HINDU ENCYCLOPEDIA

सनातन धर्म भूमिका

Meaning of "Parasurama"

Word

Parasurama

Sanskrit

In General

Sage Parasurama, an Avatar of Vishnu is depicted as an angry Sage in Purana and Itihasa. The mission of Parasurama was to quench the power of tyrant Kshatriyas and thus put an end to adarmic or unethical deeds by them. He was also called Bhargava Raman. There is a purana, namely, Bhargava purana by his name. He was born as son of Sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka. His father was a Brahmin from family of Rishis and mother a Kshatriya prince, he had both these characteristics and because of that he became a controversial figure. He learned Vedas from father and the use of dreaded weapon from Lord Siva. Bhishma, Drona, Agnivesha and Karna were his famous students. He was considered as a chiranjeevi, one who live in all ages.

Purana

Renuka, the wife of Jamadagni was a devout wife, however her mind once bewildered at the sight of a Gandharva and faild to hold water in the mud pot which hold by the strength of her chastity. Jamadagni considered the incidence as a great sin, and he called his sons in succession and commanded to kill their mother. Influenced by natural affection, four of them held their peace and kept silent. Their father cursed them and they became idiots bereft of all understanding. When Parasurama’s turn came, he obeyed his father’s order and struck off his mother’s head with his axe. The deed assuaged the father’s anger, and he desired his son to make a request for boon. Parasurama asked nothing but his mother might be restored to life in purity, and that his brothers might regain their natural condition. All this the father granted and they lived happily thereafter. Parasurama did lot of penance for doing the cruel deed of killing own mother. Parasurama reclaimed Kerala from sea and given out the land to Brahmin, to clear the atonement for sins, of killing own mother.

Sage Jamadagni was killed by the sons of a King by name Kartavirya on a misunderstanding about loss of the divine cow Nandini. Since then Parshurama became vengeful of Kshatriya Kings and vowed to kill the entire Kshatriya race. He killed Kartavira and several other Kings but his anger did not dissipate. Traversed earth 21 times and punished the evil forces of Kings. Finally on Lord Indra’s intervention, he handed over the earth to Kashyapa and retired to Mahendra Mountains to perform penance. Symanthaka panchakam is a holy place in Kurukshetra were Kshatra blood by the weapon of Parasurama flown as five river. People take holy bath at this place as a mark of Praayaschitta (atonement for sins)

Parasurama was angry about Rama breaking Rudra Bow in an effort to win competition set by Janaka and marry Sita. On the way to Ayodhya Parasurama stopped Rama, but by the calm nature and humble behavior of Rama, the angry Sage Parasurama got pleased, accepted Rama as an Avatar and left for Mahendra giri for Tapasya.

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