Originally posted by: .Vrish.
Actually, the Kaurava women had DG, who they could have accompanied into exile, but didn't. Kunti too had a strong reason - she had abandoned her sons and serving like a concubine to Dhritarashtra (where else does a SIL accompany her BIL - according to Manu's samhitas, she should have stayed w/ her sons to the end, as Shrimad Bhagvatam seems to suggest). She too could have taken the route. But alas, Pandu wasn't among the visitors 🤔
But if you notice, the passage explicitly says 'Kshatriya ladies' instead of 'Kaurava ladies' (and there too, Vaisampayana loosely uses the term 'Kaurava' to refer to the Pandavas as well. Which is what led me to the above conclusion. Also, as you point out, Parikshit was sitting on Uttara's lap in part 25, whereas the jal-samadhi took place in part 33.
Wasn't it you who in the Ramayan forum once pointed out to me how men put their wives on their left lap & other relatives on their right? If they could do that, why would it be strange for Uttara to put her 15 year old son on her lap?
The term 'recent' is nebulous - it is loosely used, like much of Vyasa's/Vaisampayana's writing. Uttara was pregnant at Abhimanyu's death and gave birth during the Ashwamedha yagna. There is no way she could have held Parikshit in her womb for 15 years
Kunti calls Dhrit & Gandhari as her father and mother in law and in next section Dhrit also calls her his daughter in law.
Manu smriti laws are not given by Manu the ancient king, the founding father of Suryavansh ; this Manu is different and the laws were written much later than the epic age so Manu smriti is not to be taken a benchmark on law and order or what women / men should do in the epic.
There are no laws on what widows should do, their going to forest or taking Jal Samadhi was voluntary( section 33 ) Yudhi is also called as Kuru king and technically Pandavas are also Kauravas so Uttara is daughter in law of Kauravas.
I did say that in Ramayan forum... I'm pointing to the inconsistencies ...
Parikshit is born in ashwamedhika parva; If Uttara was a recent mother in section 15 of ashramvasika then 15 years had not really passed.
A 15 'month' old Parikshit is more agreeable on Uttara's lap rather than a 15 yr old boy. By 15 a boy would ideally be on a 'brahmacharya' vrata having undergone upanayana in 8th or 9th year and his studies would begin .
In the same parva Dhrit wants to do Shraaddha of his sons . For 15 long years he didn't do it? He suddenly seems to remember those .
Another thing is that Bhima is still remembering the wrongs inflicted on them how could he still hold a grudge for 15 yrs its a very long time. Ofcourse there can be no explanations but just a thought ...in 15 yrs time does heal the wounds. One thing I feel that the period of rule of kings would be inflated by the bards who recited . It would serve the political purposes of kings
In Putradarsana parva Kshatriya ladies is mentioned. Vyasa says those who wish to go to their husbands abode could do so and these ladies take the permission of their father in law and voluntarily accept death . If Parikshit is a baby then Uttara would not have gone ( this is my opinion though and I maybe wrong)
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