Chapter 32 - Paraśurāma’s penance (d): Paraśurāma receives missiles from Śiva

Vasiṣṭha said:

1. On hearing the words of Brahmā, Rāma became much delighted in his mind. After bowing down to the preceptor of the Universe, he went to Śiva’s region.

2. It was a hundred thousand Yojanas (1 Yojana—12 km) above the world of Brahmā. It was different from it. It was difficult to explain or describe it clearly. It could be approached only by Yogins and was greater than the greatest.

3. Vaikuṇṭha was to the right of it and the world of Gaurī was to the left. The world of Dhruva was beneath it. It was higher than all the worlds.

4. Rāma who could go there due to the power of his penance, saw the world of Siva which was unparalleled and which was full of many things generating curiosity and wonder.

5. Leading Yogins, Siddhas, auspicious and holy Pāśupatas (Devotees of Paśupati i.e. Śiva) etc. live there. So also people of quietude, devoid of enmity and having the meritorious benefits of austerities of ten million Kalpas.

6. It was rendered splendid by pārijāta and other divine trees as well as wish-yielding cows, the Kāmadhenus. It had been created by Śaṅkara, the Yogin, by means of his yogic power, out of his own will.

7-8. It was so wonderful that it had never been seen even in his dream by Viśvakarman, the preceptor of all artisans and craftsmen. It was rendered splendid by hundreds of divine lakes beautified by rubies. It was very beautiful, being equipped with altars studded with gems and surrounded by golden rampart walls.

9. It was very lofty touching even the sky. It was as white and clean as milk. It had four gateways. It was rendered splendid by gem-set altars and daises.

10. It was endowed with gemset^[1] (lit. red) flights of stairs, and gemset pillars and doors having different wonderful paintings. It was beautified by various fascinating articles and fittings.

11. There was a beautiful abode in the middle, rendered splendid by the principal gateway. Rāma of virtuous soul saw it. He appeared to have come across something very wonderful.

12-14. He saw two gatekeepers of terrifying forms there. Their teeth and mouths (or faces) were very frightful. Their eyes were deformed and reddish in colour. They resembled mountains that had been burnt (and hence black). They had great strength and exploit. They had bedecked themselves with holy ashes. Their garments were the hides of tiger. They held Triśūlas (tridents) and Paṭṭiśas (spears with sharp edges). They were brilliant with Brahminical splendour. On seeing them he felt a bit afraid in his mind. He spoke thus humbly—

15. “I bow down to you two, O Lords. I have come here to see lord Saṅkara. It behoves you to let me in after obtaining the permission of the Lord.”

16. On hearing his words, those two followers of the lord went in and got permission of Śiva. Then they gave him permission to go within.

17-18. On getting their permission, he joyously entered the harem. The Brāhmaṇa saw a beautiful assembly hall filled with groups of Siddhas. On seeing this hall of the lord filled with many fragrant scents, he was surprised and awestruck. There he saw Śiva, the quiescent moon-crested lord with three eyes.

19. His hand appeared rendered splendid by a trident. He had excellent garment of tiger’s skin. His limbs were smeared with holy ashes and made beautiful. A serpent served the purpose of sacred thread.

20. He was delighted in His own self. All his desires had been perfectly realized. He had a lustre equivalent to that of ten million suns. He had five heads and ten arms. His person was ever eager to bless the devotees.

21. He was expounding true knowledge and yogic principles to the Siddhas by means of the Tarka-Mudrā (i.e. esoteric gesture by means of fingers to indicate arguments). He was joyously being eulogised by leading Yogins and Pramathas.

22. He was encircled by Bhairavas, Yogins as well as Rudras. On seeing Him, Rāma bent down his head (in reverence) with very great joy.

23-24. On seeing Kārttikeya to His left, Gaṇeśvara (i.e. Gaṇapati) to the right, Nandīśvara, Mahākāla and Vīrabhadra in front of him and the hundred-armed Durgā on his lap, he bowed down to her too. Thereafter, the scholarly sage began to eulogise the lord in faltering convulsive speech (overwhelmed with emotions):

25. “I bow down to Lord Śiva, Īśāna, the eternal (imperishable) all-pervasive lord, lord Ugra with serpents for his ornaments, the lord dazzling with the garland of human skulls.

26. I know you as that lord of all the worlds, who creates, sustains and annihilates the worlds, who assumes the forms of Brahmā and others, who is the eldest of all and who is an ocean of mercy.

27. I bow down to that lord who is beyond the pale of speech and mind; whom even the Vedas are not competent to eulogise; who cannot be realized through knowledge and intellect and who has neither form nor shape.

28. I bow down to that lord who is greater than the greatest and whom Indra and other Devas, the sages, the Manus and the Asuras do not understand in reality.

29. I bow down to that lord who is identical with the Universe, by whose minutest part all the worlds consisting of the mobile and immobile beings are created, and in whom all of them get merged once again.

30. I bow down to Hara that great lord from whose slightest anger bursts forth that fire which bums down everything including the upper worlds as well as the Nether worlds.

31. The following eight Mūrtis^[2] (forms of Śiva) are worthy of being worshipped by the entire world viz. the Earth, wind, fire, water, ether, Yqjvan (sacrificial priest), moon and sun. I bow down to that Yajña (the lord identical with Yajña).

32. I seek refuge in that lord who has the form of Kāla (Time, god of death), who is the primordial creator of the Universe in the form of Kāla; who is the protector (of the Universe) by assuming a separate form and by being identical with the universe, and who in the end annihilates everything by assuming the physical form of Rudra.”

