King Parikshit was cursed by a brahmana boy to die within seven days by a snake-bird.
This fatal prophecy was not ordinary.
It meant a lot.
It meant king would not be a king after seven days. In fact he would not be there in this material world.
He would not possess anything after seven days. He had to leave everything here and go to his next destination.
He would not have the luxury of his palace.
He would not be surrounded by his royal family members, his servants or ministers.
Everything will be taken away from him.
The death was awaiting for King Parikshit.
This death also would not be a peaceful passing away from this material world.
He was going to face it in the form of a snake-bite.
Just the thought of hissing of a snake gives goosebumps and shivers in one’s spine.
What to speak of actually bitten by a poisonous snake.
And through that snake-bite poison was going to spread all over his body through the blood veins eventually causing him clinical death.
Similar to the experience of anaesthesia – only difference is one may regain consciousness after some time.
King Parikshit knew it was all irreversible.
He had all power to stop it.
It was a test of his resilience – to accept it positively or to live in a denial state for rest of seven days.
He decided to accept it positively.
He made his mind to face that grim reality, the final examination of his life.
Every minute, every second, in fact every moment was very important and precious for him.
Poison
Vrishchika – scorpion – tail
Makshika – fly/bee – mouth
Sarpa/takshaka – snake – teeth
Durjan – demoniac person – all over body
King Parikshit exemplifies the person who perfected his life by hearing, sravanam, one of the nine methods of pure devotional service.
Everyone in this material world is going to leave this material world, sooner or later.
The snake in the form of time (kaalasarpa) is going to bite each and every one of us.
What is our attitude, whether to accept it positively or to live in a denial state.
The condition of almost every one of us is that we are already bitten by the snake of the material existence.
We have forgotten our original pure consciousness and in the poisonous consciousness and we are assuming to be happy.
The process of reviving our original (Krishna) consciousness is the chanting of the Holy Names of God,
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare