Parashurama (Grand son of Bhrigu - The Bhrigu Parampara)

[Guest guest]

Dear All, Again from VV Raman at: http://www.siddha.com.my/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000053-7.htmlLove and regards,Sreenadh

===================================

Jamadagni Rishi and Parashurama

The world of the puranas is filled with magic and wonder. It has beings notof this world and rishis with complex genealogies. So it was with the onenamed Jamadagni, born to Satyavati, wife of the Brahmin Richika who was noneother than the son of the great Bhrigu whose descendents are said to be theBhargavas of today.

It is said that Bhrigu presented Satyavati with a magical potion in twopots, and asked her to share one of them with her mother. The two ladieswere instructed to take them, each one after embracing a different tree:the mother was to embrace a peepal and the daughter, a fig tree. As happensin stories of mistaken identities, the ladies confused their respectiveassignments, and drank from the wrong cups too. So this became, not acomedy, but a birth-trait of errors. For, as a result of the mistake,Satyavati was to give birth to a Brahmin child with Kshatriya disposition,and her mother was to bear a Kshatriya child with Brahminical longings.Satyavati begged of Bhrigu not to let this happen to her son; she would lether grandson be such. Bhrigu granted this wish.

The child thus born to Satyavati was named Jamadagni. Jamadagni dedicatedhis life to a study of the Vedas. He led an ethical life, and at one pointdecided to get married. He found in Renuka, the daughter of King Prasenajit,a suitable bride. In due course the couple had five sons: Rumanvan, Sushena,Vasu, Vishvavasu, and Rama.

At one time, Jamadagni milked his cow and kept the milk safe in a newvessel, with the intention of using it in a ritual. The deities Dharma camein disguise and spoiled the milk. Jamadagni remained unperturbed. ThenDharma took on the form of a Brahmin woman who presented herself toJamadagni. The rishi was calm and collected, whereupon Dharma revealedhimself and said that Jamadagni had given the lie to the common saying thatBhargavas were generally wrathful people.

One day when Renuka was returning from her bath in the river, she happenedto see the handsome prince Chitraratha, barely clad, sporting in the waterswith his lovely wives. This planted desires of a sexual nature in the heartof the Rishi's wife. [The original text describes the effect on her explicitterms.] When she returned to the hermitage, guilt-ridden, the rishi detectedthat the luster of chastity had left her. Enraged in true rishi-fashion, hewanted her to die. When his sons came home, he ordered them to execute theirmother, but all the first four shuddered at the thought of doing such athing. For their disobedient inaction Jamadagni cursed every one of them toloose their mental faculties. But Rama, the fifth, obeyed his father withouta question. With his axe (parashu) he promptly severed Renuka's head. Highlypleased, the spiritual Jamadagni was now ready to grant this Parashuramaanything and everything he would wish. The young man's first request was toget his mother back to life. Then he wanted his mind to forget for ever thecruel act he had committed, and to be forgiven for the horrendous sin ofmatricide. He wanted his brothers restituted too. Jamadagni granted allthese wishes.

Arjuna, not the Pandavas, but son of a king by the name of Kartavirya,stopped at Jamadagni's hermitage. Here he was well received, and hisentourage was well fed. But the greedy prince wanted the principal cow inthe shed. When this was refused, he and his men carried away the cow byforce. When Parashurama discovered this he became enraged beyond control,and in his fury he summarily killed this plundering prince and his wholebattalion. Angered by this, other men of Arjuna's army came to Jamadagni'shermitage and slaughtered the helpless rishi.

Parashu Rama took an extraordinary revenge for this terrible act. He sworeto exterminate all Kshatriyas on earth; indeed, he is said to haveaccomplished this several times over. In Valmiki's Ramayana, however, whenhe challenges Rama and his party after the royal weddings, Parashurama ismade to look small by the glorious Rama.

In Tulasi Das's version, Parashurama appears in Janaka's court to competefor Sita's hand. His angry look frightens everybody. To use Shakespeare'slines, he displayedThe flash and outbreak of a fiery mindA savageness in unreclaimed blood.

In Tulsi Das's version, Parashurama addressed Sita's father as stupid Janakaand asked him who it was that broke Shiva's bow (269:3): kahu jada janakdhanush kai tor? That person would be Parashu Rama's enemy. Sita's motherwas terrified. To the frightened Sita, a mere half instant seemed like aneon: aradh nimish kalpasama b?.

In historical terms, it is quite possible that the Brahmin Parashurama wasone of the older, highly skilled and valiant contenders for Sita's hand whofelt intensely jealous that young Rama had so easily won the contest. Tosatisfy his ego or to recuperate the honor he had lost by his defeat, heprobably challenged Rama to another feat. There are glimmers of true historyhidden beneath the lines of our epics and puranas.

V. V. RamanSeptember 30, 2005===================================