श्री परशुराम

Lord Paraśurāma is the sixth avatāra of the Daśāvatāra. Of the twenty-five līlā-avatāras, Bhārgava Paraśurāma is the nineteenth. In the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.246 Anubhāṣya commentary of Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura, Paraśurāma has been enumerated as one of the śaktyāveśā-avatāras (a descent of the Lord’s extraordinary power). Paraśurāma is the manifested form of the power to suppress miscreants. Brahmā, Śiva and other demigods and sages such as Nārada and so on, offered prayers to Śrī Kṛṣṇa after He had entered into the womb of Devakī. In those prayers, Lord Paraśurāma has been referred to as an avatāra of Śrī Kṛṣṇa:

matsyāśva-kacchapa-nṛsiṁha-varāha-haṁsa-
rājanya-vipra-vibudheṣu kṛtāvatāraḥ
tvaṁ pāsi nas tri-bhuvanaṁ ca yathādhuneśa
bhāraṁ bhuvo hara yadūttama vandanaṁ te
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.2.40)

“O Supreme Lord, in Your previous avatāras when You appeared as a fish (Matsya), a horse (Hayagrīva—horse-necked), a tortoise (Kūrma), half man and half lion (Nṛsiṁhadeva), a boar (Varāha), a swan (Haṁsa), a kṣatriya (Daśarathi Lord Rāmacandra—the son of Daśaratha Mahārāja and also as Paraśurāma) and a brāhmaṇa—a learned sage among the demigods (Vāmanadeva), You protected and maintained us and the three worlds. O Chief of the Yādavas, we respectfully submit our prayer unto You. O Supreme Lord! Please now, while also removing the burdens of this world, kindly maintain us.” (Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura)

rājanyaḥ kṣatriyaḥ-rāmacandra o paraśurāma
avatāre ṣoḍaśame
paśyan brahma-druho nṛpān
triḥ-sapta-kṛtvaḥ kupito
niḥ-kṣatrām akaron mahīm
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.20)

“Lord Viṣṇu appeared as Paraśurāma, the sixteenth avatāra, and freed the earth from the kṣatriyas (the courageous valiant class who have the capacity to control the wicked and protect the virtuous) twenty-one times, as He was angry with them because of their rebellion against the brāhmaṇas (the highest class endowed with comprehensive wisdom who give impartial advice to the kṣatriyas to help them rule).”

In response to questions of the sages headed by Śaunaka, Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī has described the pastimes of twenty-two avatāras of which Paraśurāma is the sixteenth. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 9th Canto, Chapters 15 and 16, Śrī Vedavyāsa Muni has described the pastimes of Paraśurāma as follows:

Lord Brahmā was born from the lotus that sprouted from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Brahmā had a son named Atri and Atri’s son was Soma (Candra). The son of Candra was Budha. Purūravā was born from Budha and his wife, Ila. Jahnu Muni appeared in the dynasty of Purūravā, otherwise known as the Aila lineage, and Kuśa was then born as a descendant of Jahnu. From Kuśa came Kuśāmbu and from Kuśāmbu, Gādhi was born. Gādhi had a daughter named Satyavatī. A brāhmaṇa sage named Ṛcīka¹ desired to marry Gādhi’s daughter Satyavatī. However, in dowry, Gādhi demanded one thousand horses with special characteristics. The horses were to shine like the moon and one ear, left or right, was to be black in colour. Ṛcīka Muni brought one thousand such horses from the demigod Varuṇa, gave them to Gādhi and then married Satyavatī.

