Chapter 44 - The narrative of Bhārgava Paraśurāma (h)

Vasiṣṭha said:

1. Thus the scholarly scion, of the family of Bhṛgu, of righteous Soul, proceeded (homeward) accompanied by Akṛtavraṇa, seeing on the way many lands and territories, O king.

2. Seeing Bhārgava on the way, everywhere all the Kṣatriyas hid themselves in their eagerness and anxiety to save their lives.

3. Then, O leading king, Rāma reached the hermitage of his father, that echoed with the sound of the Vedic Mantras and that was abounding in animals of tranquil nature.

4. It was a place where the animals (though mutually inimical by nature), like lions, deer, cows, elephants, cats and mice, roamed about in joy simultaneously, leaving off their fear.

5. On seeing the smoke arising from the Agnihotra rites, O ruler of the Earth, the peacocks cry aloud and dance delightedly (as if they have seen a cloud).

6. In the evening hours, the ground there was rendered slushy (?) with water by Brāhmaṇas who used to offer water libations facing the setting Sun.

7. The Vedas, Scriptures and Saṃhitās were joyously recited there, by the resident disciples strictly adhering to the vow of celibacy.

8. Surveying the luxurious wealth of the hermitage with great delight in his mind, O king, Rāma entered it accompanied by Akṛtavraṇa.

9. On being welcomed and honoured by the Brāhmaṇas and their sons who uttered such words as “Be victorious”, “Obeisance to you”, Rāma became greatly delighted-

10. Entering the inner precincts of the hermitage, his own house, Rāma saw his father, Jamadagni, the very storehouse of Penance.

11. The sage was one capable of chastising or blessing. He was seated there like Bhṛgu himself. Rāma prostrated him self at his feet touching the ground with eight parts (of his body).

12. “I am Rāma, your slave”—Uttering this, O lord of the Earth, Rāma, the leader of good people, duly touched his feet.

13. Then he made obeisance to the feet of his mother. With palms joined in reverence, he made the following statement which made them delighted.

Rāma said:

14. Due to the potentiality of your penance, O father, Kārttavīrya who was extremely inassailable (to his enemies) was killed in battle along with his sons, armies and vehicles.

15. Punishment was sternly meted out by me to (that king) who committed an offence against you, on being urged by his wicked minister, O leading sage.

16. After bowing down to you, I approached Brahmā. After duly bowing down to him I intimated to him my purpose of seeing him.

17. On hearing the report from the beginning, that lord advised me. “Go to the eternal region of God Śiva for the realization of your object”.

18. After hearing his words, O father, I bowed down to Pitāmaha (god Brahmā) and went to Śivaloka with a desire to see Hara.

19. On entering it, O holy Sir, Lord Śiva accompanied by his consort Umā, Śiva who bestows the objects desired by us, was duly saluted by me.

20. In his presence the whole of my history was reported by me. With great concentration of mind, he heard everything.

21. Hearing it and pondering over everything, the merciful lord gave me a Kavaca (an esoteric mantra as a coat of mail) named Trailokyavijaya (conqueror of the three worlds). It is the bestower of success in everything.

22-23. On obtaining it, I bowed down to him and went to Puṣkara. There I practised the Kavaca and became delighted in my mind. After killing Kārttavīrya in the battle, I went to Śivaloka once again. There Skanda and Vināyaka were seen by me at the entrance.

24-25. O sage conversant with Dharma, I attempted to enter after bowing down to them.

On seeing me entering hurriedly, Gaṇeśa suddenly prevented me saying—“This is not the proper time”. Therefore, O father, a wordy warfare took place between me and him. Then the seizure of each other’s hands and tugging at them followed. Thereafter, the hurling of the axe took place, O delighted of the family of ‘Bhṛgu’.

26-29. Coming to know of it, he (Vināyaka) seized me with his hand and whirled me upwards and downwards. Then I was brought back (to my original place). On seeing him, the axe was hurled by me with great anger. His tusk was felled down when the lord came there. Pārvatī became angry. Then Kṛṣṇa came there accompanied by Rādhā. She (Pārvatī) was appeased by him and she granted me a boon. Kṛṣṇa went away after making me friendly with him (Gaṇeśa).

30. Thereafter, I bowed down to Pārvatī and the Supreme Lord Śiva, the sovereign of the Devas and have now come to your presence accompanied by Akṛtavraṇa”.

Vasiṣṭha said;

31. After saying this, O lord of the Earth, Rāma, the scion of the family of Bhṛgu, stopped. Jamadagni then said to Rāma, the slayer of enemies.

Jamadagni said:

32. You have been affected by the sin of slaughtering Kṣatriyas. In order to remove the sin thereof, it behoves you to perform expiation duly”.

33. On being told thus, Rāma, the most excellent one among intelligent persons, requested his father—“It behoves you to point out to me the proper expiation thereof”.

Jamadagni said:

34. “Perform a penance for twelve years making your body emaciated by means of holy rites and observances and subsisting only on greens, roots and fruits for your diet”.

Vasiṣṭha said:

35. On being told thus, the leading member of the family of Bhṛgu, bowed down to him as well as to his mother, O king, and went for performing penance accompanied by Akṛtavraṇa.

36-37. He, the destroyer of enemies, went to the excellent mountain Mahendra.^[1] He built a hermitage there and performed a penance very difficult to be performed by others.

Rāma of noble mind spent some years there performing holy rites and observances and the worship of the deities.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The range of bills extending from Orissa to Madurai district. It includes the Eastern Ghat and the range extending from Northern Circars to Gondwana—De, p. 119.