Chapter 23 - Paraśurāma’s penance (b)

Summary: Penance of Paraśurāma the son of Jamadagni (Contd.).

Vasiṣṭha said:

1-4. The great sages Bhṛgu, Atri, Kratu, Jābāli, Vāmadeva and Mṛkaṇḍu, all of whom had got rid of their sins through penance, were extremely advanced in their wisdom, righteous activities and age, whose holy rites had been praised by all, heard that Rāma was performing a penance of a mystic nature in a lonely spot, attained perfect concentration of his mind in Lord Śiva and that he invariably maintained regular observances of holy rites. Being eager, curious and desirous of seeing him, they went over to his hermitage.

5. The great sages who resided in holy places came from a great distance to the hermitage of Paraśurāma who was performing penance.

6. Having praised his most arduous penance and his knowledge of the highest order in the world, they returned to their respective hermitages.

7. While Rāma was engaged thus, O excellent king, lord Śiva became excessively pleased at heart with Rāma.

8. Desirous of knowing the depth of his devotion unto him, Lord Śaṅkara, assumed the guise of a hunter of deer O king, and went near him.

9. He assumed the guise of a youthful hunter who had the lustre of broken (heap of) collyrium, whose wide eyes were red in their extremities, who was very tall with his body, hard as adamant and who held bow and arrows.

10-12. His chin was raised up and his arms and shoulders were mighty and lifted up. His moustache and hair were tawny. He had the stinking odour of suet and raw flesh. He appeared to be the destroyer of all living beings. The whole of his body had been scarred with wounds due to the contact with the thorny creepers and shrubs. He was found to chew frequently a piece of flesh dripping with blood. His neck was slightly bent with the weight of two pieces of flesh suspended from it. While passing by, he brushed against groups of trees, forcibly with his thighs.

13-14. Like a mountain walking on foot, he came to that spot. After reaching the bank of the lake abounding in trees with plenty of blossoms, he placed the burden of pieces of flesh at the foot of a tree. Resorting to the shade of a tree, he sat there for a while.

15-17. He saw the scion of the family of Bhṛgu standing on the bank of the lake. Thereafter, he stood up hastily and approached Rāma. He made obeisance to Rāma with palms joined in reverence, even as his hands held the bow and the arrows. He spoke thus to the bravest among the descendants of Bhṛgu, with a voice deep and resonant like the thunder-clap of clouds full of water with a voice that seemed come up from a deep cave.

“I am a hunter named Toṣapravarṣa. I am staying here in this great forest.

18. I am the lord of this region along with the living beings, trees and creepers therein. I move about here with the flesh of different animals for my diet. I am impartial towards all in this region viewing everyone equally in my mind.

19. I am equally kind to all living beings. I have no one related to me such as parents and others. I do not pay any attention to any of the objects desired by me whether they be unworthy of being eaten or drunk or whether they be unworthy of approach.

20. Nor do I devote any particular attention to rites worthy of being pursued or not. I do not tolerate the approach and stay of any one in this forest.

21. With my strength, I do not permit even Indra (to come here). There is no doubt about it. All the people know this since this region is dependent upon me.

22-23. So, no one comes here without my permission. Thus my history has been entirely recounted to you. You too tell me every thing about you factually. Who are you? What have you come here for? Why have you established yourself here? Are you ready to go elsewhere? What is it that you are desirous of doing?”

Vasiṣṭha said:

24. On being addressed thus by him, Rāma, of great splendour, stood, for a while smiling silently. With his face bent down, he thought thus:

25. “Who is this unassailable man with a deep resonant voice like the thunder-clap of clouds full of water?. He speaks excessively in words full of clarity in meaning, sounds and letters.

26. But his body causes great doubt in me, because it belongs to a low caste, just as shafts though beautiful are deadly.”

27. Even as Rāma thought thus, good omens occurred both on the ground as well as on his person (such as throbbings of the right arm)—omens which were portentous enough to grant him his desired object.

28. Thereafter, the leading descendant of Bhṭgu mentally pondered over and over again and slowly addressed these affably courteous words to the hunter.

29. “I am the son of Jamadagni, called Rāma. I am a descendant of Bhṛgu. Welfare unto thee. I have now come here to perform penance at the bidding of my preceptor.

30. For a long time, I have been endeavouring to propitiate the lord of all the worlds by means of penance, devotion, and holy observances.

31-32. Hence, I shall propitiate by means of my penance, Śaṅkara, the lord of all the worlds, the refuge unto everyone, the bestower of freedom from fear, the three-eyed lord, who suppresses sin, the lord endearing to the devotees, the omniscent lord who destroyed the Tripuras (the Triple-city of demons).

I have taken up holy observance in this hermitage on the bank of this lake.

33. I have decided in my mind that I will stay here until Lord Hara who takes pity on his devotees, manifests himself to me.

34. Hence, it is proper for you to go away from this place to some other place. If not, it is detrimental to me, to my holy rites and to my observances.

35. Or I deserve respect from you with devotion as I am a guest from another land. I am an ascetic and a sage and have come to your place of residence.

36. If I live in your vicinity it will be conducive only to sin. Resorting to my vicinity will result only in your unhappiness.

37. Hence, leave off loitering about in the precincts of my penance-grove. Be happy thereby in both the worlds.

Vasiṣṭha said:

38. On hearing these words, the hunter became agitated with his eyes assuming copper colour due to anger. He replied thus to the leading scion of the family of Bhṛgu whose eyes too were red (due to excitement).

39. “O Brāhmaṇa, why do you now extremely hate and shun my staying near you, like that of an ungrateful fellow?