Once, Satyavatī and her mother both desired sons, and therefore requested Ṛcīka Muni to prepare an oblation (caru—a special preparation of rice, milk and sugar boiled together) for them. Ṛcīka Muni prepared two oblations, one to obtain a brāhmaṇa son from the womb of his wife and another for a kṣatriya son from the womb of Gādhi’s wife, and then gave the oblations to them. The sage then went out to bathe. Meanwhile, Satyavatī’s mother thought that since a husband naturally has more affection for his wife, the oblation that Ṛcīka had prepared for Satyavatī must be better. So, she asked her daughter for the oblation that had been prepared for her, while Satyavatī took the oblation prepared for her mother. When Ṛcīka Muni returned after bathing and found out what had happened, he said with dissatisfaction, “Satyavatī’s son will be a kṣatriya holding a staff signifying the infliction of punishment and Satyavatī’s mother’s son will be brahma-tattvavid—a knower of the ontological true nature of Brahman².” Later, upon the humble request of Satyavatī, Ṛcīka Muni said, “All right, instead of your son being born as a kṣatriya, your grandson will be a kṣatriya.” Jamadagni was then born from the womb of Satyavatī. He married Reṇukā, the daughter of Reṇu, and among the sons of Jamadagni, his youngest son became famous as Paraśurāma.

yam āhur vāsudevāṁśaṁ
haihayānāṁ kulāntakam
triḥ-sapta-kṛtvo ya imāṁ
cakre niḥkṣatriyāṁ mahīm
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.15.14)

“Learned scholars accept this Paraśurāma as the celebrated avatāra of Vāsudeva who annihilated the dynasty of Kārttavīrya and killed all the kṣatriyas on earth twenty-one times.”

Kārttavīryārjuna, chief of the dynasty of the Haihayas, obtained ample power and opulence by worshipping Dattātreya and became a mighty king. Such was the unsurpassed power of Kārttavīryārjuna that once while touring to gain victory over the whole world (dig-vijaya), he came across the warrior Rāvaṇa worshipping the demigods on the banks of the Narmadā River. Disturbed by the water turbulence caused by Kārttavīryārjuna, he became enraged and attempted to punish Kārttavīryārjuna. However, he lost the battle in a very dramatic way and ended up tied like a monkey. Later on, Kārttavīryārjuna released Rāvaṇa upon seeing how weak and powerless he was.

One day, Kārttavīryārjuna went out hunting and while wandering, arrived at the āśrama of Jamadagni, the sage of the demigods. Jamadagni Muni received the king respectfully and, with the help of the kāmadhenu (the fabulous cow that grants all wishes), provided the king, his soldiers, ministers and servants, with food and other supplies to their full satisfaction. Upon seeing that the kāmadhenu’s opulence was greater than his, the king desired to possess her. He forcibly took Jamadagni’s cow used for performing agnihotras and set off for his capital, Mahiṣmati, on the banks of the Narmadā River. Jamadagni felt sad on hearing the pitiable cries of the kāmadhenu being kidnapped along with her calf. When Lord Paraśurāma heard this, He became very angry and taking up His bow, attacked Kārttavīryārjuna just as a lion attacks an elephant. As Kārttavīryārjuna was about to enter his capital, Mahiṣmatipura, he saw a furious man with matted locks of hair, wearing a black deerskin, His face shining like the sun and holding a bow and arrows, an axe (paraśu) and other weapons, coming after him with great speed. Being fearful, he sent seventeen akṣauhiṇīs³ constituted of many elephants, horses, chariots and infantry soldiers equipped with clubs, arrows and many other weapons, to check Lord Paraśurāma. But Lord Paraśurāma alone killed all the soldiers, elephants and horses.

Lord Paraśurāma sliced the enemy army with strokes of His chopper at the speed of mind. The battlefield became wet with the blood of the soldiers. Upon seeing this, Kārttavīryārjuna came onto the battlefield and with his one thousand arms, simultaneously released five hundred arrows. However, using His bow, Lord Paraśurāma immediately destroyed all the king’s bows and quivers. Seeing his weapons cut to pieces, Kārttavīryārjuna uprooted many trees and hills and began to fight. Paraśurāma first used His axe to cut off Kārttavīryārjuna’s arms and then decapitated him like a mountain peak. When Kārttavīryārjuna’s ten thousand sons saw their father killed, they all fled in fear. Lord Paraśurāma brought the cow of agnihotra back and gave her to His father Jamadagni. Upon hearing about the death of Kārttavīryārjuna, Jamadagni sadly spoke to his son as follows:

“O mighty-armed Rāma! You have committed a sin by killing the king who is the embodiment of the demigods. We are brāhmaṇas and because they possess the quality of forgiveness brāhmaṇas are worshipped by everyone. It is only due to this quality of forgiveness that Lord Brahmā, the supreme spiritual master of this universe, has achieved his position. The Supreme Lord is quickly pleased with those who are forgiving. The killing of an emperor is a greater sin than the killing of a brāhmaṇa. You should atone for this sin by surrendering Yourself to Śrī Acyuta, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and by worshipping the holy places.” Accepting His father’s order, Lord Paraśurāma travelled to the holy places for one year before returning to the āśrama.

