Monday 4 January 2016

Curse of Parikshit

In the clan of Pandavas was born a king called Parikshit. One when out hunting he lost his way., Tired and thirsty he kept roaming around. He suddenly saw a person sitting on the ground. 'I was hunting and a deer escaped from me. Do you know where the animal went', the king asked this person.
This person was a sage who had taken a vow of silence, something which was not known to the king. The king was offended. He saw a dead snake lying on the ground. Picking that by his bow, he placed it on the sage and left.
The sage had a son called Sringi. Sringi had a friend called Kusha. Kusha pointed out to Sringi the antics of the king. Sringi in anger, took some water in his hand and cursed the king. 'Within seven days from today, the naga Takshaka will bite you and will die'.
The sage breaking his vow got up and said what the king did was out of ignorance. You have cursed a great king and thus you have also lost all the virtue that you had attained so far through your prayers and meditation.
The sage then called a disciple of his and asked him to go and inform the king about the curse.
The king asked the disciple to convey to the sage, that he was very hurt by his own actions.

He then called his ministers to see if there was a way to avoid this curse. The ministers told the king to create a house on the top of a tall pillar. When the house was built, the ministers had those herbs placed all around the house that would repel snakes.

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