40. Have I done any disservice to you or to any one else anywhere in this world? Who will despise and disrespect a man of control over his sense-organs who has never committed any sin?

41-42. If my very presence is to be avoided, O leading Brāhmaṇa, if seeing me, staying with me and conversing with me is to be shunned, my long-lived brother should go away from the hermitage now itself. Hungry that I am where shall I go leaving off my own resort?

43-44. How can I, urged by you, go to another place forsaking my own residence? I will never go far off from this place specially. If you wish, you iṇay go or stay behind. I cannot be driven off from this place by any means.”

Vasiṣṭha said:

45. On hearing his words, O king, the leading scion of the family of Bhṛgu became a bit angry and told him these words.

46. “The very tribe of hunters is ruthless. It strikes terror into all living beings. It is always engaged in wicked activities. Hence, it is despised and held in contempt by alt living beings.

47. You are born of that tribe. You are a sinner. You harm and harass all living beings. Why then, O evil-minded one, do you not deserve to be shunned by good people?

48. Hence, comprehend this that you belong to a low caste and soon get away from here to another place. You are not to hesitate in this respect.

49-50. You are considerate to your body. You want to protect it. Hence, you do not go anywhere near thorns and other things. You cannot bear the pain thereof. Understand that in the same way, life is dear to all living beings. Everyone who is hit or hurt feels the pain just like you.

51. Non-violence unto all living beings. This is the eternal virtue (dharma). It is because you act contradictory to this dictum that you are despised by good men.

52. For sustaining your own life, you will not stop to kill all other living beings. How can you prevent yourself being considered censurable by good people?

53. Hence, go soon, O basest one among all men, there will not be dereliction of duty on my part and the subsequent loss thereof, on account of you.

54. If you do not go away from here yourself, I shall, by using force, generate in you the inclination to move away.

55. O sinner, your stay here even for half a moment is not conducive to your welfare. How can a hater of virtue, a person who always acts contradictory to the dictates of Dharma attain welfare?”

Vasiṣṭha said:

56. On hearing the words of Rāma, lord Śaṅkara, the wielder of the Pināka bow, who had assumed the form of a hunter said to him these words as though he was infuriated, despite the fact that he was delighted.

57. “I consider all this endeavour on your part to be futile. How is it that you are the first wise man, whence is Śambhu and whence is the penance?

58. O muddle-headed fellow, why do you take the trouble of performing penance now? Certainly Śaṅkara will not be pleased with you, since you are of misguided conduct.

59. Śambhu (god Śiva) has activities contradictory to the ways of the world, O evil-minded one. Excepting you, which unwise man will perform penance for propitiating him?

60. Or my departure (from this place) is undoubtedly relevant after honouring you in the capacity of the worshipper. There is (proper) association between you and Śambhu.

61. Only he is worthy of being worshipped by you because he is engaged in the universe (?) You are the qualified worshipper. There is no necessity for pondering over this.

62. By cutting off the head of Brahmā, the Parameṣṭhin the grand-father of the worlds, Śambhu incurred the sin of Brahmin-slaughter.

63. It is most probable, O Brāhmaṇa, that you have, been instructed by Śambhu who has been overwhelmed by the sin of Brahmin-slaughter to do the same thing. Otherwise how could you have acted in this manner?

64. I think, O sage, that within a short while the fulfilment of penance has been achieved by you now on account of the identity of qualities between you and Rudra.

65. By killing your own mother, you have been repudiated and expelled by almost all the people of the world. Under the pretext of performing a penance, you confine your activities to the dense forest devoid of people.

66. It is for dispelling the sin arising from Brahmin-slaughter, the murder of an elderly lady (your mother) that you are performing this penance but it won’t be destroyed on account of this penance.

67. There are means of expiation and atonement for other types of sins. But understand that there is no expiation (from sin) to those who injure and hurt their mothers.

68. If, O Rāma, the main characteristic feature of virtue is considered to be non-violence by you, why did you cut off the head of your mother with your own hand?

69. After committing the terrible murder of your own mother, (a sin) despised by all the worlds, you profess to be a righteous man and you censure others as you please.

70. Without knowing one’s own positive (irremediable) fault (sin) and by seeing and laughing (on your part), I regard it incompetent for you to criticise the faults of others.

71. If I were to forsake my duty (dharma) and remain care-free without fear from any quarter, then you can yourself mentally scrutinize and despise me as you please.

72. It is for the sustenance of my parents, sons and others that destruction of living beings is carried out by me as a part of my duty.

73. Along with my family, I sustain myself day by day with meat because it is my duty. This is the avocation formerly laid down by the creator for me.

74. If I kill (more animals and have with me more) meat than what is sufficient to nourish my parents and others, then I may incur sin.

75. We cannot be censured for killing to the extent necessary for sustenance. Praise or censure me after reflecting over this.

76. Whether it is good or bad, whatever duty had been prescribed before should be carried out by all, by every means, even during adversity and calamity.

77. Carefully examine with your own intellect, the difference between you and me. As for me, I am engaged in the sustenance of my parents and others whole-heartedly.

78. But you have forsaken your aged father and killed your mother. Still you profess to be righteous and you have come down here to perform penance.

79. Those who know the root cause, those who have clear vision about things are not able to move their tongue to give expression to what they desire at will.

80. I know perfectly well every thing about you, O scion of the family of Bhṛgu. Hence, enough of your futile penance.

81. If you desire happiness, O Rāma, leave off this penance that causes pain and distress to your body. Go elsewhere, O Rāma where people do not know you.