33. After saying this, sage Bhārgava joyously and enthusiastically fell down near his (Śiva’s) feet. The ocean of mercy (the lord) sportingly lifted him up with his left hand and placed his right hand on his head.

34. He eagerly congratulated and blessed him. He placed him in front of Gaṇeśa. With his eyes wet with compassion, the lord who fulfils the desires of everyone, glanced at his wife Umā and spoke.

Śiva said:

35. “O boy, who are you? In whose family were you born? What is the purpose for which you have come here? Tell us about it. Delighted by your devotional attitude, I shall grant whatever you have in your mind.”

36. On being told thus eagerly by the able-souled Hara, the dispeller of the distress of the whole Universe, (the scion of the family of) Bhṭgu, once again bowed down to the lord of the Devas, the preceptor, the ocean of mercy and spoke immediately.

Paraśurāma said:

37. O lord, I am born as the son of Jamadagni in the family of Bhṛgu. My name is Rāma. I seek refuge in you, who are worthy of being honoured by the whole universe.

38. O lord of the Universe, fulfil my cherished desire for the work of which I have come to your presence, O lord.

39. Jamadagni, my father, O lord, accorded hospitable reception to king Kārttavīrya who had been on a hunting expedition.

40. Out of greed that silly and foolish king struck that sage down by using force. On seeing him killed, the cow went away to the world of cows.

41. Without feeling any remorse for the death of my innocent father the king returned to his city. Afterwards, my mother lamented very bitterly.

42. On coming to know of it, our great-grandfather Bhṛgu who is aware of the events of the world, came there, O great lord. Indeed I too came back from the forest.

43. After consoling the extremely distressed brothers of mine along with me and my mother, that sage who is conversant with Mantras resuscitated my father back to life.

44. Before the arrival of Bhṛgu, I had been highly infuriated by the grief of my mother. Consoling my mother, O lord, I had taken a vow.

45. Since her chest had been beaten twenty-one times by my mother, I will rid the earth of Kṣatriyas as many times.

46. This is the vow. Lord of the Universe, Mahādeva will fulfil it. Hence, O lord, I have come to your presence.

Vasiṣṭha said:

47. On hearing these words of his and glancing at the face of Durgā, Hara remained absorbed in thought for a moment with his face bent down.

48. In the meantime surprised as she was, Durgā laughed a lot, O great king and said to Bhārgava who was bent on wreaking revenge.

49. “O ascetic, O son of a Brāhmaṇa, out of anger you wish to make this Earth devoid of kings twenty-one times. Great indeed is your daring rashness, O boy.

50. Without any weapon you wish to kill Arjuna, the king with a thousand arms, by whom even Rāvaṇa was contemptuously discomfited by a sportive knitting of his eyebrows.

51. To him the coat of mail of Lord Viṣṇu had been given as also the Śaktī (Divine javelin) of excessive potentiality. How do you aspire to kill him?

52. Lord Śaṅkara, the ocean of mercy is competent to make it otherwise. None other than Śaṅkara, dear son, can carry out a noble deed.”

53. Thereupon, after obtaining the consent of the goddess (by the previous hint) Lord Śambhu, the ocean of mercy addressed these gentle words to the son of Jamadagni.

Śiva said:

54. From today onwards O Brāhmaṇa, you shall be like Skanda to me. O highly intelligent one, I shall give you the divine coat of mail and teach you the mantra thereof.

55. Due to its favour, you will sportingly kill Kārttavīrya and make the earth devoid of kings, twenty-one times.”

56-61. After saying this, Śaṅkara taught him the Mantra (esoteric formula) that is extremely difficult to obtain and the following weapons etc. viz.—extremely miraculous coat of mail named Trailokyavijaya_; the Nāgapāśa (Serpentine noose), (missiles like) the Pāśupata, the Brahmāstra which is very much inaccessible, Nārāyaṇāstra, the Āgneya (Arrow with the fìregod as deity), the Vāyavya (of the wind god), the Vāruṇa (of Varuṇa the ocean-god), the Gāndharva, the Gāruḍa, the extremely wonderful weapon Jṛmbhaṇāstra, the mace, the Śakti, the Paraśu (Axe) the trident and the excellent Daṇḍa (baton).

On receiving all these weapons Rāma became delighted. After bowing down to the quiescent Śiva, Durgā, Skanda and Gaṇeśvara and circumambulating them Rāma went to the excellent holy centre Puṣkara.^[3] After mastering the technique of the Mantra conferred by Śiva and Kavaca (the excellent coat of mail,) the scion of the family of Bhṛgu fulfilled his task. After killing Kārttavīrya along with his army and the entire family he returned. The leading member of the family of Bhṛgu went to the abode of his father.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

rakta is probably a misprint for ratna.

[2]:

These eight forms of Śiva are comprised of (1) the elements (bhūtas) constituting physical man, (2) Prāṇa and Apāna symbolized by the sun and the moon. These constitute the vital man, (3) Mind or manas called by various names like Hotṛ, Yqjvan (Yajamāna), Dīkṣita etc. Kālidāsa in Śākuntalā 1.1 pays obeisance to this eight-formed Śiva. These are called eight Vasus in Vedic literature as they make all creatures manifest in concrete form (Śat. Br, II.6.3.6).

[3]:

A holy place six miles from Ajmer (Rajasthan). There are three Kuṇḍas called Jyeṣṭha, Madhyama and Kaniṣṭha. The Sarasvatī is credited to have filled these Kuṇḍas for her father Brahmadeva vide infra ch. 35.38-44.