Once, upon the instruction of Jamadagni, his wife Reṇukā went to the Ganges to get some water. There, she saw that Apsarās (celestial women) were sporting with the king of the Gandharvas, Padmamālī (Citraratha). Upon seeing their sporting, fleeting thoughts of desire for his association appeared in her mind. She became bewildered and failed to remember that the time for her husband’s fire sacrifice was passing. When she came back to her senses, she realised her mistake. Fearful of the sage’s curse, she stood near her husband with folded hands. The great sage understood the adultery in the mind of his wife and ordered his sons to kill her. However, his sons refused to carry out his order. Jamadagni then instructed his youngest son, Paraśurāma, to kill His mother Reṇukā and His brothers who had disobeyed his order. Lord Paraśurāma, knowing the power of His father, thought that if He refused to carry out His father’s order He would be cursed, but if He carried out the order, His father would be pleased and would give Him a benediction. He would then be able to bring His mother and brothers back to life with that benediction. Paraśurāma therefore killed His own mother and brothers. When Jamadagni, being very pleased, offered to give Him a benediction, Lord Paraśurāma requested that His mother and brothers be brought back to life and that they would not remember having been killed by Him. His mother and brothers immediately came to life as if awakened from sound sleep. Lord Paraśurāma was fully aware of His father’s power of austerity and had therefore decided to kill His family members.

Although the sons of Kārttavīryārjuna ran away to save their lives, they did not forget the killing of their father, and a desire for revenge awakened in them. One day when Paraśurāma was out in the forest with His brothers, the sons of Kārttavīryārjuna took the opportunity to enter into Jamadagni’s āśrama. In spite of the pitiful prayers of Reṇukā, they cruelly killed Jamadagni⁴ while he was meditating upon the Supreme Lord, and ran away with his head. Hearing the distressed cry of His mother, Paraśurāma hastily returned to the āśrama and lamented for sometime upon seeing His dead father. Then, entrusting the dead body to His brothers, He decided to put an end to all the kṣatriyas of the world. Lord Paraśurāma went to Mahiṣmati, which was already doomed because of the sinful killing of a brāhmaṇa. Killing the sons of Kārttavīryārjuna, Paraśurāma created a mountain of their heads. With the blood of Kārttavīryārjuna’s sons who were hostile to brāhmaṇas, a ghastly river was created. In this way, Lord Paraśurāma freed the earth from the kṣatriya class twenty-one times. In the place known as Samanta-pañcaka, nine lakes were created with their blood. Paraśurāma joined His father Jamadagni’s head to his body and placed it upon kuśā grass. He then worshipped Lord Vāsudeva who is all-pervading and identical with the Vedas, by performing sacrifices. Upon completion of the sacrifice, Lord Paraśurāma gave the eastern direction to the hotā (the priest who performs the sacrifice), the south to Lord Brahmā, the west to the adhvaryu (the priest conversant with Yajurveda), the north to the udgātā (reciter of the prayers of the Sāmaveda) and the four corners of īśāna, agni, naiṛta and vāyu (northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest) to the other priests as an honorarium. He gave the middle portion (madhya-deśa) to Kaśyapa, the place known as Āryavartta to the upadraṣṭā (advisors or preceptors) and the remaining portion of the world to the other participants of the sacrifice.

