EXACT REASON BEHIND SARPA SATRA YAJNA

Curse on King Parikshit and Sarpa Satra Yajna starts

Parikshit was the son of King Abhimanyu and Uttara. In a similar manner to his grandfather, the top-notch king Pandu, Parikshit was additionally fond of hunting wild animals. One day he was chasing a wild animal that went too deep into the woodland. He became exhausted and thirsty. He found a hermitage and observed a sage named Shamika in that region meditating. King  Parikshit anxiously gave him his introduction and requested him about the animal’s whereabouts, whether or not he had seen it anywhere. At that point, sage Shamika used to be on a vow of silence and hence did not respond to him. The enraged king picked up one dead snake by his bow and placed it on the sage’s shoulder. Sage did not react to anything, later the king left for his capital whilst regretting his deeds.

Sage Shamika had a son named Sringin who was at a younger age at that time. He was a smart incandescent ascetic. That day on his way to the hermitage, he met one of his sage friends named Kush, who told Sringin about the humiliation confronted by his father Shamika. Sringin got here to understand King Parikshit, who had embarrassed his superb first-rate sage father Shamika in this type of way. Kush additionally stated to him that, how Parikshit went back to his capital Hastinapura when sage Shamika was still sitting with a lifeless snake on his shoulder. Sringin became infuriated at that time. He took water in his hand and cursed King Parikshit to die after seven nights thru the deadly toxic snakebite named Takshaka then he reached his hermitage and noticed his father meditating with a snake on his shoulder. Concerned Sringin told him about the curse he had given to King Parikshit for embarrassing his guiltless father.

After being attentive to his son Shamika informed him, “You haven't performed my dearest work by way of cursing the king. This is not our precept. We sages stay in the kingdom of King Parikshit. The king protects us from the whole lot in a lawful way. We sages ought to be tolerant. We ought to pardon our king by means of displaying kindness. That time when the king entered our hermitage, he was unaware of my vow of silence for which he did this to me. "Oh, Sringin! you have demonstrated foolishness by cursing our king.”

Sringin instructed his father his curse couldn't be changed. it’s certain. 

Shamika informed his son, “I recognize you’re straightforward. Your curse will now not be false. Your impact is fiery. However, as your father, it’s my responsibility to advise you on the proper course of motion.” Later sage Shamika sent certainly one of his disciples named Gourmukh to King Parikshit for letting the king be aware of the curse given via way of his fool son Sringin for not bearing the humiliation of his father. King  Parikshit welcomed Gourmukh into his palace and heard the whole lot from him. He was distressed about his actions towards the super sage Shamika instead of at Sringin's curse.

After Gourmukh left, the king consulted with his ministers about the curse and additionally, the kingdom's affairs, considering he was destined to die after seven nights. All of the precautions were taken to guard the king. He stayed in a tall palace, nobody was allowed to meet with the king. Mantra sastra expert Kasyapa was appointed to deal with the king after the poisonous snake bite. He knew a way to make alive anybody from his tantric mantras after a venomous snake bite.

Kasyapa was on his way to the king’s palace, he met Takshaka Nag; who was going to devour the king with his poison. Takshaka suggested Kasyapa return again and not rescue the king as his death was sure. Also, Nag challenged him to save a tree that was there, was bitten thru Takshaka himself at that very moment, and was burnt into ashes. Kasyapa then accepted the challenge and stored the tree with the aid of making use of tantric mantras in the front of the nag. After seeing this, Takshaka nag presented cash to Kasyapa more than the king had promised to provide him and asked him to head back to his region. Kasyapa accepted the cash as he thought the king was anyway destined to die and it was certain. Thus he took the cash and returned.

Then Takshaka reached Hastinapur and noticed the king’s guards and ministers had been protecting him. He thought of a plan and ordered a number of the different snakes to disguise themselves as ascetics and brought fruits, water, and so on for the king. the snakes then did the same and King Parikshit accepted all those fruits from the ascetics. The king started out consuming those delicious fruits and shared a few along with his ministers. Then he saw a small insect on the fruit that he was eating. It was tiny in size. King took the insect in his hand and kept it on his shoulders. He started laughing along with his ministers while mentioning to the insect, “If the sage was once truthful, this insect will significantly change into Takshaka snake and bite me. Then I’ll be relieved from my sin.” All of a surprise the small insect took the form of a big Takshaka snake. It captured the king with a terrifying roar and bit him. The king died there.

(Please check the below video👇 in Hindi)

After his demise, his son Janamejaya grew to be king of Hastinapura. He took the obligation of the entire nation. Later he asked his ministers about his father’s curse and death. He heard the entirety from them and was devastated. He took an oath to kill Takshaka Nag at that time. He stated there in front of anyone,

"Ministers! After hearing the dying reasons of my father, I've determined that I will take vengeance on Takshaka Nag, who killed my father. Despite the fact that Kasyapa was coming to save him, Takshaka made his return back through presenting him with money. My father could have been saved through Kasyapa at that point. I desire to burst the nag to ashes within the equal manner he burst my father to demise with his poison.”

Janamejaya took suggestions from some Brahmins and determined to carry out ‘Sarpa Satra (Snake Sacrifice) yajna ’ at that point. He intended to slaughter all of the snakes in such a havan.

Ref: Mahabharata Book Adi Parva

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