Nag Panchami is a popular festival celebrated all over the world where Hindus, Jains and Buddhists reside as a day of worship. Nagas are a race of people who are half serpents and half humans and can take any form. Be it the powerful serpent, Sheesh Nag who forms the bed on the ocean for Vishnu to reside or Nag Vasuki who is always visible wrapped around the neck of Lord Shiva, Nagas played an important role in the history of ancient India.
The story of King Parikshit
Brahma, the Lord of the universe created seven human races and send them to earth to rule. One of them did not begin well since early days of the Kuru dynasty began with Kauravas and Pandavas playing and fighting with each other all life long.
After the defeat of Kauravas in the great war of Mahabharata, Ashwatthama son of Dronacharya decides to kill the heir of Pandavas by using the ultimate weapon, Brahmastra. He fires in the direction of the womb of Uttara, the wife of Abhimanyu. A terrified Uttara prays to Krishna who manages to protect the child from the full force of the weapon. When the child is still-born, Krishna revives him. This child is Parikshit, the one who is blessed by Krishna himself with his life.
After Krishna is killed by a hunter accidentally, the Pandavs do not wish to live any longer and they start their journey to heaven. Before leaving they crown Parikshit as the ruler of all of Kuru kingdom and the ruler of Hastinapur.
The curse
Priskshit was a great king. But his rule was interrupted by his death due to a curse. During the course of his rule, the king allows Kali Purush to enter his mind and corrupt his thinking. Once during a strenuous hunting expedition he came across rishi Shamika engrossed in a deep state of meditation. The king enquired about the deer whom he was chasing but the rishi did not respond. This enraged the king and under the influence of Kali Purush wrapped a dead snake around his neck.
The son of the rishi came to know about this and placed a curse on the king that he would die of snake bite on the seventh day. However when Shamika came to know about this curse, he was sad and sent this information to alert the King. There is absolute panic in the palace and everyone is trying ways to save the king from the curse. His ministers prepared a massive column and placed the King on top so that he could be protected from snakes. They also called the greatest maharishi who lived in those times, Kashyapa who was also renowned to know the cure to snake bites.
Naga King comes to fulfil the curse
To fulfil the curse and avenge an earlier feud, the King of Nagas, Takshaka decides to finish Parikshit. He had a forest kingdom on the outskirts of Indraprastha which the Pandavs had destroyed to create their great city during Mahabharat. Arjun had set fire to the forest and in the process killed Takshaks’s wife. During the time of this raid, the serpent king was away in Patal lok or Nagalok which was also a realm in which he had a residence. This was the lowest realm of the universe which is found under the earth surface. When Takshaka returned he was enraged and vowed to finish the lineage of Pandavas. The Nagas fought against the Pandavas in the war of Mahabharata.
When Takshaka comes to know that Kashyapa is coming to the kingdom, he offers him wealth and Kashyapa changes his mind. Since there is tight security around the King, Takshaka disguises himself as an insect and hides in a fruit which is being offered to the king as a meal. So elaborate is the planning of Takshaka that he even bribes the priests and doctors in the palace so that they do not come to help the king after he is bitten.
The son takes over in a mindset of revenge
Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit is now the new king. When he comes to know who is responsible for his father’s death, he is furious and vows to finish all the snakes along with their King Takshaka. He starts a massive yagna called Sarpasatra which is so powerful that all snakes are drawn towards the ritual fire in the havan kund to die. Indra who is also the friend of Takshaka tries to save him but such is the power of the sages who are chanting that Indra himself is pulled in the fire of the yagna. Finally Astika Rishi who is the son of the snake goddess Manasa Devi and whose father was a rishi intervenes. Astika at that time was just a boy in his late teens. But such was the power of his persuasion and negotiations that he not only convinced King Janamejaya to stop the yagna but he managed to broker a workable and permanent peace between the two clans.
This way both Takshaka, the king of snakes and Indra, the king of Gods are saved from death. Finally the long feud between these two mighty clans is ended by the great grandson of Arjun. There is everlasting peace between the Nagas and Puru Dynasty. The day Sarpasatra was stopped was Nadivardhini Panchami (5th day of bright moon). From that day on shukla paksha panchami in the month of Shravan and it is celebrated as Nag Panchami.
It is also believed that it was the great serpent Vasuki who approached Manasa Devi because he feared that he himself might be killed by the power of the yagna. At the end of the yagna Vedvyas permits his assistant, Vaishampayana to start narrating the story of Mahabharat to King Janamejaya. This is an epic event which happens in presence of the King, his council of ministers and the Bramhins who were present for the yagna. It must have also been a lesson to the King who had just shown great wisdom in stopping a massacre and then going for a peace accord with the Nagas. Janamejaya starts to consolidate the Puru Kingdom with his power and wisdom and he makes the Mahabharata famous by recording and retelling the story again and again.
What Astik achieved was almost impossible
Astik was young and inexperienced when he was told by his mother Manasa Devi to stop the snake yagna. The king of one of the most powerful empire was bent on vengeance. There was a powerful array of priests performing the sacrifice. He first had to make his presence noticed by the King. He achieved that by chanting praises of the king and gained straight entry to his heart. His next step was to praise the Ritwiks, Sadasyas and Hotris who had assembled there. The king was so impressed by this person and his knowledge that he decided to grant Astik a boon despite the priests protesting.
Astik proceeded with great caution and used a balance to force and negotiation to stop the compete extermination of the Nagas. It was his communication skill that ensured peace between the Nagas and Humans which has held till even today.
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