Bhagwan Parshuram : a warrior incarnation

We offer this article describing the virtues of Bhagwan Parshuram, with utmost humility, at His Holy feet !

1. One of the seven immortal ones (Saptachiranjeev)

अश्‍वत्थामा बलिर्व्यासो हनुमांश्‍च बिभीषण:।
कृपः परशुरामश्‍च सप्तैते चिरजीविनः ॥

Meaning : Ashwatthama, Bali, Maharshi Vyas, Hanuman, Vibhishan, Krupacharya and Parshuram are the seven immortal ones.

Parshuram had conquered time. Hence He is one of the seven immortal ones. If one remembers Him in the early morning then one acquires merit.

2. The sixth incarnation of Shrivishnu

Shrivishnu had five incarnations viz. Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (wild boar), Nrusinha (man-lion) and Vaman (dwarf) in the Satyayug. At the beginning of Tretayug in the gotra (Lineage) of Sage Bhrugu and in the Jamadagney family, Shrivishnu assumed the sixth incarnation as Parshuram, the offspring of Maharshi Jamadagni and Renukamata. As His gotra is Bhargav, He is also called Bhargavram.

3. The Deity who conquered time and sexual desire

An ancient temple of Bhagwan Parshuram exists on Mahendra mountain in Lote village in Ratnagiri District near Chiplun. A stone bearing His footprints is worshipped here, every day. There are three idols installed behind it – a bigger idol of Bhagwan Parshuram in the middle along with smaller idols of the Deity of Time to His right and Deity of Desire to His left representing His conquest over time and sexual desire respectively.

4. Unceasing celibacy and a great ascetic

As Parshuram had conquered sexual desire, He remained celibate all the time. He also had tremendous detachment. That is precisely why despite conquering the entire earth He was easily able to hand it over to Sage Kashyap and was able to lead a life of recluse on Mahendra mountain.

5. Unparalleled valorous acts performed by Parshuram
to annihilate the invincible warrior Kartavirya Sahastrarjun

5 A. Commencement of defeat of Kartavirya
Sahastrarjun at subtle level, as Parshuram performed austerities
and acquired more strength through penance than Sahastrarjun Kartavirya

An unrighteous king from the Haihaiya dynasty Mahishmati Naresh Kartavirya Sahastrarjun performed rigorous austerities for thousands of years and pleased Bhagwan Dattatreya. He assimilated immense strength and acquired the blessing to adorn a thousand arms. To be able to annihilate this mighty Sahastrarjun and to acquire more strength through penance than him, Parshuram performed severe austerities for appeasing Deity Shiva. In order to conquest the energy derived from penance by Kartavirya, Parshuram performed even severe austerities. In a way He used the radiance of Brahma to overpower the merits acquired by Kartavirya and to render him ineffective. As a result the Divine energy of the subtle motor organs active in the thousand arms of Kartavirya started becoming ineffective after which defeat of Kartavirya, an icon of unrighteousness, commenced in the subtle. This fight given by Bhagwan Parshuram in the spiritual plan to defeat Kartavirya is unparalleled.

5 B. Making the resolve of annihilating the ones stealing cattle and accomplishing it

Not bowing to opposition from Sage couple, Kartavirya Sahastrarjun forcefully took away the cow from the Jamadagni ashram and abducted them. When this incident occurred, Parshuram was not in the ashram. He was engrossed in performing severe austerities in the dense forest and learnt about it only on His return to the ashram. In order to free Kamdhenu cow from the clutches of Sahastrarjun and to protect Gomata and the cows, Parshuram made a resolve that the ones stealing the cattle should be annihilated. His curse turned true, as due to the sin arising from stealing of cattle, Kartavirya’s merits were nullified. Kartavirya’s sons too had to bear the brunt of the sin, as they inflicted a life-threatening attack on Sage Jamadagni. Parshuram accomplished the resolve made to annihilate the family of Kartavirya, freed the Gomata and brought her back to the Jamadagni ashram with honour.

5 C. No sooner did the last moments of Kartavirya
Sahastrarjun came near, then Parshuram attacked him in
the gross and commenced using Parshu weapon given by Deity Shiva

As the merits of Kartavirya Sahstrarjun were exhausted he was easily defeated at the spiritual level and his time of annihilation at the gross level had arrived. No sooner did this moment came near, then Bhagwan Parshuram attacked Sahastrarjun physically with the axe, cut off his thousand arms and then beheaded him. In this way Bhagwan Parshuram began to use the axe (parshu) given by Mahakaleshwar Shiva to annihilate Kshatriyas.

6. The unparalleled mission of Incarnation of
Bhagwan Parshuram and examples of His valorous acts

6 A. Circumambulation of the entire earth
21 times and wiping off Kshatriyas from its surface

Bhagwan Parshuram performed circumambulation of the entire earth alone 21 times and annihilated the egoistic and unrighteous Kshatriyas who had become arrogant. Thus He lightened the load on the earth and along with it also acquired the great merit of circumambulation.

6 B. Possessing unmatched prowess to fight
thousands of Kshatriyas and lakhs of armies solitarily

The number of Kshatriyas who were torturing the people and creating menace on the entire earth was in thousands. Their military size was in millions. Bhagwan Parushuram was in fact Shrimannarayan who had assumed a human form. That is why He possessed unmatched prowess to fight thousands of Kshatriyas and lakhs of armies.

6 C. Generous

In spite of being the owner of the entire earth like an emperor, at the time of the Ashwamedha yadnya (Ritual of sacrificial fires) Parshuram gifted the entire earth to Maharshi Kashyap as a donation. This proves how generous He was.

