Introduction
Janamejaya is the son of Parikshit and the great-grandson of Arjuna. The Mahabharata is framed as the story told to him.
This article primarily follows the Mahabharata. Where a well-known detail comes from a Puranic or later source, the article identifies it.
Family
- Father: Parikshit
The snake sacrifice
When Janamejaya learned that the snake Takshaka had killed his father Parikshit, he began the Sarpa Satra, a sacrifice in which all snakes were drawn into the fire. The sacrifice was stopped by the young sage Astika.
The recitation
At the sacrifice, the sage Vaishampayana, a student of Vyasa, recited the Mahabharata to Janamejaya. The text is then repeated by Ugrashravas to the sages at Naimisha forest.