Why Shesha Abandoned His Brothers and Chose Tapasya
In Chapter 32 of the Astika Parva, which is part of the Adi
Parva of the Mahabharata, we find the story of what Shesha did after his mother
Kadru made a wrong plan. Kadru had made a bet with her sister Vinata about the
colour of the tail of the horse Uchaishravas. To win the bet by cheating, she
asked her sons, the nagas, to hang on the tail of the horse so that it looks
black. Shesha refused to take part in this cheating. He left his mother and
went away to do severe tapasya.
Shesha in the Forest
Shesha lived only on air and kept very hard vows. He went to
Mount Gandhamadana, and then to Badari, Gokarna, Pushkararanya and the slopes
of the Himalayas. These are all sacred tirthas. He spent his days there
controlling his senses and following his vows without any break.
When Brahma saw him, he had matted hair and wore bark
clothes. His skin, flesh and muscles had become dry because of the tapasya.
Brahma spoke to him and said that he should also think of the welfare of all
beings, because his severe austerities were causing pain to the creatures of
the world. Then Brahma asked what wish was there in his heart.
What Shesha Said
Shesha gave a clear answer. He said his brothers, though
born from the same womb, were wicked in mind. They were always jealous of each
other like great enemies. They also showed no kindness to Vinata and her son
Garuda, who is also their brother, and they always hated him. Garuda also hated
them in return. So Shesha said he did not want to live with them, in this life
or in another one, and he would continue his tapasya until he leaves his body.
The Teaching: Dharma Is Above Blood Relations
The most important point in this story is that Shesha did
not obey his mother when her order was against dharma. In Hindu belief, respect
for mother is very high, and the Taittiriya Upanishad says "matri devo
bhava", meaning treat your mother as a deity. Still, the same tradition
teaches that an order to do adharma cannot be followed. Shesha respected his
mother but did not become a partner in her cheating. This shows that duty to
truth is higher than duty to family when both come in conflict.
We see the same idea in the life of Vibhishana in the
Ramayana, who left his brother Ravana because Ravana would not give up adharma.
In the Mahabharata also, Vidura kept telling Dhritarashtra the right path
though it was not liked by the family.
Symbolism
Shesha is the serpent on whom Bhagavan Vishnu rests, and he
is also called Ananta, meaning endless. Because of his firm stand and tapasya,
he got a very high place later. This shows that a person who stays with truth,
even if alone, gets his reward. The nagas who joined in cheating, on the other
side, are shown as jealous and full of hatred, and their story goes toward
suffering. Garuda and the nagas remained enemies, and this old enmity started
from the quarrel of the two mothers. So we can see how one wrong act, even a
small cheating in a bet, can create a hatred that continues for generations.
Jealousy and Hatred as Poison
Shesha says his brothers are always jealous of each other.
Hindu scriptures warn many times about this. Anger, greed and jealousy are
described as enemies sitting inside a person. The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 16,
Verse 21) says that lust, anger and greed are the three gates to hell, and a
person should give them up. The nagas show this clearly, as they were not able
to see Garuda as their own brother.
Importance of Tapasya
Shesha did not fight or curse his brothers. He chose to
separate himself and purify his own mind with tapasya. This is also a teaching.
When we cannot change the people around us, we can at least change ourselves
and keep our distance from adharma. His tapasya was also not for any selfish
gain, as he only wished to be free from the company of wicked people.
Relevance in Modern Life
Today also we face the same problem. Sometimes in a family,
office or friend circle, we are pressured to do something wrong, like cheating,
lying or taking bribes, because everyone else is doing it. Shesha's example
tells us to say no clearly, even if it means standing alone. It also tells us
that keeping a safe distance from toxic and jealous people is not a sin. We
should do it without hatred and without harming them.
Life Lessons
- Do not
join in adharma, even when elders or family ask for it.
- Company
decides the mind, so choose good company.
- Jealousy
between relatives destroys peace for many generations.
- Self-discipline
and tapasya are better answers than revenge.
- A
person who stays on dharma is respected in the end, as Shesha is.
The story of Shesha is short, but its message is deep. He loved his family but loved dharma more. In the Mahabharata, we see again and again that dharma is very subtle, and this small episode in the Astika Parva shows one clear example of how to practice it in real life.