Shesha is called the Nagaraja, King of Nagas, The Hindu Snake God, Adishesha and Sheshanaga. Lord Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi, usually depicted resting on the Ananta-Shesha. Shesha lives in Kshir-Sagar. As per the Mahabharata, Kadru and Sage Kashyap are the parents of Shesha. Shesha is believed to be one of the earliest beings of creation. According to the Puranas, all the planet are held by Shesha on his hoods and from each of his mouths, he sings and glorifies the name of Lord Vishnu.
At times, Shesha is referred to as Ananta Shesha which means the endless Shesha, while Adishesha means the primal or the first Shesha. As per Hindu mythology, it is believed that time moves forward when Adishesha uncoils and creation takes place. The universe ceases to exist, when Adishesha coils back.
Shesha is believed to be Vishnu’s manifestation and serves Lord Vishnu. Sanskrit texts state that Shesha implies – ‘remainder’ which means that which is left when everything else ceases to exist.
Shesha is represented in a massive form and forms a bed for Vishnu to rest upon, and floats on the ocean of bliss or floats coiled in space. Shesha is also depicted as a seven-headed, five-headed or at time a thousand-headed snake with an ornate crown adorning each head.
As per the Sanskrit root, Shesha means ‘what remains’ at the end of Kalpa, when the world is destroyed. Shesha was the eldest snake out of the thousand snakes, Kadru gave birth to. Shesha, after feeling disgusted with his cruel brothers, started meditating at places, lived in air, did penance and was blessed with a boon from Lord Brahma to go beneath the surface of the earth and stabilize the unstable earth with his hood.