At the end of the sacrificial performance, Lord Paraśurāma cleansed Himself of all sins in the water of His bath. Standing on the bank of the river Sarasvatī, He appeared like the bright sun in a clear, cloudless sky. Thus Jamadagni, being worshipped by Lord Paraśurāma, regained his own body, and became the prominent Seventh Sage⁵ in the Rṣi-maṇḍala (assembly of sages—the constellation of Ursa Major).

jāmadagnyo ‘pi bhagavān
rāmaḥ kamala-locanaḥ
āgāminy antare rājan
vartayiṣyati vai bṛhat

āste ‘dyapi mahendrādau
nyasta-daṇḍaḥ praśānta-dhīḥ
upagīyamāna-caritaḥ
siddha-gandharva-cāraṇaiḥ

evaṁ bhṛguṣu viśvātmā
bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ
avatīrya paraṁ bhāraṁ
bhuvo ‘han bahuśo nṛpān
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.16.25-27)

“In the next manvantara, the lotus-eyed Personality of Godhead, Lord Paraśurāma, the son of Jamadagni, will be a propounder of Vedic knowledge and will become one of the Seven Sages.”

Having given up the task of punishing and killing the kṣatriyas, Lord Paraśurāma still lives at Mahendra Mountain in tranquility. The Siddhas, Gandharvas and Cāraṇas—different classes of demigods, always sing of His exalted holy character and activities. In this way, the Supreme Spirit of the universe, Controller Śrī Hari, descended in the Bhṛgu dynasty and freed the earth from the burden of undesirable kings by killing them.

The character and activities of Paraśurāma have been described in the Śānti and Vana Parvas of the Mahābhārata. In the Vana Parva, Ṛcīka is mentioned as the son of Bhṛgu. There, it is written that Bhṛgu gave the oblation to Satyavatī and her mother. Satyavatī’s son, Jamadagni, married King Prasanejita’s daughter Reṇukā. Reṇukā gave birth to five sons of which Lord Paraśurāma was the youngest. The five sons were Rumanvāna, Suṣeṇa, Vasu, Viśvāvasu and the youngest, Paraśurāma. According to another opinion, they were Vasu, Viśvāvasu, Bṛhadbhānu, Bṛhatkanva and Rāma. Lord Paraśurāma satisfied Lord Mahādeva on Gandhamādana Mountain and by his benediction, received a very dazzling paraśu (chopper) weapon. Therefore, His name became Paraśurāma: ‘paśunā kuṭhārākhyaśastreṇa rāmaḥ ramaṇaṁ yasya’.

The sage Vaśiṣṭha’s āśrama was burned by fire produced from the arrow of Kārttavīryārjuna. The sage cursed him that Paraśurāma, the son of Jamadagni, would cut off his one thousand arms. After ridding the world of the kṣatriya race twenty-one times, Paraśurāma then stopped killing kṣatriyas on the prohibition of His grandfather Ṛcīka. Paraśurāma’s other names are Jāmadagnya, Parśūrāma, Paraśurāmaka, Bhārgava, Bhṛgupati and Bhṛgulāpati.

Paraśurāma’s character and activities have been described in the Viṣṇu, Matsya and Kālikā Purāṇas as well as Sahyādrikhaṇḍa. In these scriptures, there are some differences from the above-mentioned description. It is said there that due to the sin of killing His mother, the paraśu became joined to Paraśurāma’s hand and He had to go to Kailāśa to perform austerities in order to remove the sin. Due to this He became known as Paraśurāma.

The following pastime of Paraśurāma has been described in the Ādi-kāṇḍa of Rāmāyaṇa:

After breaking Lord Śiva’s bow, Lord Rāmacandra was returning to Ayodhyā with His father and absolute counterpart internal potency, Sītā, when He was confronted and challenged by Paraśurāma. He said to Śrī Rāma, “You have broken the Hara-dhanu (bow of Lord Śiva). Upon hearing this, I have brought another bow. This bow is called Vaiṣṇava-dhanu. This is in no way inferior to Śiva’s bow. My grandfather Ṛcīka received this bow from Viṣṇu, My father received it from My grandfather and I have received it from My father. If You are able to string this bow then I shall (dvandva yuddha) fight with You.”

Lord Rāmacandra held the bow and said, “I can annihilate all opponents with this. Tell Me whether I should destroy all the planets that You have acquired by Your penance or if I should arrest Your movement in the sky?”

