1. I am continuing my discourse on धर्म जिज्ञासा this time describing Parasurama Avatara. @akhivis @Rona36

2. I have not found a Parasurama PuraNa but there is a Bhargava Purana but it is not recognized as one of the 18 Puranas.

3. There are mentions of Parasurama in bits and pieces and when we stitch them together there is a great story and a philosophy of great import. Let me try this!

4. From MahaavisNu came Brahma, from Brahma came Bhrgu, from Bhrgu came Cyavana, from Cyavana came Urva, from Urva came Rceeka, from Ricika came Jamadagni and finally Jamadagni's son was Parashuraama.

There is a cause for His incarnation. The story is as follows:

5. Once god Agni went to Kaartaveeryaarjuna and begged for food. The king allowed him to take from his vast territory as much food as he wanted from anywhere he liked. Agni started burning forests and mountains and consuming them.

6. Deep inside one of the forests a sage named Aapava was performing penance and the fire burnt the aashrama of Aapava also. Enraged at this the sage cursed thus: "Kaartaveeryaarjuna is at the root of this havoc.

7. The arrogance of Kshatriyas has increased beyond limits. MahaavishNu would therefore be born on earth as Parashuraama to destroy this arrogance of the Kshatriyas." Accordingly MaahaavishNu was born as Parashuraama in the Bhaargava race. (So says HarivaMsha).

8. BrahmaaNDa PuraaNa gives another version: VishNu promised Bhoomidevee (mother earth) that he would be born on earth as Parashuraama when Bhoomidevee went to him in the form of a cow and complained to him about the atrocities of the wicked Kshatriya kings.

9.His birth was also a bit strange. Parashuraama was born as the son of sage Jamadagni of his wife ReNukaa. Their aashrama was on the shores of the Narmadaa river. ReNukaa, mother of Parashuraama, was the daughter of King Prasenajit.

10. She had four sons even before the birth of Parashuraama (says BrahmaaNDa PuraaNa). He was born carrying an axe.

11. Parashuraama spent his boyhood with his parents in the aashrama. An important event in his life then was his slaying his mother at the behest of his father. (Brahmaanda PuraNa). The story went like this.

12. Every morning Renuka used to go to the river nearby, take a bath and from the mud on the bed of the river she made a pot and carried water to the daily homa of Jamadagni.

13. One day when she was in the river a certain Gandharva was flying in the sky and his image was seen in the water of the river. Renuka for a moment thought how beautiful he was.

14. After this fleeting thought, she as usual tried to make the pot out of the mud to carry water but the mud would melt away in water. She could never make the pot and thus she returned home without water.

15. Jamadagni with his ज्ञानदृष्टि knew what happened and got mad that out of his possessiveness that she was fascinated with another man. So he asked his sons one by one the cut their mother's head off.

16. Only Parasurama, the last son carried out his father's wish. Jamadagni was pleased with Parasurama's obedience and so he told him to ask for a boon. Parasurama said: "I want my mother back." So Jamadagni revived Renuka with his thapobalam.

17. Though Parashuraama was a brahmin there is nothing on record to show that he did study the Vedas under any teacher. Perhaps he might have had the Vedic instructions from his father during his life with him.

18. He had even from the beginning shown an interest in learning Dhanurvidyaa (archery). For obtaining proficiency in archery he went to the Himaalayas and did penance to please shiva for many years.

19. Pleased at his penance shiva on several occasions extolled the virtues of Parashuraama. At that time the asuras (demons) acquired strength and attacked the devas. The devas complained to shiva.

20. Shiva called Parashuraama and asked him to fight with and defeat the demdon. Parashuraama was without weapons and he asked shiva how he could go and fight the demons without weapons.

21. Shiva said: "Go with my blessings and with the axe in your hand you will kill your foes." Parasuraama did not wait for a moment. When shiva thus assured him of success, on he went straight to fight with the demons.

22. He defeated the asuras and came back to shiva when the latter gave him many boons and divine weapons.

23. Till that time his name was only Raama and he became Parashuraama because among the weapons given to him by shiva was the weapon Parashu (axe) that Shiva had sactified as invincible. There is a story behind this weapon Parashu.

24. Once shiva was not invited for a Yaaga conducted by Daksha. An angered shiva threw his spike into the Yaagashaalaa.

25. The spike spoiled the Yaaga and smashed the hall and after that roamed about aimlessly for sometime and then turned towards Badaryaashrama where at that time NaranaaraayaNas were engaged in penance. The spike went straight to the heart of sage NaaraayaNa.

