Why Parikshit?

I guess it's a fact that Yudhishthir was married to Devika. Devika and he had a son- Yaudheya. How come he was not made King? Did he die in the war? Why was Parikshit chosen, he was not in anyway related to Yudhishthir.

Devika's father had an arrangement similar to what Chitrangada's dad had

The son would inherit the maternal kingdom and will not have any relation with the HP+IP politics.

He definitely survived the war

But in any case even while Prativindhya was in place, Abhimanyu was being looked upon as the next generation king. I don't think there was any rule where only direct children of the king could succeed or else Abhimanyu was adopted by Draupadi ( he is often referred as Krishna's son)

Either way Yudheya and his descandant weren't in the race to throne

Originally posted by: FlauntPessimism

Devika's father had an arrangement similar to what Chitrangada's dad had

The son would inherit the maternal kingdom and will not have any relation with the HP+IP politics.

He definitely survived the war

But in any case even while Prativindhya was in place, Abhimanyu was being looked upon as the next generation king. I don't think there was any rule where only direct children of the king could succeed or else Abhimanyu was adopted by Draupadi ( he is often referred as Krishna's son)

Either way Yudheya and his descandant weren't in the race to throne

If there was no such rule then it can be concluded Krishna wanted his sister's son to ascend the throne. He didn't know the gender but he can always hope. So in this case if Abhimanyu was elder to Prativindhya, he could easily have been his bet to ascend the throne, no?

Btw was Devika's arrangement stated?

And how can Draupadi adopt him when he is Arjun-Subhadra's son, like he did have parents... A little confused here.

Originally posted by: CaptainSpark

If there was no such rule then it can be concluded Krishna wanted his sister's son to ascend the throne. He didn't know the gender but he can always hope. So in this case if Abhimanyu was elder to Prativindhya, he could easily have been his bet to ascend the throne, no?

Btw was Devika's arrangement stated?

And how can Draupadi adopt him when he is Arjun-Subhadra's son, like he did have parents... A little confused here.

He is called son of Krishna again and again in war parvas. I don't see the reason unless she adopted him. And I don't see how she could have without Yudhishtira's cooperation.

And yeah, adopting for inheritance was allowed even if there were biological parents. Pandu lists the kinds of sons. Abhimanyu could be 7th or 11th.

If he were the eldest, Yudhishtira and Panchali might have decided to adopt him at least partly to keep Krishna happy. Or maybe they simply liked the baby. Or maybe when she didn't have a child for the duration of Arjuna's exile, they were worried she was infertile. One of the interesting things to note is Karna calls her bandhaki in dice hall which can also mean barren woman.

https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01121.htm

The religious institutes mention six kinds of sons that are heirs and kinsmen, and six other kinds that are not heirs but kinsmen. I shall speak of them presently. O Pritha, listen to me. They are: 1st, the son begotten by one's own self upon his wedded wife; 2nd, the son begotten upon one's wife by an accomplished person from motives of kindness; 3rd, the son begotten upon one's wife by a person for pecuniary consideration; 4th, the son begotten upon the wife after the husband's death; 5th, the maiden-born son; 6th, the son born of an unchaste wife; 7th, the son given; 8th, the son bought for a consideration; 9th, the son self-given; 10th, the son received with a pregnant bride; 11th, the brother's son; and 12th, the son begotten upon a wife of lower caste.

https://kosha.sanskrit.today/word/sa/bandhakI

I don't think prakishit ended up inheriting everything either. Like he was not sole heir. There were others. Vajra was definitely one of then

here it is said that the rule of indraprasth is given to vajra which further makes me believe that vajra was yudhishtra s grandson

The rule of Indraprastha was given to Vajra. The widows of Akrura then desired to retire into the woods. Vajra asked them repeatedly to desist, but they did not listen to him. Rukmini, the princess of Gandhara, Saivya, Haimavati, and queen Jamvabati ascended the funeral pyre. Satyabhama and other dear wives of Krishna entered the woods, O king, resolved to set themselves to the practice of penances. They began to live on fruits and roots and pass their time in the contemplation of Hari. Going beyond the Himavat, they took up their abode in a place called Kalpa. Those men who had followed Arjuna from Dwaravati, were distributed into groups, and bestowed upon Vajra. Having done all these acts suited to the occasion, Arjuna, with eyes bathed in tears, then entered the retreat of Vyasa. There he beheld the Island-born Rishi seated at his ease.

