॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Friday, 17 March 2023 - IX.15 - The Lunar dynasty grew through the progeny of Pururavas and Urvashi. The exploits of Lord Parashurama.
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Urvashi gave six sons to Pururavas. They all ruled well and later, through their succession, was born Jahnu. Jahnu became a great sage and at one point he drank up the entire Ganga river, allowing her to emanate out of his ear on King Bhagiratha's ardent pleas. That is why another name for Ganga is Janhavi.
Gadhi, another King in the line, had a daughter Princess Satyavati. her hand was sought by the sage Richika who brought a dowry of a thousand splendid horses to win her hand! (The idea of dowry was Kanya Shulka - the suitor had to bring wealth or valour to win the lady's hand.)
Their son was the famed Sage Jamadagni, a notable one in the Bhrigu line. His own son was Parashurama, an incarnation of Maha Vishnu born out of "शक्त्यावेश" or unbridled frenzy of valour.
There was a famous king called Arjuna or Kartaviryarjuna, king of the Haihayas who ruled on the banks of the river Narmada in his city called Mahishmati. In fact, he was so powerful that he could, with his one thousand arms, stop and dam the river too! Once, Ravana, considering himself to be invincible, came to abduct Arjuna's queens. Arjuna pummelled Ravana so hard he was utterly defeated, all in front of Arjuna's large retinue of queens. Arjuna was magnanimous to let Ravana go with a mere warning. (He could as well have slain him as Arjuna was a human!)
Once Arjuna came with his large army to visit Sage Jamadagni's Ashrama. The most benevolent Sage offered them the choicest of hospitality and such a feast that Arjuna was astonished. He discovered that the Sage had a divine cow, called here Havishmati. Arjuna simply ordered his army to take the divine wish-fulfilling cow away, saying that as the king he deserved to have her and not a hermit.
When Parashurama returned home and heard from his father how King Arjuna had abducted the divine cow, his anger burst all barriers. He picked up his bow and arrow as well as his famed axe and rushed to kill Arjuna. His torso was covered with a black deerskin, and his matted locks of hair appeared like the sunshine.
Arjuna was scared of this attack. He sent his best army with elephants and horses and mighty weapons to attack Rama. Rama destroyed all of them with astonishing power. Then Arjuna, more famous as Kartiveeryarjuna, attacked him with five hundred bows, releasing a hailstorm of arrows. Parashurama was able to use just his single bow and counter all of them. He went after his foe and chopped off all his arms in one sweep swoop of the axe. It took him only a few more seconds to cut off the mighty head of this nearly invincible wonderful king Kartuveeryarjuna.
Imagine a blood-bathed Parashurama, still burning like a raging fire, coming home and announcing how he had killed Arjuna to his father Sage Jamadagni. What was the sage's reaction?
राम राम महाबाहो भवान् पापमकारषीत् । अवधीन्नरदेवं यत्सर्वदेवमयं वृथा ॥
वयं हि ब्राह्मणास्तात क्षमयार्हणतां गताः । यया लोकगुरुर्देवः पारमेष्ठ्यमगात्पदम् ॥
क्षमया रोचते लक्ष्मीर्ब्राह्मी सौरी यथा प्रभा । क्षमिणामाशु भगवांस्तुष्यते हरिरीश्वरः ॥
राज्ञो मूर्धाभिषिक्तस्य वधो ब्रह्मवधाद्गुरुः । तीर्थसंसेवया चांहो जह्यङ्गाच्युतचेतनः ॥
T: "Oh great-armed Rama! My child! Alas! You have committed a grave sin! You have killed a monarch, who is the embodiment of all the gods we propitiate, come down to earth to rule and ensure the welfare of all! We are, remember, Brahmins, who should espouse only compassion and self-control. We are extolled for this quality, and in fact, the living proof of this is how Brahma (the original Brahmin) achieved his highest fulfilment! Goddess Lakshmi is pleased by compassion. That quality is as holy as sunshine! Those who are full of compassion and self-control are the beloved of Bhagavan Sri Hari!
Dear son, killing a crowned monarch is a worse sin than killing a Brahmin! You have to now go and atone for this grievous sin by visiting all the holy places of pilgrimage!"
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