Becoming totally powerless and bewildered, Jāmadagnya Paraśurāma said, “I have given the whole earth in charity to Kaśyapa Ṛṣi. Since then, I do not stay on the earth at night. Therefore, please do not stop My movement. You may destroy all the planets acquired by My penance.” Śrī Rāmacandra then destroyed all the planets acquired by Paraśurāma. After being worshipped in this way by Lord Rāmacandra, Jāmadagnya set off for Mahendra Mountain.

In the Bhakti-ratnākara of Śrī Narahari Chakravartī Ṭhākura, Paraśurāma’s residence is mentioned as being in Kāmyakavana (Kāmyavana—one of the twelve forests of Vraja-maṇḍala). It also mentions that Mahaprabhu set His lotus feet at the birthplace of Paraśurāma in Reṇukā village at Agravana, just before His arrival at Gokula (Vraja-mandala), during his travelling from Prayāg.

paraśurāma – sthiti-sthāna karaha darśana
ethā siṁhāsane basilena nārāyaṇa
(Bhakti Ratnākara 5.876)

“Take darśana of Paraśurāma’s holy place of residence. Here, Nārāyaṇa sat on His throne.”

prayāga haite krame āsi agravane
āilena śīghra jamadagnira āśrame

tāṅra bhāryā reṇukā, ‘reṇukā’ nāme grāma
yathā janma labhilena śrī paraśurāma

reṇukā haite śīghra ‘rājagrāma’ diyā
ei vrikṣatale rahe gokule āsiyā
(Bhakti Ratnākara 5.1793-95)

“Gradually coming to Agravana from Prayāg, Caitanyadeva swiftly arrived at Jamadagni’s āśrama. That village is named after Jamadagni’s wife Reṇukā, and Paraśurāma was born there. From Reṇukā, Caitanyadeva left without delay for Rājagrāma and rested under this tree in Gokula.”

kṣatriya-rudhira-maye jagad-apagata-pāpaṁ
snapayasi payasi śamita-bhava-tāpam
keśava dhṛta-bhṛgupati-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
(Śrī Jayadeva’s Daśāvatāra-stotra, 6th Verse)

“O Keśava! You have assumed the form of Bhṛgupati (Paraśurāma)! By bathing the earth in rivers of blood from the bodies of the demoniac kṣatriyas You slew, You washed away the sins of the world. O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari! All glories unto You!”

¹ – Ṛcīka Muni was born as the son of Ourba in the lineage of Bhṛgu, the mind-born son of Brahmā.

² – That brahma-tattvavid son was Viśvāmitra.

³ – Akṣauhiṇī: 109,350 infantry soldiers, 65,610 horses, 21,870 elephants and 21,870 chariots—a total of 218,700—forming a very large military phalanx.

ekebhaikarathā tryaśvā pattiḥ pañcapadātikā
patyagaiṅstiguṇeḥ sarvaiḥ kramādākhyā yathotaram
senāmukhaṁ gulmagaṇau vāhinī pūtanā camuḥ
anīkīnī daśānīkinya kṣauhiṇī
(Amarakoṣa-grantha)

“1 elephant, 1 chariot, 3 horses and 5 infantry soldiers are called a patti. Each element of a patti, when multiplied by three, i.e. 3 elephants, 3 chariots, 9 horses and 15 infantry soldiers, is called a senā-mukha. Three senā-mukhas constitute one gulma, three gulmas constitute one vāhinī, three vahinīs constitute one pūtanā, three pūtanās constitute one camū, three camūs constitute one anīkinī, and ten anīkinīs constitute one akṣauhiṇī.”
(from the Naveen Bengali Dictionary of Aṣutoṣ Dev)

⁴ – Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda has written in his commentary, “As Jamadagni ordered the killing of the innocent crown-gem of all devoted wives—‘Renuka’, it has been demonstrated that Jamadagni was also killed in turn for this offence.”

⁵ – kaśyapa, atri, vaśiṣṭha, viśvāmitra, gautama, jamadagni, bhāradvāja—tatra jamadagnireva-saptam ṛṣirbhūtaḥ (Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī)