The Story of the Curse on Parikshit

Raja Parikshit was born to Abhimanyu and Uttara. He was a renowned and a powerful king. But one day when he went to a hermitage of sage Samika, he saw that the sage was in deep meditation. So he threw a snake on him but he was cursed by Samika’s son Srinjin. Parikshit died after seven days by snake bite.

This tragic story ends with a life lesson and that is one should not use power impulsively. This story teaches that power brings responsibility and the people who have power must realise the consequences if they use their power unjustly.

Summary of the Curse on Parikshit Story

When Parikshit grew older, he married Prince Utar's daughter, Iravati. They had four sons together, out of whom the fourth, Janmejaya, won the most importance. King Parikshit rose to glory with his three very successful Ashwamedha yajna on the banks of the river Ganges.

One day while wandering in the forest, the king got very thirsty. In search of water, he entered the hut that seemed to belong to a hermit. The owner of the hut was a sage called Samika.

The sage was in deep meditation and turned a deaf ear to the king's pleas for water. The king got furious, picked up a dead snake, and threw it on the sage. The sage's son, Sringin, was furious at the audacity of the king. Seething in a fury, he cursed the king that he would die of a snake bite seven days from then.

The king retired to his fate on returning to his kingdom. He handed over his throne to Janmejaya and resorted to listening to the discourses from Ved Vyas's son, Sukadeva. The same discourse later came to be known as Bhagwath Purana.

After listening to the whole discourse and worshipping Sukadeva, he declared that he was no longer afraid to die and that he felt at peace. After Sukadeva left, Parikshit sat to meditate. Just then, the God of snakes, Takshaka, disguised himself as a Brahmin to get near Parikshit. When he reached him, he bit Parikshit, causing his death. That’s how Parikshit of Mahabharata died.

Aggrieved by his father's death, Janmejaya swore to perform a sacrificial yajna for all the snakes. He pledged to sacrifice all the snakes to the fire of the yajna. Terrified, Takshaka ran to Lord Indra for shelter. Here, Janmejaya urged the brahmins to start the most powerful chants of hymns that would summon all the snakes to the place of sacrifice. However, he gave up when Lord Brihaspati intervened and made Janmejaya forgive Takshaka and the other snakes.

Parikshit Throwing a Dead Snake on Sage Samika

Moral of the Curse on Parikshit Story

Parikshit of Mahabharata was a king who died a fearless death due to a curse. Though this story shows the king’s tragic death, it teaches kids a lot. The reading of this story can help kids understand that giving into impulse is never a wise thing to do. No matter how privileged you are with riches and spirituality, one impulsive decision could cost you everything.

Note to the Parents

A story like The Curse on Parikshit can provide kids with an insight into the glorious past of the people who lived and thrived on this land centuries ago. It can also give them life lessons. Several children are extremely impulsive and rarely make a rational choice. Parents can read this story to young minds to make them understand that if they are to make the same mistakes as the character in the story, they will also have to bear similar consequences.