PARASHURAMA AVATAR

Once there was a King named Kartavirya Arjuna who through penance received a flying chariot and a thousand arms. He also had a boon from Lord Dattatreya (embodiment of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma) that made him unconquerable. But Kartavirya misused his powers and became a merciless tyrant harming innocent working class people and Brahmins (priestly class).

To end his cruelty Lord Vishnu came to earth as Parashurama, the youngest son of Sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka. Parashurama was very powerful and was unparalleled in discipline as well as in strength. Though he was a Brahmin’s son, Parashurama loved weapons and his favorite weapon was an axe given to him by Shiva. In Sanskrit, the word for axe is parashu, thus his name.

Sage Jamadagni had an Ashram (a peaceful place where sages live) in the forest where he educated his five sons and his disciples. King Kartavirya and his army visited Jamadagni. The sage fed his guest the king, and the king’s whole army with his divine cow Kamadhenu. On seeing the ample food offered by Kamadhenu, the king demanded the cow as a gift. Sage Jamadagni refused because he needed the cow for his religious ceremonies. The king and his army left the ashram very angry that day.

Once day, when Parashurama and his brothers were away, King Kartavirya’s men entered Jamadagni's Ashram and stole Kamadhenu. When Parashurama returned and saw his father sad and learnt what had happened he got very angry at this injustice. He stormed into King Kartavirya’s palace carrying his axe and challenged him. King Kartavirya sent his powerful army to face Parashurama but they were all killed. Furious, the King himself rushed towards Parashurama with uprooted trees and rocks in his thousand arms. Parashurama attacked him and cut off his arms and killed him. When the king fell, Parashurama took Kamadhenu and returned to his father’s home.

Jamadagni was pleased to see Kamadhenu but was disappointed by his son’s behavior and asked him to go on a pilgrimage to quench his anger. While Parashurama was away, Kartavirya’s sons longed for revenge. Once when Jamadagni and Renuka were alone in the Ashram they invaded the Ashram and cut off Jamadagni’s head. On returning from his pilgrimage, Parashurama heard of the tragedy to his father and swore to make the earth be rid of Kshatriyas (warriors) who inflicted harm to his peaceful Brahmana family. With his terrible axe in hand and his eyes blood red with fury he first killed all the sons of Kartavirya and then taking his axe, Parashurama wiped out all the Kshatriyas from earth.

Then Parashurama turned to penance on a mountain believing that he had made the Brahmins absolutely free from fears of the Kshatriyas.

1. What are the good and not so good characteristics of Parashurama? 2. Who are Kshatriyas? 3. What are the broad groups/castes of people? 4. What is Kamadhenu?