26. NaaraayaNa made the defiant sound 'hum' (huMkaara) and the spike turned away. shiva felt angry for thus showing disrespect to his spike and he attacked the sage. At once Nara plucked a grass and reciting a mantra threw it at shiva.

27. The grass became a Parashu (axe) and it attacked shiva. shiva broke it into two. Then Nara-NaaraayaNas bowed before him and worshipped him. Thereafter the two pieces of the Parashu remained with shiva.

28. It was this axe that shiva gave to Parashuraama while he was in the womb of Renuka. When Parashuraama was returning happy and glorious with boons and weapons he got on his way a disciple named AkRtavraNa.

29. According to PuraaNas Parashuraamaa did not spend his life as an instructor in archery. However, KarNa and DroNa had taken instructions from him.

Pretending to be a brahmin KarNa commenced taking instructions in archery from Parashuraama.

30. When his education was complete Parashuraama taught him Brahmaastra. One day tired after a long walk in the forests Parashuraama took rest placing his head on the lap of KarNa and soon fell asleep. At that time a beetle came and started sucking blood from the thigh of KarNa.

31. KarNa remained still, bearing the pain, lest any movement of his body should disturb the sleep of his Guru. Blood was oozing from his thinghs and it slowly made the body of the Guru also wet.

32. Parashuraama woke up and the sight of the bleeding thigh and the calm demeanour of KarNa raised doubts in him. He questioned KarNa saying that no brahmin could ever bear such a pain with such calmness and KarNa had to tell the truth.

33. Then Parashuraama cursed him for deceit against his Guru saying that he would never be able to remember the Brahmaastra when the time came to use it came.

34. The narration will be continued tomorrow.

35. Let me continue with the story of Parasurama. @akhivis @Rona36

36. There is a story behind Alarka, the beetle that bit KarNa. This beetle was in his previous birth a demon named DaMsha. DaMsha once tried to molest the wife of the sage BhRgu. T

37. he Maharshi cursed him and made him into a beetle. On his request for mercy he said he would get release from the curse by Parashuraama. So the beetle became the Raakshasa again and left the place. KarNa took leave of Parashuraama and went to Hastinaapura.

38. Another famous disciple of Parashuraama was DroNa. There is a story behind DroNa getting Dhanurveda from Parashuraama. After travelling throughout the world exterminating the Kshatriya race Parashuraama gave all his wealth to Kashyapa.

39. On hearing that Parashuraama was giving away all his riches as gifts to brahmins DroNa rushed to Mahendraparvata to see Parashuraama.

40. By then Parashuraama had distributed all his wealth excepting Dhanurveda. Parashuraama called DroNa to his side and said that only two things remained with him, his body and Dhanurveda. DroNa, he added, could take anyone of the two and then DroNa took Dhanurveda from him.

41. After that Parashuraama went to MahaaraNya for the sake of penance.

The most important event of Parasurama's life was the total extermination of the Kshatriya race. The PuraaNic belief is that he went round the world eighteen times to massacre the Kshatriyas.

42. In many places in the PuraaNas it is stated that Parashuraama fought against the Kshatriyas eighteen times.

43. But in chapter 29 of Ashvamedha Parva it is stated that Parashuraama fought against the Kshatriyas twentyone times So it is to be surmised that Parashuraama fought eighteen big battles and three minor ones.

44. There are some old stories to explain this revengeful enmity of Parashuraama towards the Kshatriyas.

The Hehaya dynasty was the most powerful kingly race then. Parashuraama was a descendant of BhRgu, a brahmin sage. That is why he gets the name Bhaargava also.

45. The Bhaargavas were for generations the family preceptors of the Hehaya kings. Taking advantage of their supreme position in the royal palace the Bhaargavas accumulated great wealth at the cost of the royal riches.

46. Gradually the Bhaargavas rose in prosperity in inverse proportion to the decline of the Hehaya wealth.

47. It was at the time of Rceeka, grandfather of Parasuraama that they touched the rock-bottom of their wealth and they found funds lacking even for the day to day administration of the state. In despair they went and requested the Rceekas to lend them some money.

48. But they hid their money and refused to give them anything. The Kshatriya kings got angry and killed the brahmins. What stock was left of them went to the base of the Himaalayas.

49. The wife of Rceeka who was pregnant then kept the child in her womb for twelve years afraid to bring forth the child. After that the child came out breaking open the thigh (ooru) and so the child was called Aurva.

