CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED FORTYONE

Parasuramd's Story

The lord said:

1-3a. Bhrigu's son was the great, best brahmana (named) Jamadagni. He had mastered all Vedas and Vedangas and had practised a severe penance. O you beautiful lady, on the auspicious sandy bank of Ganga the religious-minded one practised penance (in honour) of Indra for a thousand years. Then lord Indra, being pleased, said these (words):

Indra said:

3b. O best brahmana, ask for a boon that is (i.e. that you have) in your mind. The lord said:

4a. Then the brahmana sage spoke to Indra who was pleased: Jamadagni said:

4b. O god, give me (the desire-yielding cow) Surabhi always fulfilling one's desires. The lord said:

5-8. Then Indra, the lord of gods, being pleased, gave him the divine Surabhi fulfilling all desires. That Jamadagni of a great penance (to his credit), having obtained Surabhi lived with great grandeur like another Indra. Jamadagni, of a great penance (to his credit) married in the proper manner, Renuka, Renuka's daughter. The pious-minded one for many years enjoyed with her as Indra with Paulomi, his auspicious queen.

9-17a. Then the very pious one, with a desire for having a son, performed a sacrifice. With (that) sacrifice he pleased god Indra. (Indra) Sacfs husband, being pleased, (promised) him a very strong, very powerful, mighty-armed son, tormentor of all enemies. Then in course of time the best brahmana generated a very strong and powerful son with a part of a portion of Vishnu and having all (good) marks, on Renuka, O you of a bright smile. When the very powerful son (was born), his grandfather joyfully gave him a name indicating Vishnu's portion. He gave him a very auspicious name (Parasu-)Rama. Being born from Jamadagni he was called Jamadagnya. The best brahmana of the family of Bhrigu grew. His thread ceremony was performed; he was proficient in all sciences and arts. To practise penance he went to the Salagrama mountain. There he saw the brahmana-sage Kasyapa of unlimited splendour. The brahmana, Marici's son, was full of delight with (i.e. on seeing) him. In the proper manner he gave him the indestructible formula of Vishnu.

17b-23. Having received the formula from Kasyapa, the high-souled one, (Parasu-)Rama, muttering day and night the great six-syllabled formula, worshipped the lord of Laksml. That pious Bhargava (i.e. Parasurama) meditating upon Vishnu having eyes like lotus-petals and the omniscient one, practised penance for many years. He, with senses subdued and speech controlled, and (practising) great penance, remained (there). The brahmana-sage Jamadagni remained on the auspicious bank of Ganga. He performed pious acts according to the precepts like sacrifices and gifts. By the favour of Indra's cow his wealth was full. Sometime the king, the lord of Haihaya, surrounded by his entire army, having conquered all countries, reached the hermitage of Jamadagni, the son of Bhrigu. Seeing the glorious, best sage, he saluted him.

24-29. The king, having asked the devout great sage about his well-being, gave him garments and ornaments. He too honoured the king that had come to his house. Having honoured according to the precept the king with madhnparka* the sage fed the best king along with his army. The very.intelligent son of Bhrigu (i.e. Jamadagni) solicited Surabhi. She, the cow of plenty, produced food, drink etc. at that time. The best sage, of a great penance, gave the inexhaustible food, drink etc. produced by her to the king along with his army. Seeing that cow of plenty, the king was full of curiosity. The very wicked-minded (king) longed for the cow. The best king then begged Jamadagni for Surabhi. Kartavlrya said:

30. O brahmana, give me this tawny cow of plenty, giving all desired objects. O you of a good vow, I shall give you thousands of other cows. The lord said:

31-32. Thus addressed by the king, Jamadagni of a great penance (to his credit) said (to him): " O king, this cow of plenty cannot be given to you by me. This one was protected by Indra, the god of gods. O king, how should the wealth of deities be given by me? "

33-36. The king, thus addressed, was then excited with anger. He, surrounded by the entire army, seized the cow of plenty forcibly. Then, O you of an excellent complexion, the glorious cow of plenty became angry, and with her horns and soles of her hoofs struck his huge army. Then that goddess, the cow of plenty, having, in a short time, struck that army, vanished, and in a moment went near Indra. Then (Kartavlrya) Arjuna, seeing his army struck, was overcome by anger. With his fist he struck Bhargava, the best brahmana.

* A preparation of curd, clarified butter, water, honey and sugar offered to guests.

