The river [Ganges, by which the King sat to fast] carries the most auspicious water, which is mixed with the dust of the lotus feet of the Lord and
tulasīleaves. Therefore that water sanctifies the three worlds inside and outside and even sanctifies Lord
Śiva and other demigods. Consequently everyone who is destined to die must take shelter of this river.
Mahārāja Parīkṣit, just after receiving the news of his death within seven days, at once retired from family life and shifted himself to the sacred bank of the
Yamunā River. Generally it is said that the King took shelter on the bank of the Ganges, but according to
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the King took shelter on the bank of the
Yamunā.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī's statement appears to be more accurate because of the geographical situation.
Mahārāja Parīkṣit resided in his capital Hastināpura, situated near present Delhi, and the River
Yamunā flows down past the city. Naturally the King would take shelter of the River
Yamunā because she was flowing past his palace door. And as far as sanctity is concerned, the River
Yamunā is more directly connected with Lord
Kṛṣṇa than the Ganges. The Lord sanctified the River
Yamunā from the beginning of His transcendental pastimes in the world. While His father
Vasudeva was crossing the
Yamunā with the baby Lord
Kṛṣṇa for a safe place at
Gokula on the other bank of the river from
Mathurā, the Lord fell down in the river, and by the dust of His lotus feet the river at once became sanctified. It is especially mentioned herein that
Mahārāja Parīkṣit took shelter of that particular river which is beautifully flowing, carrying the dust of the lotus feet of Lord
Kṛṣṇa, mixed with
tulasī leaves. Lord
Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet are always besmeared with the
tulasī leaves, and thus as soon as His lotus feet contact the water of the Ganges and the
Yamunā, the rivers become at once sanctified. The Lord, however, contacted the River
Yamunā more than the Ganges. According to the
Varāha Purāṇa, as quoted by
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, there is no difference between the water of the Ganges and the
Yamunā, but when the water of the Ganges is sanctified one hundred times, it is called the
Yamunā. Similarly, it is said in the scriptures that one thousand names of
Viṣṇuare equal to one name of
Rāma, and three names of Lord
Rāma are equal to one name of
Kṛṣṇa.