50. Even at the time of his birth Aurva shone like a brilliant torch and not only that; the child cried aloud "Oh, wicked Kshatriyas, I will kill every one of you. I heard from my mother’s womb the din of the swords you raised to kill my ancestors.

51. I will never wait for another moment to wreak vengeance on you."

The fire that emanated from the face of Aurva burnt even Devaloka. Kshatriyas as a class came and prostrated before him. The devas came and requested him to abandon his anger and Aurva agreed.

52. The devas picked up the fire sparks from Aurva’s face and deposited them in the ocean. From those sparks put in the ocean was born BaDavaagni alias Aurva.

(ii) Curse of the sage. From Aurva was born Jamadagni and from Jamadagni was born Parashuraama.

53. In the race of the Hehayas was born at that time a very valorous king named Kaartaveeryaarjuna. Once Kaartaveeryaarjuna gave a dinner to Agnibhagavaan. Agni began to devour all the mountains and forests in the world.

54. The burning was so indiscriminate that it burnt the aashrama of a sage named aapava also. The sage cursed Kaartaveeryaarjuna saying that the thousand hands of the latter would be cut off by Pasashuraama born in the family of Bhaargavas.

55. I shall narrate the story of Kaartaveeryarjuna at the end separately.

56. From that day onwards the latent feud in him against the Bhaargavas was roused into action.

57. (iii) VaruNa’s ridicule. Kaartaveeryaarjuna who got a thousand hands by a boon from a sage Dattaatreya subdued all enemies of his status and not satisfied with that he went to the shores of the ocean and challenged VaruNa for a fight.

58. VaruNa came before him and very modestly admitted that he was incapable of meeting the challenge thrown and suggested that perhaps Jamadagni’s son, Parashuraama might accept the challenge and give him a fight.

59. Hearing this Kaartaveeryaarjuna turned towards the aasrama of Jamadagni on the shores of the Narmadaa river.

60. (iv) Causes of the war (immediate). Kaartaveeryaarjuna went for hunting in the forests and feeling exhausted after some time went to the aasrama of Jamadagni with his retinue.

61. Jamadagni received them well and with the help of the Kaamadhenu (wish-yielding cow) named Susheelaa, Jamadagni gave a sumptuous feast to the King and his followers.

62. When after the meals were over they started to take leave of the sage, Candragupta, a minister of Kaartaveeryaarjuna brought to the notice of the king the superior powers of the Kaamadhenu, Susheelaa.

63. The king wanted to get the cow and asked Candragupta to tell the sage about it. Though the minister told Jamadagni about the royal desire the sage refused to part with the cow.

64. Then the minister with the help of the other royal servants took the cow by force and the sage followed the cow weeping. On the way Candragupta beat Jamadagni to death and brought the cow to the presence of the king.

65. The king was pleased and the royal hunting party returned to the palace happy.

Jamadagni’s wife ReNukaa went in search of her husband and to her grief found him lying dead.

65. ReNukaa wept beating her breast twentyone times and by that time her son Parasuraama came there and he declared that he would travel round the world twentyone times, the number of times his mother beat her breast, to kill and exterminate the Kshatriyas from this world.

66. Then the dead body of Jamadagni was placed on a pyre and they were singing VishNugeetaa before placing fire on the pyre when shukramuni appeared there and brought Jamadagni to life by invoking the art of MRtasanjeevanee.

67. By that time Susheelaa somehow escaped from the custody of the King and came there without the calf. Then Parashuraama vowed that he would bring the calf soon and taking with him his disciple AkRtavraNa he left for the city of Maahishmatee the abode of Kaartaveeryaarjuna.

68. There they fought a grim battle and after killing Kaartaveeryaarjuna and many of his followers brought back the calf. To atone for the sin of this massacre Jamadagni advised his son to go and perform penance in Mahendragiri.

69. Taking advantage of the absence of Parashuraama from the aashrama, shoorasena son of Kaartaveeryaarjuna, with his followers went to the aashrama of Jamadagni and chopped off his head. Parashuraama returned from Mahendragiri at once and cremated the dead body of his father.

70. ReNukaa, his mother, jumped into the funeral pyre and abandoned her life. From that moment onwards started Parashuraama’s fierce programme of mass massacre of the Kshatriyas.

71. The narration will continue tomorrow.

72. I am continuing the narration on Parasurama @akhila @Rona36

73. (v) Victory march. Parashuraama’s world-tour was confined to an all-Bhaarata tour. The wars of Parashuraama are not described in detail in the PuraaNas.

