Bhagavatham Stories

One day, while hunting in the forest in pursuit of a deer, Emperor Parikshit became extremely tired and thirsty. His body, though powerful and trained for physical exertion, had reached its limits from the intensive hunting. His lips were parched, his mouth was dry, and his mind was focused on finding water to quench his overwhelming thirst. In this state of physical exhaustion, he wandered into the hermitage of the great sage Shamika Rishi - a place of spiritual practice and austerity far removed from the material world. The hermitage was a sanctuary of peace and spirituality, but Parikshit, in his immediate need for water, was seeking physical comfort rather than spiritual grace. The sage Shamika Rishi sat in a secluded corner of the hermitage, his body perfectly still, his eyes closed, his consciousness completely absorbed in deep samadhi - a transcendental state of meditation where the individual consciousness becomes merged with the divine consciousness. In this state, he was completely unaware of anything happening in the external material world - no sounds could reach him, no physical disturbances could disturb his meditation.

Following the proper etiquette for a guest approaching a sage, Parikshit respectfully offered his obeisances in the traditional manner - bowing down with humility. He then respectfully requested: "O great sage, I am a traveler and I am extremely thirsty. Could you please provide me with some water?" He waited patiently for a response, but the sage, being completely absorbed in deep meditation, gave no response whatsoever. Parikshit waited, and then repeated his request several more times, speaking louder and more insistently: "O venerable one! I am the emperor Parikshit, and I have come seeking your hospitality and your blessing. Please, I am desperately thirsty. Could you provide me with water?" Yet still the sage gave no acknowledgment. He remained completely motionless, his consciousness nowhere to be found in the external material world.

At this critical moment, when Parikshit's consciousness was weakened by physical exhaustion and his mind was disturbed by unmet desires, Kali saw his opportunity. Despite all the precautions that Parikshit had taken throughout his reign to limit Kali's influence and protect his kingdom and his own consciousness from contamination, the extreme fatigue, overwhelming thirst, and gnawing hunger created a temporary opening - a moment of vulnerability in the emperor's consciousness. Parikshit felt deeply insulted by what he perceived as the sage's deliberate and disrespectful neglect. His royal pride was wounded - he, the emperor of the entire world, had approached a hermit with humility and been completely ignored. Though in reality, Shamika Rishi was simply in a transcendental state completely unaware of Parikshit's existence, Parikshit's mind, agitated by physical discomfort and ego hurt, interpreted the silence as deliberate rudeness and contempt. Under the influence of Kali and driven by wounded pride, Parikshit acted in a manner completely contrary to his usual character. In an uncharacteristic and terrible display of anger, he picked up a dead snake that was lying in the hermitage with his bow and, in a gesture of ultimate insult, placed it around the sleeping sage's neck, then abruptly left the hermitage.

However, almost immediately after leaving the hermitage, Parikshit's consciousness cleared. The physical exhaustion that had clouded his judgment passed, and his natural spiritual consciousness reasserted itself. He became deeply ashamed and horrified at what he had done. He realized that he had committed one of the most serious offenses possible in Vedic culture - he had insulted and disrespected a great sage and brahmana, a being who was spiritually superior to him and worthy of his worship and respect. Regardless of whether the sage had intentionally or unintentionally ignored him, Parikshit understood that a true devotee of Krishna would never permit ego and wounded pride to cause him to act disrespectfully toward a spiritual teacher. He immediately determined that he must return to the hermitage and offer his sincere apologies to Shamika Rishi.

But before Parikshit could return to rectify his mistake, an unexpected consequence had already been set in motion. Shringi, the young son of Shamika Rishi, had been playing outside with his friends when one of them came running to him with the shocking news: "Shringi! Do you know what just happened? The emperor Parikshit came to your father's hermitage and put a dead snake around his neck in insult! Your father is still meditating inside, completely unaware of what happened!" The young boy, though only a child in years, possessed remarkable mystical abilities as a result of his austerities and his spiritual training under his realized father. When Shringi heard what had been done to his revered father, his youthful heart burned with righteous anger. He felt a fierce protective love for his father and was outraged at what he perceived as a terrible offense and violation of his father's sanctity. In his anger, though he was just a boy, the words that came from his mouth possessed the power of a binding curse: "Whoever has put that dead snake around my father's neck shall himself die from the bite of a serpent within seven days! This is my curse!"

When Shamika Rishi finally emerged from his deep meditation, he was immediately informed by the people in the hermitage about what had transpired - both about Parikshit's insult and about his own son's curse. The sage was deeply troubled and distressed by what he heard, but his disturbance was not for himself - it was for the consequences that his son's words would bring upon the king and upon the entire world. Shamika Rishi called his son and spoke to him with the wisdom of a realized soul: "My dear child, what have you done? Brahmanas should be the embodiment of forgiveness and mercy - it is our duty and our nature to forgive even those who wrong us. We should never use our spiritual powers and mystical abilities to harm others, especially not to curse a saintly and righteous king like Parikshit, who merely made a momentary mistake due to temporary weakness. You have acted out of anger rather than wisdom. By cursing such a great protector of dharma, such a devotee of Krishna, you have harmed not just one person but the entire world, which depends on righteous kings for its welfare and protection. I must immediately send a message to the king to inform him of what has occurred."

Shamika Rishi's message reached Parikshit, and when the emperor heard that he had been cursed to die from a snakebite within exactly seven days, something remarkable happened. Rather than experiencing fear, anger, or desperation, Parikshit felt a profound sense of gratitude and relief. He understood at that very moment that this curse was actually the greatest blessing Krishna could grant him - it was a merciful wake-up call from the Lord Himself. The curse forced him to face the reality that has been true all along: that death can come at any unexpected moment, that no amount of power or prestige can protect one from the inevitable passage of time. More importantly, the seven-day warning gave him a precious gift - seven full days to prepare himself spiritually, to withdraw from all material concerns, and to dedicate every remaining moment to achieving spiritual perfection through hearing about Krishna from the greatest sage available. Immediately, Parikshit renounced his throne, gave his kingdom to his son, and went to the banks of the sacred Ganges River. There, he sat down with complete determination, deciding to fast without any food and water, dedicating all seven remaining days of his life exclusively to hearing the teachings of the Srimad Bhagavatam from the great sage Sukadeva Goswami. This chapter demonstrates a profound spiritual truth: even great personalities can momentarily fall under Kali's influence when their consciousness becomes weakened by physical desires and ego, but through sincere repentance and the Lord's grace, even such a fall can become the means of achieving the highest spiritual perfection.