Essence Of Maha Bhagavatha Purana

King Parikshith passes away

Maha Muni Suka gave the last instructions to King Parikshith after a week long Discourse of Maha Bhagavata and advised him not to be afraid of death, for that would invariably follow the next birth in the long chain of human life and thus fortify himself to place himself at the Golden Feet of Maha Vishnu who is the Ultimate. Even as Suka Muni rose to leave the King who prostrated before the Muni expressing his deepest gratitude for his Golden Discourse, ‘Taksha’the mighty snake arrived in the guise of a Brahmana and offered a lemon to the King.

[Earlier, Taksha was requested by the Brahmana Boy to fulfil a curse to the King to die within a week; Taksha intercepted Sage Kasyap who was seeking to protect the King. Daksha challenged Sage Kasyap to revive a tree which got burnt by Daksha; the sage collected the ash of the burnt tree and revived it. Taksha pacified the Sage and requested him to let a curse of the Brahmana Boy be fulfilled and thus the Sage did not interfere in the matter] From the lemon given by Daksha in the Brahmin guise to King Parikshith came out a worm which took the shape of a huge serpent and from its bite died the King. Parikshith’s son Janamejaya sought to take revenge on Daksha and conducted a powerful Sacrifice of snakes burnt in Agni Yajna. He desired Taksha too be burnt in the Sacrifice, but was informed that Indra was protecting Daksha and the revenge of Janamejaya’s was such that he was prepared to even sacrifice Indra himself. Brihaspathi, Deva  Guru prevented Janamejaya to perform the Sarpa Yajna further not only to become a victim of vengence and anger but also to maintain elological balance in the Creation process itself.