Om Namo Narayanaya
ॐ नमो नारायण ।।
Several thousands of years ago there lived a strong and noble king named Parikshit. He was the grandson of the great warrior Arjuna.
Everything from Parikshit’s birth to his death was extraordinary. While he was still in his mother’s womb, he had escaped death despite being shot at by the deadly weapon, the Brahmashira.
During the historic Mahabharata war, Ashwatthama was fighting on the side of the unjust Kaurava brothers. In his eagerness to display his loyalty to the eldest Kaurava, Duryodhana, Ashwatthama decided that he would destroy the entire family of their enemy, the Pandavas. His first ignoble act was to kill the five sons of the Pandavas, while they were sleeping. Then he went a step further in his wicked scheme and resolved to destroy every trace of the Pandava dynasty by eliminating Parikshit, Arjuna’s grandson, while he was still in his mother, Uttara’s, womb. However, Mahavishnu would not allow such an evil deed to occur. He went into the womb, as Lord Krishna, and protected the little baby. Since the child’s life had been saved by Mahavishnu, he was quite appropriately named, Vishnurata.
Lord Krishna’s bright, glowing vision had had such an impact on the unborn child that Vishnurata continued searching, throughout his life, for the luminous entity he had once seen. Whenever he met anyone he would test the person to see if the person was the one he had seen in his mother’s womb. The word for test in Sanskrit is pariksha. It was this habit of testing people that earned Vishnurata the name Parikshit.
On hearing of his birth, astrologers, holy men and sages from across the country came to see him and each one of them predicted a remarkable destiny for the child. They foresaw his future as the greatest of all kings - benevolent, just, wise, strong, brave and of exceptional intelligence and skill.
All that the wise men had prophesied proved true. Parikshit was a most honourable and righteous king. His kingdom prospered and his subjects loved and respected him. Parikshit established a kingdom that upheld the highest values.
One day he was riding through his kingdom on an inspection tour and was horrified to find a filthy man severely beating an aged cow and bull. The poor animals were bleeding and in terrible agony but the wicked man continued to beat them. King Parikshit quickly alighted from his horse and rushed to the aid of the animals. Raising his sword Parikshit asked the cruel man sternly, “Why are you beating these docile animals?”
To his surprise it was the two animals that replied. The ox said, “I am actually Dharma raj the God of dharma or righteousness.”
The cow, in a soft voice said, “I am Bhakti the goddess of devotion. Both Dharma and I are being destroyed by the wickedness of Kali.”
Parikshit realised then that the dirty, cruel man was Kali, in disguise. King Parikshit could never permit such injustice in his kingdom and was determined to kill the evil Kali. He raised his sword and instantly the wily and cunning Kali revealed itself and said to Parikshit, “You should not destroy me. I must be permitted into your kingdom. After Lord Krishna's departure from this world, my reign of Kali Yuga has commenced. I have waited patiently for my time. Now that Satya yuga, Dwapara yuga and Treta yuga are over it is time for Kali yuga. So you know that the only just and fair thing for you to do is to allow me my time here on earth. ”
This was indeed true and as Parikshit was above all a righteous king he had no alternative but to accede to Kali’s demand. He knew it would be unjust to destroy Kali.
However, Parikshit being extremely intelligent quickly thought of a scheme to restrict Kali’s wickedness. He said, “Very well Kali. I will not kill you. You may remain in my kingdom but as I do not want you to hurt innocent people you will be confined to four places - the gambling dens, bars, places of disrepute and slaughter houses.”
In this way Parikshit had thought that only those who indulged in vices such as gambling, drinking, immoral activities and violence would have to bear the brunt of Kali’s force, while the good people would be spared.
Kali was however very crafty. He looked sadly at King Parikshit and begged, “Please I request you give me at least one more place where I may reside. This I’m sure is not too much to ask of a king known for his generosity.”
The kind king, though reluctant, finally agreed to allow Kali to reside in gold.
Kali gleefully accepted the places he had been allotted because he knew that he had more than enough now to create havoc in the human race. He had sufficient scope to create misery, greed, hatred, grief and several other afflictions on the human race. Kali Yuga had begun.
King Parikshit continued to rule his kingdom in his honourable and upstanding manner. However, Kali was slowly and surely creeping into the minds of people by its presence in bars, gambling dens, slaughter houses, places of violence and houses of disrepute. More and more people were being swayed and influenced by the evil ways of Kali.
Then one day King Parikshit went out on a ride through the forest. He kept on riding and riding. It was a very hot day, in the peak of the summer months. The king was getting tired and thirsty but he had by now reached a great distance from his palace. He noticed a small hermitage not too far away. King Parikshit thought to himself, “I will go to this hut and surely someone there will be able to provide me with a drink of water. Once I have quenched my thirst I will start my ride back to the palace.”
Accordingly he rode his horse to the hut. Tethering the steed to the pole outside the cottage King Parikshit walked in. It was absolutely quiet inside. Not a sound could be heard. Entering in, King Parikshit saw an old sage sitting silently in one corner. This was Sage Samika. The cottage was his hermitage. The sage was in deep meditation. His meditation was so intense that he did not even realise that the King had entered his humble abode. King Parikshit paid his respects to the sage. The sage did not respond. The sovereign repeated his respects several times but each time he realised the sage was not even bothering to acknowledge his presence.
