Parikshit Arjun ke pautra aur Abhimanyu ke putra the, vah shishu jiske garbh mein Ashvatthama ke brahmastra ne kabhi dahan kiya tha, jab tak Krishna ne swayam mritjaat shishu ko punarjeevit na kiya aur uska naam Parikshit rakha, pareekshak, kyonki vah sabhi cheezon ki pareeksha lenge. Prabhu ne shishu ko divya haath se sparsh kiya, aur shvaas lauti. Raaniyaan aanand se roin, aur mahal ke dhol baje. Unhone Yudhishthir ke prasthaan ke baad Hastinapur ka sinhaasan paaya aur anek varshon tak dharmapoorvak shaasan kiya, jab tak ek din, van mein aakhet karte hue, pyaas ne unhe gher liya aur vah Rishi Shamik ke aashram mein pravisht hue. Unka kanth sookha tha aur ashva deergh peechha se thaka tha. Vah praatah se mrig ka peechha karte rahe, aur van antaheen lagta tha. Naagarik aanandit hue, kyonki yuva raja nyaayi aur udaar the. Faslen prachur thin, aur praja bhay bina jeeti thi. Rishi maun vrat mein gehre the aur raja ke abhivaadan ka uttar nahin diya, aur Parikshit, apmaanit aur thake, ne utaavla kaarya kiya: unhone dhanush ki nok se mrit sarp uthaaya aur dhyaanasth rishi ke gale mein maala jaise daal diya, phir apne mahal laut aaye. Vah apne upahaas par hanse, na jaante hue ki yah kya vinaash laayega. Koi sarp, vah deeng maarte, jal aur prastar ek saath paar na kar sakta. Shamik ke yuva putra Shringi ne, ghar lautkar, apne pita ka apmaan dekha aur yauvan ke ahankaar ke krodh mein, hatheli mein jal lekar raja ko shaap diya: saat dinon ke bheetar sarpraaj Takshak Parikshit ko dansega aur raja mar jaayega. Jal unke krodh ki agni se damka jab shabd honthon se nikle. Jab shaap bola gaya, Shamik dhyaan se jaage aur dukhi hue, kyonki vah jaante the raja dhaarmik hai aur shaap anyaaypoorn, lekin rishi ka vachan ek baar uchcharit vaapas nahin liya jaa sakta. Devta bhi use nahin mita sakte jo rishi ne krodh mein bola. Shamik raja ke liye roye, jise vah sada aashirvaad dete the. Unhone shishya bhejkar Parikshit ko chetaavni di, aur raja ne, apne vinaash ki sunkar, ullekhneeya shaanti se taiyaariyaan keen. Unhone raajya mantriyon ko saunpa, jal aur rakshakon se ghira ekal stambh par ooncha mahal banvaaya, vaidy on aur vishahar aushadhiyon se bhara, aur nireekshan bina kisi ko nikat aane nahin diya. Raajya ke mahaanatam vaidya apni jadi-bootiyon ke saath tatpar khade the. Vishahar mantra aviraam jape jaate the. Shilpi ghaatak din se pehle use uthaane din-raat shram karte rahe. Saatven din, jab soorya ast ki or badha, chhadmaveshi Takshak Brahmanon dvaara raja ko arpit phal ke bheetar chhipe keede ke roop mein aaya, aur raja ne, jigyaasu hokar, nanhe keede ko gardan par rakha. Phal laane vaale Brahman bheetar ke sarp se anjaan the. Takshak ne svarn se maarg khareeda tha, samast sandeh shaant karte hue. Kshan mein vah paraakrami sarpraaj mein phool gaya, Parikshit ko lipat gaya, aur dans liya, aur vish ki agni se mahal jal utha, raja ko bhasm karta hua. Rakshak bhay se bhaage jab deevaaren bhasm huin. Mantri vilaap karte rahe, kyonki dharmaatma raja gira tha. Uska phan dhvaja jaisa phaila, ratnon se damakta. Parikshit ne netra moonde aur Krishna ka naam uchchaara. Un antim dinon ke samaapt hone se pehle, kintu, Vyaas ke putra Shukdev mahal aaye aur, Shukartaal mein Ganga tat par baithkar, marte raja ko saat din-raat bina ruke Bhagvat Puran sunaaya. Devta adrishya ekatra hokar sunte rahe, sabha par pushp barsaate hue. Parikshit ne samast aatma se suna, prashn poochhte aur Krishna ki mahima ka amrit peete hue, aur saatven din moksh paaya jabki sarp ke daant unhe lage. Unka mukh shaanti se damka, aur shaap ka dank jaata raha. Bhagvat ghoshit karta hai ki jo shraddha se sunta hai vah Prabhu ko paata hai. Unke putra Janamejay ne, shok aur krodh se jalte hue, baad mein mahaan sarp yagya kiya Takshak aur samast sarpon ka naash karne, jab tak Rishi Aastik ne hastakshep kar use roka. Sarp, antim kshan mein bache, yuva rishi ko aashirvaad dete rahe. Is prakaar pratishodh ka chakra daya mein samaapt hua. Yah katha swayam Bhagvat Puran ka dhaancha hai, kyonki Parikshit ko Shukdev ka shravan hi vah shaastra bana jise laakhon poojte hain. Yah sikhaati hai ki mrityu nishchit hai aur samay alp, lekin saat din bhi paryaapt hain moksh ke liye jab Prabhu ki ekanishth bhakti mein bitaaye jaayen.
Is katha ke paatra
- Parikshit
- Takshaka
- Shringi
- Shamika
- Shuka
- Janamejaya
