Once, Sutji narrated the tale of king Parikshit to all the assembled sages—Parikshit ruled over Hastinapur. One day he went into a forest on a hunting spree. He saw a deer and managed to injure it with his arrow. But the injured deer disappeared from his sight. Parikshit chased the injured deer in the direction it had disappeared. He reached a place where Sage Shamik was engrossed in his meditation. Parikshit enquired Sage Shamik if he had seen that injured deer. But Sage Shamik being in deep meditation did not respond to Parikshit query. This made Parikshit extremely angry and he wrapped a dead snake around Shamik’s neck as a punishment for not having answered his question. But, it made no difference to Sage Shamik and he continued with his meditation. Parikshit went back fuming in anger.
Shringi was the son of Sage Shamik. When he saw a dead snake coiling around his father’s neck, he cursed–‘Whoever has tried to insult my father will not live to see the seventh day because a takshak nag would bite him to death.’
When Sage Shamik learnt about his son’s curse, he reproached his son and sent a disciple named Daurmukh to inform Parikshit so that he (Parikshit) could take some preventive measures. Daurmukh went and narrated the whole incident to king Parikshit. Parikshit became very scared and he started living on a canopy that had been constructed in the middle of river Ganges on his instructions. Now he felt secured and safe. Meanwhile a poor brahmin named Kashyap came to know about the curse that poor Parikshit had received. He knew how to cure a person bitten by snake. So he thought that it was an excellent opportunity for him to receive monetary awards from the king. So, he proceeded towards the place where Parikshit was staying.
On his way, Kashyap met a brahmin who in reality was Takshak in disguise. Takshak was on his way to kill Parikshit. He asked Kashyap about the reason he was going to meet Parikshit. Kashyap revealed to Takshak that he could neutralize the influence of poison in any person bitten by a snake. Takshak wanted to examine the authenticity of Kashyap’s statement, so he inserted his poisonous fangs into the trunk of a huge tree. A man was sitting on the branches of that tree. The tree as well as the man was charred to death within no time.
Kashyap, really brought the tree and that man back to life. Takshak was stunned by this unbelievable act. He asked Kashyap how much he expected as reward from the king. Kashyap revealed the amount, which he expected from Parikshit in lieu of giving him a fresh lease of life. Takshak gave lot of wealth to him as a bribe and Kashyap went back home satisfied. Takshak then summoned all his companions and instructed them to go to the place where Parikshit lived,
disguising themselves as hermits. All the serpents went to meet Parikshit impersonating as hermits and offered fruits to him. According to his plan, Takshak had hidden himself within a plum fruit. He bit Parikshit as soon as he got a chance. Parikshit died instantly. Janmejaya was crowned as the next king. Meanwhile, people started criticizing the treacherous conduct of Kashyap, which had resulted in the death of king Parikshit. He decided to make a pilgrimage to Venketachaleshwar so that he became liberated from his sin.