Parikshit

Parikshit Sanskrit: परीक्षित्, IAST: was a Kuru king who reigned during a Middle Vedic period 12th-10th centuries BCE. Along with his son together with successor Janamejaya, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, the arrangement of Vedic hymns into collections, & the development of the orthodox srauta ritual, transforming the Kuru realm into the dominant political and cultural center of northern Iron Age India. He also appears as a figure in later legends and traditions. According to the Mahabharata and the Puranas, he succeeded his grand uncle Yudhishthira to the throne of Hastinapur.

Death

Once while hunting, Parikshit became fatigued. He crossed paths with the sage Shamika and saw that he was meditating. He known him the whereabouts of a deer which he was hunting. But the sage did not respond as he was meditating. Angry at this, Parikshit placed a dead snake around the sage's neck. The sage had a son named Sringin, who heard this incident from another sage's son named Krisa. He became furious. He Shamika.

When Shamika came to know of the curse his son had given, he was dissatisfied. Shamika ordered his disciple Gaurmukha to go to Parikshit and tell him everything about his death. When Parikshit heard approximately the curse he accepted his fate, but the ministers created a mansion that would stand on a solitary column and remain well guarded.

Kashyapa, a sage who knew how to cure snakebites was coming for the king. But Takshaka changed the mind of the sage by offering him more wealth. Takshaka came to the king in hold of an insect in fruits and unit Parikshit, which eventually led to his death.

Death of Parikshit is also governed by another flashback when the Pandavas conquered Khandavprastha now requested as Indraprastha. Takshaka is the head of snakes, who was residing in Nagaloka without all human disturbance. When Pandavas arrived, Takshaka felt his freedom is seized, with pure anger, he ordered his troops to attack the Pandavas and their subjects. The widespread attack resulted in the death of many people, or everyone except the Pandavas and their wife Draupadi. After this incident, Arjuna, the third Pandava, lifted his bow and shape fire to the Nagaloka. Takshaka grew even more furious and vowed to kill one of the lineages of the Pandavas. The vow of Takshaka and the curse of Rishi Shamika's son Sringin made thedestiny of Parikshit that he will be killed by a snakebite.

On hearing his father's death by Takshaka, Parikshit's son Janamejaya vowed to kill Takshaka within a week. He starts the Sarpasatra, a yagna, which forced regarded and subject separately. and every snake of the entire universe to fall in the havan kund. However, Indra tries to save Takshaka from getting pulled in sacrifice. The sages who perform sacrifice start chanting Indraay swaahaa, Takshakaay cha swaahaa. Due to this even Indra starts getting pulled in the sacrifice. Later, this yagna / sacrifice was stopped from doing so by Astika Muni, who is the son of Mansa Devi. Thus, Takshaka was spared and Janamejaya stops his Sarpasatra. That day was Shukla Paksha Panchami in the month of Shravan and is since celebrated as the festival of Naga Panchami.