The kng was physically exhausted, hungry and very thirsty. Kali had been waiting for just this opportunity - when the king was at his weakest and most vulnerable. The king’s crown was made of glittering gold. Kali had been allowed residence in gold. So through the golden crown Kali entered into the thoughts of the monarch. As King Parikshit was most vulnerable at this point he unwittingly allowed the vices of pride and anger to enter his thoughts.
King Parikshit thought, “I am the king and this old man does not even have the decency to acknowledge my greetings. How dare he treat me with such contempt.”
Seeing a dead snake near the doorway of the hut he picked it up with the tip of his sword and flung it across the neck of the old sage. Then without so much as a backward glance the king rode off.
However Parikshit had barely left Sage Samika’s ashram when better sense prevailed. He began to regret his haughty behaviour. Parikshit was intrinsically a good, kind, just and caring man. This behaviour of his was unusual and he himself was surprised that he had acted in such a way.
But Kali works quietly and silently and strikes when it finds a weakness in us. This is how it had stealthily creeped into King Parikshit’s thoughts when he was tired and exhausted. Even the king himself was unaware of how and when this had happened.
When Sage Samika’s son, Sringin, returned to the kutiya (hut) he saw his father still in deep meditation but with a dead snake thrown around his neck. Sringin was furious. He could not understand how anyone could ever have treated his pious father with such disrespect. He was even more enraged when he discovered that it was King Parikshit who had committed this act. It was expected of kings that they respect and revere holy men. King Parikshit had shown such disrespect to a man of extensive knowledge and piety. In his anger Sringin cursed the person who had committed this revolting act. He said, “May Parikshit who insulted my father in this manner, die in seven days from the bite of a snake. May the fearsome Takshaka bring death to this king who has insulted my father.” Takshaka was known to be the mightiest of serpents. His venom was so poisonous that there was no antidote that could save a person once bitten by Takshaka.
When Sage Samika arose from his meditation his son rushed up to him and said, “Father while you were in meditation the king came and annoyed that you did not acknowledge him or provide him water he threw a dead snake at you. For this terrible insult I have cursed him with death by a snake bite within seven days.”
Sage Samika was deeply saddened to learn this. He said, “Oh son, what have you done? Do you not know that a sage must never permit anger to overpower him? Worse still you have cursed King Parikshit who is the upholder of dharma and righteousness. He is the least deserving of your curse. Also do you not know that he has the power to send you back an even stronger curse. If you wish to follow in my footsteps you need to know that anger is an emotion that we should not entertain.”
Sringin chastised by his father's words regretted having cursed the good king. Unfortunately, the curse could not be reversed. Sringin decided that the least he could do was to inform King Parikshit that he would die in seven days of a bite from Takshaka. Accordingly he rushed a messenger to the palace to inform the king.
King Parikshit on hearing of Sringin’s curse was neither angry or unnerved. He said, “I do admit that I was entirely wrong in my uncalled for actions against the holy sage who had done me no harm. I should not have given in to anger and insulted Sage Samika. I do deeply regret having offended a holy Brahmin. Sringin is justified in his rage towards me and I willing accept the curse he has placed on me. Which son would not be enraged by such an insult to his father? As I have committed a wrong action I deserve the consequences of that action. In fact death by a snake bite seems too small a price for the heinous crime I have committed. I am fortunate that through this snake bite I will be absolved of my wrong doing.”
As he had just seven day to live the king immediately abdicated and placed his son, Janamejaya on the throne. He then left for the shores of the holy Ganga. There on the banks of the river all the revered saints and celestial beings had gathered to see the great king who had with no hesitation and within a moment turned away from his position, power, wealth, fame and glory. This remarkable king spent the remaining days of his life sitting at the feet of wise sages, wearing simple garb, and listening intently to stories about the pre-eminenceof the Lord. King Parikshit was so immensely blessed, for his many good deeds, that it was the eminent sage Vyasa's son, Suka, that presided over that august gathering on the banks of the Ganga.
In this manner King Parikshit spent his last days on earth listening to the glories of the Lord. It is immaterial how many days, months or years that we live. All that matters is how we live. Parikshit was fortunate to know that he had just seven days left on this earth. Some who may know that they have a limited time to live might choose to spend it in eating, drinking and merry making. King Parikshit chose to use his remaining days on earth wisely by listening to praises of the Lord.
King Parikshit was truly a fortunate person. He had a vision of the Lord when he was still unborn. He ascended the throne of Hastinapur and ruled a mighty empire justly. As Kali Yuga commenced he was paradoxically blessed with the curse of death. Should he have lived the righteous king would have been miserable seeing the rampant spread of evil. The nectar of the holy Bhagavatam as recited to him by the venerable Suka had so absorbed King Parikshit that when the vicious Takshaka did bite him, the King was totally oblivious of the bite. In fact well before he was bitten Parikshit was already with his beloved Lord Vishnu. Finally Parikshit had found the one whom he had been searching for from the day he was born.
LIFE LESSONS
1. We must remember that God protects those who are good.
2. Like King Parikshit we should always try to do the right thing
3. We must be alert to ensure that evil does not overpower us.
4. Should we do a wrong deed we should accept the blame and cheerfully bear the punishment.
5. Unlike Sringin we must not allow anger to drive our actions.
6. Like Sage Samika we should learn to forgive and not hold any grudges.
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