EPISODE · May 17, 2026 · 6 MIN
Parikshit and the Snake King - What a King Did When He Had Seven Days to Live
from The Long Thread - Ancient Stories For The Present Moment. · host Ashvee Kanwar
A king made a mistake.Exhausted and thirsty after a hunt, he came upon a sage deep in meditation and asked for water.The sage did not respond.In a moment of frustration the king draped a dead snake around the sage's neck and left.When the fog lifted he sat very still.What had he done? Before he could act, word arrived. The sage's son had pronounced a curse — in seven days the serpent king Takshaka would come for him.The king could have built a fortress. Surrounded himself with physicians and every snake-charmer in the land.Instead he handed his kingdom to his son and walked to the banks of the Ganges. And asked one question. "What is the best thing a person can do — when they know they are about to die?"This is Episode 50 of The Long Thread.New story every day.Follow so you never miss one.
What this episode covers
A king made a mistake.Exhausted and thirsty after a hunt, he came upon a sage deep in meditation and asked for water.The sage did not respond.In a moment of frustration the king draped a dead snake around the sage's neck and left.When the fog lifted he sat very still.What had he done? Before he could act, word arrived. The sage's son had pronounced a curse — in seven days the serpent king Takshaka would come for him.The king could have built a fortress. Surrounded himself with physicians and every snake-charmer in the land.Instead he handed his kingdom to his son and walked to the banks of the Ganges. And asked one question. "What is the best thing a person can do — when they know they are about to die?"This is Episode 50 of The Long Thread.New story every day.Follow so you never miss one.
NOW PLAYING
Parikshit and the Snake King - What a King Did When He Had Seven Days to Live
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Mar 19, 2026 ·34m
Feb 18, 2026 ·11m
Feb 11, 2026 ·45m