Shamika was a great sage, and he was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. Once, king Parikshit went for hunting in the forest, and after he becomes tired, he found an Ashram nearby the forest, and he went inside the Ashram, and saw Rishi Shamika, who was deeply meditating in his Ashram. Due to thirst, he has asked for water to him. But due to his deep penance on the almighty, Shamika didn’t give answer to him, and he was fully involved in meditation.
The king mistakenly thought that the sage is disobeying him, and hence he becomes very angry, and he put a dead snake on the shoulder of Rishi Shamika, and went to his palace. After some time, Shamika’s son Sringin, found that a dead snake was lying in the shoulder of his father, and due to his spiritual powers, he came to know that king Parikshit had done that cruel act. Hence he cursed Parikshit to be killed by the snake god Takshaka within a period of seven days.
After some time, sage Shamika had completed his meditation, and came to know about the entire incident from his son Sringin. He was very much worried about King Parikshit, and he also asked his son to convey about the curse to King Parikshit. He prayed to the almighty to give salvation to King Parikshit after his death.
In Mahabharata, Sage Shamika is described as a very soft and good natured person, and he would never get angry with anyone. He is an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, and he has got great spiritual powers through his sincere meditation on Vishnu. Shamika had many disciples and he had given good spiritual teachings to them. He was an expert in Vedas, Shastras and Puranas, and he lived a long life at his Ashram. After the end of his life, due to the blessings of Lord Vishnu, he has reached the upper world, and become a demigod.
“OM”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR
I just wonder if there is a connection with the depiction of Shiva with a snake round his neck. In this case it is a symbol of the constellation Draco which is lying round the pole which according to some Vedas once was located on mount Kailas, the abode of Lord Shiva and depicted as mount Meru.
If there really is a connection this story would symbolize an astronomical change after the war of Kurukshetra (which occured about 9.500 BC according to the Irish and Indian traditions about Krishna’s fight against the Danavas, in Ireland called Tuatha de Danan).