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How Earthquakes Happen? – Story In Hindu Religion Associated With Serpent Adi Sesha

It is believed in Hindu tradition that the earth rests on the thousand headed Ananta or Adi Sesha – the snake or serpent on which Hindu God Vishnu reclines. The story on how earthquakes happen is connected to Ananta holding earth on his head. Puranas states that Ananta fed up with his mother Kadru’s evil tactics to defeat Garuda’s mother went on pilgrimage and started performing intense austerities (Tapas) at Badrikashram and Gandamadana.



Pleased with Ananta, Brahma appeared before him and asked to go to Patala (netherworld) and hold the earth on his head. Brahma also asked Ananta to wipe out Adharma by using his Tejas. The belief is that when the balance on earth tilts in favor of Adharma, Ananta uses his powers to get the balance in favor of Dharma.

As Ananta has thousand heads, he holds the earth on one head. When that head gets tired he shifts it to another. Earthquakes happen when Ananta shifts earth from one head to another.

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