| Parikshit | |
|---|---|
| KauravyaRaja Vishvajanina | |
 18th century illustration of SageShuka and King Parikshit | |
| King of Kuru | |
| Reign | 12th-9th centuries BCE[citation needed] |
| Predecessor | Yudhishthira (Grand Uncle) according to Mahabharata |
| Successor | Janamejaya (Son) |
| Spouse | Madravati |
| Issue | |
| Dynasty | Kuru |
| Father | Abhimanyu |
| Mother | Uttarā |
| Religion | Historical Vedic Religion |
Parīkṣit (Sanskrit:परीक्षित्,IAST:Parīkṣit[note 1]) was aKuru king who reigned during the MiddleVedic period (12th–9th centuries BCE).[1] Along with his son and successor,Janamejaya, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, the arrangement ofVedic hymns into collections, and the development of the orthodoxsrauta ritual, transforming the Kuru realm into the dominant political and cultural center of northernIron Age India.[2] He also appears as a figure in later legends and traditions. According to the legendary accounts inMahabharata and thePuranas, he succeeded his granduncleYudhishthira to the throne ofHastinapur.[note 2]
"Listen to the good praise of the King belonging to all people, who, (like) a god, is above men,(listen to the praise) of Parikṣit! - 'Parikṣit has just now made us peaceful dwelling; darknesshas just now run to its dwelling.' The Kuru householder, preparing (grains) for milling, speaks(thus) with his wife. — 'What shall I bring you, sour milk, themantha [a barley/milk drink?' the wife keeps asking in the Realm of King Pariksit. — By itself, the ripebarley bends heavily (iva) over the deep track of the path. The dynasty thrives auspiciously in theRealm of King Parikṣit.”[7][8]
Parikshit is eulogised in a hymn of theAtharvaveda (XX.127.7-10) as a greatKuru king (Kauravya), whose realm flowed with milk and honey and people lived happily in his kingdom. He is mentioned as theraja vishvajanina (universal king).[9]
According to the Mahabharata, Parikshit married princessMadravati of theMadra Kingdom, reigned for 60 years, and died. It is believed that his son,Janamejaya, succeeded the throne.[10]
Only one Parikshit is mentioned in Vedic literature; however, post-Vedic literature (Mahabharata and Puranas) seems to indicate the existence of two kings by this name –– one who lived before theKurukshetra War, an ancestor to thePandavas, and one who lived later as a descendant of thePandavas. HistorianH. C. Raychaudhuri believes that the second Parikshit's description better corresponds to the Vedic king, whereas the information available about the first is scanty and inconsistent, but Raychaudhuri questions whether there were actually two distinct kings. He suggests that the doubling was eventually "invented by genealogists to account for anachronisms" in the later parts of the Mahabharata, as "a bardic duplication of the same original individual regarding whose exact place in the Kuru genealogy no unanimous tradition had survived," and therefore there "is an intrusion into the genealogical texts" of the late, post-Vedic tradition, which also has two of Parikshit's son Janamejaya.[11][note 3]
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Michael Witzel notes Parikṣhit to be an early Kuru king; he dates the Pārikṣita Dynasty to c. 1200–1100 BC (the late Rig-Vedic period).[12] In contrast, H.C. Raychaudhuri had dated him to ninth century BC.[13] Witzel deems Parikṣhit (along with other kings of the dynasty) to be primarily responsible for the collation of diverse strands of material into singular "national" collections —Rig Veda Samhita,Samveda Samhitas, andKhilani.[14]
Parikshit is the son ofAbhimanyu andUttara, and grandson ofArjuna.[15][16]
According to theShatapatha Brahmana (XIII.5.4), Parikshita had four sons, Janamejaya, Bhimasena, Ugrasena and Śrutasena. All of them performed theAsvamedha Yajna.[17]
His bodily existence ended due to the curse of the sageShringi, who used theNāga king,Takshaka, the ruler ofTaxila as the instrument of death.[18] Parikshit was the husband of Queen Madravati and was succeeded by his sonJanamejaya.[19] According to theMahabharata, he ruled for 60 years and died.[20]