37-39. Being struck by him in many ways, he was weakened. The best brahmana suddenly fell on the ground and died. The lord of Haihaya, the wicked-minded one, having killed there the best sage, and surrounded by a great army entered his own city. Rama Bhargava worshipped the god of gods. Pleased by his worship Vishnu said: God Vishnu said:

40-41. O child, with the penance of you of a controlled mind, I am pleased. O brahmana, I shall give you a very auspicious power. Possessed of my power, kill the wicked great kings for destroying those who cause a burden to the earth and for the good of the deities. Mahddeva said:

42-44. Speaking like this, the god gave him an axe capable of killing the enemies, so also the great bow of Vishn.u and many divine missiles. Lord Vishnu, having given (these) to Jamadagni, said: " O best brahmaria, you, the killer of the enemy's soldiers, having killed many arrogant kings repeatedly, take this entire earth bound by the ocean. Full of piety and great heroism you protect it. In course of time, you will reach my position by my grace." The lord said:

45-50a. Having said like this, and having given the brahmana a boon, the god vanished. Rama also suddenly went to his father's hermitage. Seeing his father killed, Bhargava (i.e. Parasurama) was filled with anger. He desired to make the earth, crowded with kings, clear of ksatriyas. He went to the city of the king of Haihaya, which was full of kings. With his body burning with anger, he, with his weapons raised, stood at the gate. The citizens of his city seeing that very powerful Jamadagnya, with a blazing body, looked upon him as the destructive fire at the end of the world. Being afflicted by fear, all ran to the king, the lord of Haihaya. They praised him of great energy and equipped with all weapons. Hearing their words, the king with an amazed mind, said: King of Haihaya said:

50b-51. Who is that forcibly standing at the gate of my city with weapons? Even Indra, or Yama, or Rudra, orKubera, can never stand with weapons at the gate of my city. Mahadeva said:

52-55. Saying so, the lord of kings impelled his very strong servants to see him, and the wicked one said to them: " Arrest him." Having gone, they saw at the gate a very strong hero burning like the destructive fire at the end of the world, and difficult to be seen due to his lustre. The mighty ones were not even able to look at him. From all sides they, desirous of seizing him, often went to him. Seeing all those servants of the lord of kings with weapons, the very powerful best brahmana, Jamadagnya, said laughing: Parasurama said:

56-57. O mean men, I, Rama, the son of Bhargava, have come (here). I shall kill all best kings for (i.e. as a revenge of) my father's murder. To my (dead) father I shall offer Kartavlrya's blood mixed with Sheshamum-seeds, and shall offer the pinda with his lotus-head. Mahadeva said:

58-62. Thus addressed, the very powerful servants of the king struck him with arrows as fire with straws. Then the very brave Rama of genuine valour was angry, and drawing the bow of Vishriu made the sound of the bow-string. With that great sound the three worlds were filled. Even gods were frightened. (Such) was the great wonder. Then the very strong Parasurama struck the very brave, very powerful servants with arrows resembling fire. Having killed the servants of the glorious king, he stood like the destructive fire at the end of the world, deadly to all beings.

63-68. Hearing that his servants were killed in the battle by the intelligent (Parasu-) Rama, the brave king of Haihaya, with his eyes red with anger, went out with his army to the place where Bhargava stood. Seeing him appearing deadly and blazing with his own lustre, all the men there, suspecting the destruction of human beings were frightened. Then a very fierce battle took place between Rama and the kings, with fearful strokes of weapons and missiles, as between two showering clouds. Then Rama of a great lustre easily burnt the king's army in a moment with the missile of Vishnu. Then Rama of unlimited valour cut off the thousand arms of the wicked Kartavirya with his sharp axe. The very brave king could not fight with (Parasu-) Rama in the battle.

69-74. The wicked-minded one lost his valour due to his own sin. The mighty son of Renuka, being angry, cut off his head, as mighty Indra did the peak of a big mountain, and he who was brave and angry, killed Sahasrabahu and all the kings with his axe in the battle. Seeing Rama, the very fearful one, all kings on the earth, struck by fear, ran away as elephants do on seeing a lion. The angry Rama killed the kings even though they had fled due to the resentment against his father's murder, as the angry Garuda killed the serpents. The valorous Rama made the entire (world) clear of the ksatriyas, but protected (i.e. spared) only the very great family of Iksvaku, due to its being the family to which his maternal grandfather was related, and due to his mother's words.

75-78. Rama, the destroyer of the families of kings, deprived the kings of the family of his maternal grandfather of their kingdoms, but did not kill them belonging to Manu's dynasty. But the brave one destroyed the families of all (other) kings. The brahmana, the mighty son of Jamadagni, having made the earth clear of the ksatriyas, duly performed the great horse-sacrifice. He gave the earth with the seven islands to chief brahmanas. That brave son of Jamadagni, having given the earth to the brahmanas, went to the hermitage of Nara-Narayana to practise penance.

79-81. O goddess, I have told you this account of the incarnation of lord (Vishnu), holder of the Sarnga bow, who had entered Rama with his power. Due to the entrance of the power this (form) of the noble one cannot be worshipped. The chief, noble, brahmanas, the devotees of the lord, should worship the incarnations of (Dasarathi) Rama and Krishna, perfect with virtues, worshipped by sages, and giving salvation to human beings.

 

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