"Dasha Avatar"

Parashurama Avatar - The Warrior Incarnation

To end his Tyrant and all such evil Kshatriyas, Lord Vishnu came to earth as Parashurama, the youngest son of Sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka. He had four brothers. Parashurama was very powerful and was unparallel in austerity as well as in strength. Though a Brahmin son Parashurama had inordinate love for weapons and his favorite weapon was the Axe. Sage Jamadagni had an Ashrama in the forests where he educated his sons and his disciples.

Once when Parashurama & his brothers were away , Arjuna entered Jamadagni's Ashrama . Jamadagni and Renuka were alone in the Ashrama at that time. Jamadagni greeted him and offered him with delicious dishes and with the tasty milk of his cow Kamadhenu and her calf .The king pondered, "How did the sage get such a large quantity of food in this small Ashrama?"

He later on learnt that it was because of Kamadhenu. He than thought to himself that " If Kamadhenu can feed so many people in such a short time then I must possess her."

After the meals he took rest for a while and at the time of departure he ordered his men to seize the cow & her calf & take them to the Capital.

They carried away Kamadhenu and the calf  without anyone's permission. Renuka loved Kamadhenu and the calf more than her life .

After few days when Parashurama returned to the Hermitage then Renuka went to him weeping and complained to him, "My son, what a misery! Arjuna has robbed us of Kamadhenu and the calf." "How dare he commit such a sin, do not worry I shall deal with him ?" Parashurama shouted. Parashurama pursued Arjuna all alone as he had faith in his might.

Parashurama stormed into Mahishmati, Arjuna's capital carrying his axe and challenged him, "You have stolen our Kamadhenu. Return it if you love life." Arjuna was alarmed at first but then he took Parashurama as a meek boy.

So he insolently said, "The Kshatriyas have the claim over the best things of the world. You and your father should practice penance only. Kamadhenu will suit well in the palace." Arjuna sent his powerful army to face Parashurama but they were all killed. Enraged at the destruction of the core of his army, Arjuna himself rushed towards him with uprooted trees and rocks but in the air of arrogance Arjuna had forgotten the curse. ***

(***THE CURSE :Arjuna had once burnt to ashes the Ashrama of Muni Vashistha while destroying a forest and Vashistha had cursed him, "You'll one day encounter with a mighty person who will cut off all your thousand arms." )

Parashurama attacked him and cut off his arms as one cuts off the branches of a tree and then brought his axe down on the tyrant's neck and killed him. When the king fell, the frightened soldiers began to run away for life.

Parashurama then returned with Kamadhenu and the calf after killing Arjuna. At the ashrama gate Renuka was eagerly waiting for them. Parashurama touched her feet giving her the beloved Kamadhenu and the calf.

Jamadagni did not appreciate the adventure of his son. He retorted, "You have developed enmity between the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas. You have to go on a pilgrimage to atone this sin." And Parashurama did it.

Once Renuka went to the river to fetch water for offering oblation to gods. At that time a celestial singer named Chitraratha was making sport in the river with his wives.

Out of curiosity Renuka stood there to see it and missed the time of oblation.

Jamadagni was so angry that he ordered his sons, "Cut off her head as she has failed in her duty!" None of the sons came forward. Parashurama obeyed his command first and then asked for a boon, "Kindly bring our innocent mother to life again." By now Jamadagni's anger also was subsided and he fulfilled his son's desire.

But on the other side, Arjuna's sons were hankering for the revenge. Once when Jamadagni and Renuka were alone in the Ashrama they invaded the Ashrama and cut off head of Jamadagni. Renuka swooned on seeing this.

On returning, Parashurama saw this tragedy and asked her mother," Who did this?" But Renuka's agony was so deep that she could not utter a word. Full of grief and anger,   Parashurama made a vow, " Mother you have sighed with grief twenty one times, I'll make the earth devoid of the Kshatriyas as many times."

With a terrible axe in hand and the eyes blood red with fury he caught hold of all the thousand sons of Arjuna one after another and cut off their heads. And taking his axe Parashurama set out to accomplish the rest of the task for which he had come to earth.

Parashurama filled five ponds with the blood of the Kshatriyas and the place was later on known as Samantpanchaka. The existence of the Kshatriyas was wiped out from the surface of the globe.

Only king Janaka of Videh city was saved because he was absorbed in the contemplation of the Supreme Spirit. Now Parashurama turned to penance believing that he had made the Brahmins absolutely free from fears of the Kshatriyas.

OTHER DEEDS IN HIS LIFETIME: 

1) Though Parashurama was a part incarnation of lord Vishnu, Lord Rama had to take birth on the earth. As a small boy Rama once went to attend the Yagna performed by Vishwamitra.In the meantime King Janaka of Mithila had arranged a Swayamvara (Choice marriage) for his daughter. Parashurama had presented a Shiva Dhanushya (a bow of Lord Shiva) to Janaka, and Sita was to be married to the person who could lift that bow.

Under the instructions of Vishwamitra Rama lifted it and broke it into two while bending it. Parashurama came to know about the breaking of his bow and he blocked the way of the marriage party challenging Rama, "You insolent guy! Are you not ashamed of having broken my bow?"

On behalf of Rama, Laxmana replied, "It was an old bow and therefore it was broken. What makes you so angry at it?" This remark made Parashurama even more furious and he got ready to fight with Rama. Rama could not tolerate this and he started shooting arrows after arrows forcefully towards Parashurama and curbed his arrogance. Parashurama finally said, "Now you send one arrow towards the North. I'll go to live there forever." Parashurama then settled on mountain Mahendra.

Parashurama had a prolonged life. He was alive even during the incarnation of Krishna.

The End