Another one

Vaishampayana said: "That scorcher of foes, Vibhatsu, thus addressed by his maternal uncle, replied, with great cheerlessness of heart, unto Vasudeva who was equally cheerless, saying, ‘O uncle, I am unable to look at this Earth when she is reft of that hero of Vrishni’s race and those my other kinsmen. The king and Bhimasena and Sahadeva and Nakula and Yajnaseni, numbering the sixth, are of the same mind with myself in this matter. The time has come for the departure of the king also. Know this, that the hour of our departure too is at hand. Thou art the foremost of those that are well conversant with the course of time. I shall, however, O chastiser of foes, first remove to Indraprastha the women of the Vrishni race as also the children and the aged.’ Having said so unto his uncle, Arjuna next addressed Daruka, saying, ‘I wish to see without any delay the chief officers of the Vrishni heroes.’ Having uttered these words, the heroic Arjuna, grieving for those great car-warriors (who had been slain), entered the great hall of the Yadavas (where they used to hold their court), called Sudharma. When he had taken his seat there, all the citizens, including the Brahmanas, and all the ministers of state came and stood surrounding him. Then Partha, more grieved than they, addressed those grieving and cheerless citizens and officers who were more dead than alive, and said these words that were well suited to the occasion: ‘I shall take away with me the remnants of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas. The sea will soon engulf this city. Equip all your cars and place on them all your wealth. This Vajra (the grandson of Krishna) will be your king at Shakraprastha. On the seventh day from this, at sunrise, we shall set out. Make your preparations without delay.’

This one is just before their final journey

This son of thy son will be the king of the Kurus. The survivor of the Yadus, Vajra, has been made a king. Parikshit will rule in Hastinapura, while the Yadava prince, Vajra, will rule in Shakraprastha. He should be protected by thee. Never set thy heart on unrighteousness.’

I am concluding that vajra inherited Mathura from paternal side and indraprasth from maternal side

Plus this article talks about prativindhya s descendants acquiring a part of kingdom too

And there are many puranas which talk about shatanik and his progeny reviving panchala

Interesting Q raised by you, @TM!

I think, Parikshit and Vajra got HP and IP respectively b’cos they were chosen by the elders. 🤔

P.S. Why rest of sons of Yudi, Arjun, Karna not stake claim on HP / IP ? 🤔 Why they were not ambitious and want to rule such a big empire and why were content with small maternal empire only? 😕

I don't think vajra got ip as arjun crowned him at indraprastha which doesn't mean ip is his.I think ip was of Parikshit only and vajra got mathura

I think Vajra was crowned as the king of Mathura at Indraprasth.

Vajra wasn't given the reign of Indraprasth

Originally posted by: HearMeRoar

He is called son of Krishna again and again in war parvas. I don't see the reason unless she adopted him. And I don't see how she could have without Yudhishtira's cooperation.

And yeah, adopting for inheritance was allowed even if there were biological parents. Pandu lists the kinds of sons. Abhimanyu could be 7th or 11th.

If he were the eldest, Yudhishtira and Panchali might have decided to adopt him at least partly to keep Krishna happy. Or maybe they simply liked the baby. Or maybe when she didn't have a child for the duration of Arjuna's exile, they were worried she was infertile. One of the interesting things to note is Karna calls her bandhaki in dice hall which can also mean barren woman.

https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01121.htm

The religious institutes mention six kinds of sons that are heirs and kinsmen, and six other kinds that are not heirs but kinsmen. I shall speak of them presently. O Pritha, listen to me. They are: 1st, the son begotten by one's own self upon his wedded wife; 2nd, the son begotten upon one's wife by an accomplished person from motives of kindness; 3rd, the son begotten upon one's wife by a person for pecuniary consideration; 4th, the son begotten upon the wife after the husband's death; 5th, the maiden-born son; 6th, the son born of an unchaste wife; 7th, the son given; 8th, the son bought for a consideration; 9th, the son self-given; 10th, the son received with a pregnant bride; 11th, the brother's son; and 12th, the son begotten upon a wife of lower caste.

https://kosha.sanskrit.today/word/sa/bandhakI

Panchali did love him alot, so it's okay to call him Krishna's son too. In fact he is to consider the other wives of his father also as equal to his mother. Just like Nakul and Sahadev considered Kunti as their mother. So why not?

Anyway but why would they adopt him if Prativindhya existed? As in why HIM, not any other children of any other Pandav.

Originally posted by: Swetha-Sai

Interesting Q raised by you, @TM!

I think, Parikshit and Vajra got HP and IP respectively b’cos they were chosen by the elders. 🤔

P.S. Why rest of sons of Yudi, Arjun, Karna not stake claim on HP / IP ? 🤔 Why they were not ambitious and want to rule such a big empire and why were content with small maternal empire only? 😕

PS bit is my question as well.

Also, can anyone share citations where it is said Abhimanyu was being seen as Yudhishthir's heir. Now even if we say Panchali was childless then what about other sons of the Pandavas? Why Abhimanyu?

Why not Prativindhya or his brothers? Why not Yudhishthir's other sons is still unclear to me even if Panchali is childless.

Now if there's no rule of rhe king's son being king, why Yudhishthir and Duryodhan are only two contenders. Anyone can be a king.

This is a monarchy, and any system with KINGS and KINGDOMS cannot have democratic rules, I don't get how that's possible?