JANAMEJAYA'S REVENGE

Sage Saunaka wanted to know how the great king Parikshit died. Sage Sutha narrates the story as recalled by the ministers of king Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit! Parikshit was a king who ruled the country righteously. He considered his subjects as his own children. There were none who disliked or hated him. He was dear to Lord Krishna. He was the son of Abhimanyu and Uttara. Despite all his noble qualities Parikshit had an obsession for hunting! On one occasion he chased a deer and wounded it. It disappeared into the dense forest but the king went after it. There he saw a sage and enquired if he saw the deer. The sage, Samika, did not reply as he observed the vow of silence! Tired and hungry, king Parikshit  grew angry and lifting a dead snake nearby with the end of his bow, put it round the neck of the sage in meditation! sage Samika was not at all perturbed nor did he speak a word! Sage Samika’s son, Srungi, equally great and powerful, grew furious at the sight of his father wearing a dead snake around his neck! Immediately, he cursed that the person that had done this mean act shall die within seven days bitten by the snake Takshaka, the deadliest of snakes!

Information of the terrible curse was given to king Parikshit and he was advised to be cautious. The king was much distressed at the sin he committed in throwing the dead snake around the sage’s neck. In the meanwhile he made all security arrangements to avoid death by snake bite. Six days passed by. Nothing happened. On the seventh day, sage Kasyapa was on his way to see the king. Takshaka, the terrible snake spotted the sage and enquired where he was going and why. He replied that he was going to see the king who would be bitten by the snake Takshaka! He would resuscitate the king by his wonderful power and save him! Takshaka was  shell shocked! He wanted to test the sage’s prowess and with his venom reduced a huge tree into ashes! He challenged the sage to bring the tree back to life! The sage, in his turn, chanted some invocations and lo, behold, miraculously the tree came back to life in the presence of the snake! Takshaka was shocked and amazed at the incredible power of sage Kasyapa! He offered much money to the sage for which he was approaching the king and sent him away! Later Takshaka went in disguise to the well protected palace and according to the curse of Shrungi, killed Parikshit with his deadly bite!

King Janamejaya broke into profuse tears on hearing the manner of the death of his father Parikshit. His agony and anguish was indescribable! He wanted to avenge the death of his father by destroying the king of snakes,Takshaka and all the other snakes! He summoned all the sages and other wise men to instruct him on how to annihilate the entire snakes! The ritwiks told him of a yaga called “Sarpa satra” according to the Puranas and the Devas. That would satisfy his wish to destroy the snakes! Janamejaya was pleased at the words of the sages. He immediately ordered that arrangements be made for the performance of the great “sarpa satra”yaga. The sages, in their wisdom, selected a neat, calm, and comfortable place for the    performance of the yaga according to sastras. They filled it with money and grains and gave  “diksha” to king Janamejaya! But unfortunately, one among the sages, a Vasthu expert, said that the yaga was likely to be obstructed! The time and the measurements of the yagasala indicate impediments to the “sarpa satra” yaga!

The Yaga started in right earnest! The participants did their duties according to sastras. Covering themselves with black robes, with reddish eyes, chanting mantras as per the sastras, they performed homa. Through the sacrificial fire they invoked all the snakes to their dismay and terror! The invoked serpents, without any other alternative, arrived and fell into the raging fire of the “homa kunda!” Some fell jumping, some calling other snakes pathetically, a few lifting up their hoods, some more hissing, a few more entwining themselves to others! A few snakes were white, other black and a few more blue in color! There were lean snakes as well as stout ones, short and long ones continuously dropping down into the blazing fire! The unbearable stench of the burning snakes filled the air and the sound of snakes falling into the fire increased! Takshaka was terrified at the thought of his turn! He went to Indra, king of Gods and beseeched his help! Indra gave him refuge and said that he need not fear death as the creator Brahma has been approached by him! In the meanwhile Vasuki another king of snakes worried about his precious life and requested his sister to send her son Asthika to stop the yaga and save the lives of other snakes! Finally the yaga was stopped on the request an advice of famous Asthika!

“ Bharatah panchamo Vedaha”-- The Mahabharatha is called the Fifth- panchama Veda! There      is nothing in it that we do not find in the present society! All human emotions, passion, pity, compassion, jealousy, hatred, love, violence, deceit, fraud and other qualities are exhibited by various characters in the Itihasa! The spirit of revenge for the death of his father Parikshit, triggered the sarpa yaga that took the toll of many lives of snakes! Through these stories we have to learn lessons and shorn of evil qualities, lead happy and contented lives! Revenge and violence can never make man happy! Obsession for hunting cost Parikshit his dear life! Obsession for money has killed many a man and lust has brought many to their doom! Let us control our inner enemies like Kama, Krodha and others as far as possible and live happily and make others also live happily!