Parikshit was the son of Abhimanyu and Uttara.
Parikshit became the king of Hastinapur after Chakravarthin Samrat Yudhistra.
He got married to princess of Madra kingdom Madravati.
He had a son named Janamejaya.
One day he witnessed Kali demon torturing a bull (dharma). He stopped the demon from doing that. The demon said he needed a place to live in the world.
Parikshit said, “you can stay in the places where will be prevalence of gambling, drinking, living with other women other than wife and violence!”
The kali demon said that he needed one more place to live.
Parikshit said, “since there is presence of Rajas Guna in property so you can live in gold as well”.
The demon bowed down and took his one fifth place in Parikshit’s crown as that was made of gold.
One when Parikshit was thirsty and tired after hunting, he went to the hermitage of Rishi Shamik. The rishi was in deep penance and vowed not to speak anything.
Parikshit asked the rishi water but the rishi didn’t respond due to his devotion to god.
Parikshit lost his mind due to the presence of kali demon on his crown and put a dead snake around Rishi Shamik’s neck.
Parikshit was cursed by Rishi Shamika's son Sringin, to die of snakebite in seven days, for disrespecting Rishi Shamika. Parikshit, died after Takshaka, king of snakes bit him.
Now, on hearing his father's death by Takshaka, Parikshit's son Janamejaya vowed to kill Takshaka within a week. He starts the Sarpamedha Yagna, which forced each and every snake of the entire universe to fall in the havan kund. However, one snake got stuck around Surya's chariot and because of the force of yagna the chariot was also getting pulled inside the havan kund. This could have ended up taking the Surya's chariot in the sacrificial altar and ending the regime of Sun from the universe. This resulted in plea from all the gods to stop the sacrifice. When Takshaka arrived then this yagna was stopped from doing so by Astika Muni, as a result of which Takshaka lived. That day was Shukla Paksha Panchami in the month of Shravan and is since celebrated as the festival of Naga Panchami.