Fear of Death

Do you know who was king Parikshit? I think most of the sanatanis know him well.

He was the son of Abhimanyu and grandson of Arjuna from Kuru vans (kuru Dynesty), Arjun and his four brother latter known as pandav. They had won the battle of kurushetra under the guidance of Yogeswar Bhagwan Sri Krishna.

It was the middle vedic period almost five thousand years ago when the Kaliyug started. Parikshit was protected by Lord Krishana in the womb of his Mother Uttra from a powerful Braham Astra summoned by Aswasthama.

He was the successor of his grand uncle Yudhishthira to the throne of Hastinapur. He ruled the nation for almost twenty four years and died at the age of sixty.

Death of king Parikshit

One day was going for hunting in the forest after a long hunt he felt tired and thirsty. He went on search of water and found a small hut nearby, Rishi Shaika lived there.

He went inside and saw a sage was meditating. King Parikshit had waited for the sage to awaken; sage didn’t awake as he was waiting for long time. He got angry and threw a dead snake around the sage’s neck.

When the son of sage shamika, rishi sringi came to know about this disrespect to his father, he cursed the king pariksit, to die of snake bite in seven days.

Once parikshit came to know about the curse, he became so worried and went to sukhdev ji. He narrated the whole incident and requested him to save his life. Hearing him sukhdev ji told him there in no way to avoid curse.

Sukhdev Ji said, “Hey king you will definitely die after seven days by the bite of serpent Takshak, but you can ease the agony and pain of death only by one means.”

Hearing this king asked, “What is that muniwar?”

Sukhdev ji replied, “Only by reciting Bhagwat Geeta you can come upon all pain and fear of death.”

Once he heard the procedure which can liberate him to heavenly abode, he requested Sukhdev ji to narrate Bhagawat Geeta, he pleaded him by saying that, “Hey sukhdev ji you are a great saint who has the power to look in future, you know all vedas & purans, and you have Vedic knowledge too. I have to pass through a difficult period of seven days; I know this is unavoidable by any means. Muniwar accept my request and please narrate the slokas of Bhagwat Geeta to relief my pain and sorrow.”

“Hey! Lord, my heart is sinking and I am worried that in my whole life I have not even tried to learn the way of liberating the soul. How can I dispel my attachment to this kingdom and my family?”

Sukhdev ji accepted his request and divided the 18 chapters containing 700 slokas in such a way that he would finish his discourse only in seven days.

Prakshit ji is also getting calm and cool as the Bhagawat Geeta progress. He is filling relieved and contained, but he was filling a great attachment for his family and Kingdom.

It was day six of bhagawat geeta, He interrupted Sukhdev ji and requested to dispel his love for the family and his body.

Looking at his face Sukhdev ji realized his fear and narrated him a story.

Listen Parikshit, “Once there was a king, who went for hunting into the deep forest. Chasing his hunt he went deeper and deeper into the forest and forgot the way to come back”

It was slowly turning dark and the king started looking for shelter, after walking few miles he came across a hut. It was the hut of ailing hunter who was too weak to move. For his comfort he made a part of hut for discharging waste and he was living in rest. He has tied his eatables to the roof.

On looking at the worst and stingy condition of the hut the king got shocked and  decided to move away from there but as he turn around he saw dangerous forest and it was already getting dark in jungle. He again turned towards the hut with the thought to save his life by just staying there for a night.

He went into the hut and requested the hunter to allow him an overnight shelter at his hut.

On this hunter said that, “he had given shelter to many people who came to him but after staying there for a night no one wanted to go back, so I am sorry I can’t let you stay here.”

The King promises him, “I will not do that, and I will leave this hut early in the morning.”

As the night was passing, the king become comfortable with the smell, He thought to stay there for few more days.

Since, he had promised the hunter to leave the hut in the morning He thought to request hunter to let him stay there for few more days.

He approached him in the morning and said, “Dear hunter you are owner of this beautiful hut in this dangerous Jungle, I would like to request you to allow me; few more days stay with you.”

On hearing this hunter became angry and reminded him about the promise he made last night.

After telling this story to Parikshit, Sukhdev ji asked him, “Is the king was right?

Hearing this Parikshit said, “I think that the king was foolish, how can he stay there in such an unhygienic place?

Parikshit asked, “who was that king muniwar.”

Sukhdev ji replied, “He is none other than You, It is you Parikshit, your body is a temporary hut and time of your soul is over to live in this body. Now you have to go, but you are unwilling to leave this.”

After hearing this story parkishit realized the truth of the life and he heard the last day discourse of Bhagwat Geeta without any sorrow and grief. His love for body, family and kingdom had gone.

He was more contented and satisfied, the last day he was bitten by taksak nag and he died. His soul went vaikuntdam after his demise.

Jai shree krishana

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