6 D. Creation of new land

With just three footsteps Bhagwan Parshuram pushed the sea backwards and created Parshuram land. He created Chitpawan Brahmans (Priests) from the burning wood and thus nurtured a new world in His Parshuram land.

7. Bhagwan Parshuram is an excellent example of
a great warrior who made brilliant use of Brahmatej and Kshatratej

अग्रत: चतुरो वेदा: पृष्ठत: सशरं धनु: ।
इदं ब्राह्मम् इदं क्षात्रं शापादपि शरादपि ॥

Meaning : A Vedic scholar with a bow and arrows loaded on the back, Parshuram annihilates the enemy with a curse or an arrow.

Parshuram suppressed his foes with combined strength of knowledge of Scriptures, and that of weapons that is physical strength. In spiritual language, strength of knowledge means Brahmatej and physical strength means Kshatratej. Parshuram cursed with a resolve using Brahmatej and using Kshatratej attacked with an axe and annihilated the enemy. Thus Bhagwan Parshuram is an excellent example of a great warrior who made brilliant use of both, Brahmatej and Kshatratej, to overcome the enemy.

8. Despite being a Brahman by birth as per
need of the hour fulfilling the duties of a warrior

Maharshi Jamadagni belonged to Brahman varna (Class) and Renukamata to Kshatriya class. Despite being born a Brahman, Parshuram was a Kshatriya due to His virtues and actions. Therefore adopting the code of conduct of Kshatriyas and Kshatradharma (Spiritual practice of fighting evildoers) He destroyed evildoers. Bhagwan Parshuram is an excellent example of samashti spiritual practice as per influence of time and of Kshatradharma spiritual practice as per class.

Possessing Brahmatej like His father and Kshatratej like His mother, Parshuram is indeed a warrior incarnation. Parshuram challenged the unjust kings, who tried to wipe off eminent Brahmans by destroying their ashrams and the great tradition of Gurukul, by using both forms of tej (Radiance). He wiped out unrighteousness by using Brahmatej bearing Vedic knowledge and Kshatratej bearing weapons. By cursing evildoers or attacking them with weapons He punished them. In this way based on the need of the hour Parshuram performed the duties of a warrior.

9. Greatness of the place of pilgrimage
Tirthahalli situated on the banks of river Tungabhadra

Parshuram beheaded His mother obeying His father Sage Jamadagni. However in response to a prayer made by Parshuram, Sage Jamadagni brought Renuka back to life. The axe of Parshuram stained with the blood of Renukamata could not be washed off with water from any river or lake. Parshuram while wandering reached a place on the banks of river Tungabhadra in Karnataka. When He washed His axe with water from the Tungabhadra river, the blood stains on the axe were washed off. Hence this place is known as Tirthahalli. The water of the Tungabhadra at this place has the capacity to wipe out all sins and is also extremely sweet.

10. Considering Shiva and Datta as His Gurus and receiving Their grace

Considering Shiva and Bhagwan Dattatreya as His Gurus Parshuram became their disciple. Residing at Kailas for 12 years, through the medium of worship of Gayatri, He learnt concentration, acquired the skill of the battlefield, the science of weapons, science of super natural weapons presided over by a Deity, science of tantras, the knowledge of Vedas and self-realisation from Deity Shiva as a Guru. He considered Bhagwan Dattatreya too as His Guru and pleasing Him, with His grace He learnt the secrets of Hathayoga (Path of Deliberate Rigour). Shaktipatyoga (Path of Energy Transfer) and Dhyanyoga (Path of Meditation).

11. The only example of one
performing worship of Kshatradharma to
the maximum extent in the entire tenure of incarnation

The Kshatriyas had strangulated the tradition of Guru hierarchy, system of ashram and livelihood of Sages through their arrogance. It was the need of the hour to protect traditions, culture and Dharma from the clutches of Kshatriyas. Hence as soon as Bhagwan Parshuram completed His disciple state, He used the axe given as a blessing by Deity Shiva, bow and arrows and speech capable of cursing, to attack enemies as per Scriptural rules. He annihilated Kartavirya Sahastrarjun and all arrogant Kshatriyas. In the entire period as an incarnation the only example of one worshipping Kshatradharma to the maximum extent is Bhagwan Parshuram.

12. This is how Bhagwan Parshuram
created Aparant the present day Konkan

Circumambulating the earth, Bhargavram (Bhagwan Parshuram) became the invincible emperor of the earth. He performed the Vishwajeet mahayadnya (fire sacrifice) befitting His royal status. He hosted the yadnya with joy and on the pretext gave away all His assets. Retaining only His warfare abilities and His physical body he donated even the earth He had won, to Sage Kashyap.

Then Sage Kashyap made Him aware of another moral responsibility. As per Scriptures a donor should never use what he has donated. Sage Kashyap told Him that since He had offered the entire earth He had given up His right to it so He had no right to live on it.

Parshuram accepted this at once and with the thought of creating new land for Him to live on He requested the sea to recede a little.

Observing that the sea did not comply He released an arrow from His bow into the sea and appealed wherever this arrow strikes in the west, grant me land of that width and with length equal to the height of the Sahyadri mountain. Thus that land which rose above the sea is called Aparant. This is the stretch of land from Kanyakumari to Bhrugukutch in the north.

Preference : Holy text : Vaishvanar Avtar, Author : Dr. Shrikantji Rajimwale

Acknowledgement : Vedavati Parkhe Urankar