Parikshit

Parikshit is a significant name in ancient Indian history and mythology, particularly in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He was the son of Abhimanyu and Uttara, and the grandson of Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers. Born after the devastating Kurukshetra War, Parikshit was the sole surviving heir of the Pandava dynasty. His birth is often depicted as miraculous, as he was saved by Krishna from an Astra (divine weapon) attack while still in his mother's womb.

He succeeded his grandfather Yudhishthira as the king of Hastinapura. His reign is described as just and prosperous, marking the beginning of the Kali Yuga, the current age in Hindu cosmology. The Bhagavata Purana, another important Hindu scripture, details his life, his encounter with Kali (the personification of the Kali Yuga), and his eventual death by the bite of the serpent king Takshaka, a curse he received for insulting a sage.