Parikshit is believed to be a reincarnation ofSatya Yuga, the personified first yuga in Hindu scriptures. TheBhagavata Purana (1.8.9) states that the son ofDrona,Ashwatthama had prepared aBrahmastra (a powerful weapon summoned toBrahma) to kill the Pandavas heir (King Parikshit), while he was in his mother's (Uttarā) womb, as a revenge against thePandavas for killing his relatives and friends (in particular his fatherDrona and friendDuryodhan) in theKurukshetra war. Uttarā was terrified by the powerful rays of the weapon and worried about her child. Her mother-in-lawSubhadra prayed toKrishna, who was also her brother, for help to save their heir. Krishna pacified her and protected the child in the womb from the deadly weapon and thus saved his life. Parikshit was thus born to Uttara. He was named Vişņurāta, becauseLord Vishnu had given him to the Pandavas when their race was about to become extinct. Later he was crowned heir to the Pandavas atHastinapura.[21]
After his coronation, he performed three sacrifices. While performing the sacrifices he traveled throughout the country. Once he saw a man beating a one-legged bull with a rod, and kicking a cow. He became angry at this sight and arrested the man. Parikshit was about to kill him when the man revealed his true identity asKali. Kali begged forgiveness from Parikshit, who forgave him but ordered him to leave the kingdom. Kali obeyed this order and left Parikshit's kingdom. Satisfied, the cow revealed herself as thePrithvi, who was grief-stricken for Krishna had returned to his abode (Vaikuntha) and had left earth. The bull wasDharma whose other three legs were mutilated and he now only stood one leg in the Kali Yuga.[22]
_and_parikshit_bitten_by_Takshak.jpg)
Once while hunting, King Parikshit encounteredKali Purush who asked him for a new shelter other than his places of gambling, prostitution, vice and immoral relationship. King Parikshit allowed him to reside in gold. Though he asked him to reside in illicitly obtained gold, the crown of King happened to be of illicitly obtained gold (the crown originally belonged to Jarasandha, was taken by Bhima after killing him and wasn't returned to Jarasandha's successors), eventually Kali Purush entered King's mind. As the king crossed paths he saw sage Shamika meditating and asked him the whereabouts of a deer which he was hunting. But the sage did not respond as he was meditating. Angry at this, Parikshit tossed a dead snake around the sage's neck due to the ill effects of Kali Purush in his mind. The sage had a son named Shringi (not to be confused withShringi in Ramayan), who heard this incident from another sage's son named Krisa. He became furious as he didn't know the deceit played by Kali Purush. Hecursed Parikshit to die of asnakebite in seven days, for disrespecting his father,Rishi Shamika.[citation needed]
When Shamika learned of the curse his son had given, he was disappointed. Shamika ordered his disciple Gaurmukha to go to Parikshit and tell him everything about his death. When Parikshit heard about the curse he accepted his fate, but the ministers created a mansion that would stand on a solitary column and remain well guarded.[citation needed]
Kashyapa, a sage who knew how to cure snakebites was coming for the king. ButTakshaka changed the mind of the sage by offering him more wealth.Takshaka came to the king in form of a worm in fruits and bit Parikshit, which instantly led to his death.[23]
The death of Parikshit is also recorded by another episode when the Pandavas conqueredKhandavaprastha (now known as Indraprastha). Takshaka is the head of snakes, who was residing inNagaloka without any human disturbance. When thePandavas 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 wifeDraupadi. After this incident,Arjuna, the third Pandava, lifted his bow and set 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 Shringi gave the ultimate destiny of Parikshit that he will be killed by a snakebite.
On hearing of his father's death by Takshaka, Parikshit's sonJanamejaya vowed to kill Takshaka within a week. He starts the Sarpasatra, a yagna, which forced each and every snake in the universe to fall in thehavankund. 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 byAstika Muni (who is the son ofManasa Devi). Thus, Takshaka was spared, andJanamejaya stops his Sarpasatra. That day wasShukla PakshaPanchami in the month ofShravana and is since celebrated as the festival ofNaga Panchami.[24]
Parikshit was succeeded by his sonJanamejaya.[25]
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