arjuna also married Subhadra although she was his maternal cousin sister.
Janmejay:- One of the Rajarshi kings and the famous-son of Maharaj Parikshit. His mother's name is Iravati or according to some Madravati. Maharaj Janmejay begot two sons only of the names Jnatanika and Sankukarna. He celebrated several sacrifices in the Kurukshetra pilgrimage and he had three younger brothers of the names Srutasena, Ugrasena and Bhimsena II. He invaded Taxshila (Ajanta) and he decided to retaliate the unlawful curse upon his great father Maharaj Parikshit and performed a great sacrifice of the name Sarpa Yajna to kill the race of serpents including the Takshak who had bitten his father to death. On request from many influential demigods and sages he had to change his decision for finishing the race of snakes but inspite of stopping the sacrifice he satisfied everyone concerned in the sacrifice by rewarding them properly and stopped further procedure of the sacrifices. In the ceremony Mahamuni Vyasdeva also was present and he personally narrated the history of battle of Kurukshetra before the king. Later on by the order of Vyasdeva his disciple Vaisampayana narrated before the king about the subject matter of Mahabharata. He was much afflicted by his great father's untimely death and was too much anxious to see him again and he expressed his desire before the great sage Vyasdeva. Vyasdeva also fulfilled his desire. His father being present before him he worshipped both his father and Vyasdeva with great respect and pomp. Being fully satisfied about his great father he made charities most munificently to the Brahmins present in the sacrifice.