74. They mention thaṭ Parashuraama killed the Kings of Cola, Cera and PauNDra. To stop the birth of Kshatriyas in future Parashuraama destroyed even the embryo in the wombs of Kshatariya women.

75. Then the Bhaargava ancestors like Rceeka and others came to the sky and requested Parashuraama to stop this slaughter. They said: "Oh son, Raama, stop this slaughter. What good do you get by killing innocent Kshatriyas?"

76. By that time Parashuraama had made twentyone rounds around Bhaarata killing the Kshatriyas. (Chapter 64, aadi Parva; Chapter 38, Sabhaa Parva; Chapter 116, Vana Parva; Chapter 49, shaanti Parva and 10 chapters from chapter 83 of BrahmaaNDa PuraaNa).

77. SamantapancakanirmaaNa.
Samantapancaka is Kurukshetra itself where the great battle was conducted. This is a holy place and it was Parashuraama who constructed it.

78. He stored the blood of the Kshatriyas he killed in the twentyone rounds of killing in five lakes in Samantapancaka. He offered blood to the Manes in those lakes. The Manes led by Rceeka appeared before him and asked him to name any boon he wanted.

79. Then Parashuraama said, "Revered Manes, if you are pleased with me you must absolve me from the sin of this mass massacre of the Kshatriyas and declare the five lakes where I have stored their blood as holy."

80. The Manes declared, "Let it be so." From then onwards the place became holy under the name Samantapancaka.

81. At the end of the Dvaaparayuga and the beginning of Kaliyuga a great battle lasting for eighteen days took place at this holy place between the PaaNDavas and the Kauravas.

82. Atonement.
To atone for the sin of slaughtering even innocent Kshatriyas, Parashuraama gave away all his riches as gifts to brahmins. He invited all the brahmins to Samantapancaka and conducted a great Yaaga there.

83. The chief Rtvik (officiating priest) of the Yaaga was the sage Kashyapa and Parashuraama gave all the lands he conquered till that time to Kashyapa. Then a platform of gold ten yards long and nine yards wide was made and Kashyapa was installed there and worshipped.

84. After the worship was over according to the instructions from Kashyapa the gold platform was cut into pieces and the gold pieces were offered to brahmins.

85. When Kashyapa got all the lands from Parashuraama he said thus:—"Oh Raama, you have given me all your land and it is not now proper for you to live in my soil. You can go to the south and live somewhere on the shores of the ocean there."

86. Parashuraama walked south and requested the ocean to give him some land to live. VaruNa then asked him to throw a winnow into the ocean. There is a legend saying that it was a Parashu that Parashuraama threw.

87. Parashuraama threw the sieve (shoorpa) and the ocean gave way to land for a distance where the winnow fell from where he stood. This is the place shoorpaaraka now known as Kerala. (shoorpa = Winnowing basket).

88. After giving this land also to the brahmins, Parashuraama went and started doing penance at Mahendragiri. (Chapter 130, aadi Parva; Chapter 117, Vana Parva and Chapter 49, shaanti Parva).

89. Other exploits of Parashuraama.
(i) Meets shree Raama. shree Raama and LakshmaNa were returning to Ayodhyaa from Mithilaapuree after the marriage along with the sage Vasishṭha through a deep forest when Parashuraama blocked their way and addressing shree Raama said thus,

90. 'Oh Raama, son of Dasharatha, I heard that you broke during the marriage of Seetaa the great shaiva bow of the palace of Janaka. It was a shaiva bow and I have now come here to test your prowess. I am giving you a VaishNava bow now. Can you string this bow?"

91. Vasishṭha tried his best to pacify Parashuraama. But Parashuraama without heeding it started describing the story and greatness of the shaiva bow and the VaishNava bow. Then shree Raama took the bow from Parashuraama and started to string it.

92. The brilliance of shree Raama dazzled him and he stood dumbfounded at his skill. Parashuraama was immensely pleased and he blessed shree Raama. After that he went again to Mahendragiri to perform penance.

93. This same story is told in Kamba RaamaayaNa with some slight changes. Parashuraama did not like shree Raama breaking the bow of his Guru shiva.

94. So an angered Parashuraama blocked the way of shree Raama and challenged him to string and take aim with the mighty VaishNava bow he (Parashuraama) was carrying with him then.

96. Shree Raama with perfect ease took the bow, strung it, and taking the missile asked Parashuraama to show the target. Parashuraama was astonished and was in a fix. The missile could destroy even the entire Universe.

97. So Parashuraama asked Raama to aim at the accumulated tapobala (power accrued by penance) of his self and Raama did so. Then Parashuraama surrendered to shree Raama the VaishNava bow and arrow and the VaishNava tejas (divine brilliance) in him.

98. Parashuraama after having carried out the purpose of his incarnation gave instructions to shree Raama to continue the purpose of his incarnation and then after blessing shree Raama went again to do penance at his holy aashrama.

99. This same story is told by the sage Lomasha to the PaaNDavas during their exile in the forests. This story is much different from the previous ones: "When the fame that shree Raama was the best of Kings spread far and wide Parashuraama once went to see shree Raama.

100. Giving him the bow and arrow with which he had done the mass massacre of the Kshatriyas he challenged him to string it and take aim. With a smile shree Raama did so and then Parashuraama said Raama should draw the string up to his ears.

101. Shree Raama got angry and then on the face, which became fierce, by his anger, Parashuraama saw besides himself, aaditya-Vasu-Rudras, Saadhyas, Baalakhilyas, Devarshis, oceans, mountains, the Vedas and all such things of this universe.

102. Shree Raama sent out his missile from the bow. The whole universe was thrown into chaos. Thunder and lightning rocked the world. Heavy rains flooded the whole land space. Burning stars and meteors fell to the ground.

103. Parashuraama then knew that shree Raama was the incarnation of MahaavishNu and he stood bowing before him. Ashamed of his defeat he took leave of shree Raama and went to Mahendragiri. When he reached there he found he had lost all his brilliance.

104. Then the manes appeared and advised him to go and bathe in the river Vadhoosaraa. Accordingly Parashuraama went and bathed in the river and regained his lost brilliance. (Chapter 99, Vana Parva).

105. (ii) Parashuraama and shree KRshNa. The PuraaNas describe two important occasions when Parashuraama met shree KRshNa.

106. The first meeting was at the mountain of Gomanta. Once shri KRshNa and Balaraama with a view to enjoying the abundance of Nature went to the beautiful mountain of Gomanta and ascended to its top. On their way they met Parashuraama engaged in penance there.

107. They exchanged greetings and talked to each other for some time. Then Parashuraama requested Sri KRshNa to kill shRgaalavaasudeva, King of Karaveera on the base of that mountain. shree KRshNa promised to do so and left the place carrying with him the blessings of the sage.

108. The second meeting was when KRshNa was going to the court of the Kauravas as a messenger of the PaaNDavas. On his way shree KRshNa saw a company of sages coming and, alighting from his chariot KRshNa talked with them.

109. Parashuraama who was in that company then embraced KRshNa and said that he should give a true picture of the situation to the Kauravas when he was conducting his mission.

110. The sages blessed KRshNa & wished KRshNa all success in his mission. (Chapter 83, Udyoga Parva; 10th Skandha, Bhaagavata).

Other details.
(i) Parashuraama along with a few other sages was present at the Sabhaapravesha of Dharmaputra. (shloka 11, Chapter 53, Sabhaa Parva).

111. (ii) Parashuraama was present at the course of the Kauravas when shree KRshNa was speaking to DhRtaraashṭra on behalf of the PaaNDavas.

112. When the Kauravas did not reply the questions put by shree KRshNa, Parashuraama rose up to tell a story to illustrate the evils resulting from the arrogance of man. There was once a King called Dambhodbhava who was very arrogant because of his great strength.

113. He wanted to diffuse his energy by fighting and laboured much to get good opponents and roamed about in search of fighters.

114. One day the brahmins directed him to NaranaaraayaNas and accordingly Dambhodbhava went to their aashrama at Badarikaa and challenged them for a fight. They refused to fight and yet the King showered arrows on them.

115. Then the sages took a few blades of the isheekaa grass and threw them at him. They filled the sky as great missiles and the King begged to be pardoned and prostrated before the sages. They sent back the befooled King to his palace. (Chapter 96, Udyoga Parva).

116. (iii) Once a grim battle was waged between Parashuraama and Bheeshma. (See under Ambaa).

(iv) Parashuraama sits in the court of Yama. (shloka 19, Chapter 8, Sabhaa Parva).

117. The most important contribution of Parasurama Avatara was his own liberation through the instructions of Dattatreya that is now famous as Tripura Rahasya. I have tweeted on this before.

118. The narration will be continued tomorrow.