Chapter 46 - The narrative of Bhārgava Paraśurāma (j)

Vasiṣṭha said:—

1-3. While coming along the path, Rāma heard the details (of his father’s murder) from the beginning, from the sages such as the attempt (on his father’s life) by the princes, the passing away of his parents, the murder of his father and the removal of the head of his father by them.

On hearing of the death of his mother due to his father’s death, Rāma of powerful arms, became miserable and grieved and he lamented. Akṛtavraṇa who had been equally grieved consoled him.

4. Through reasons pointed out in the scriptures, through hints of his heroism and capacity and through cogent arguments and popular examples he alleviated Rāma’s grief.

5. On being consoled, the highly intelligent scion of the family of Bhṛgu, regained his courage. He proceeded ahead, desirous of seeing his brothers. He was accompanied by his friend.

6. Himself, reduced in physical strength due to misery he saw them (his brothers). He bowed down to them who too were equally miserable. Continuously experiencing grief and anger, he stayed with them for three days.

7. His fierce wrath (due to the recurring) recollection of the death of his father developed soon so much that it became capable of annihilating the worlds.

8. Being truthful to his vow, he reaffirmed in his heart the pledge taken by him formerly for the sake of his mother. He prepared himself for the massacre of all Kṣatriyas.

9-10. Bhārgava resolved thus—“After killing all those born of Kṣatriya race, I will perform the libation offerings to my parents with the blood from their bodies”. He indicated his desire to all his brothers. Being permitted by them and having concluded all the obsequies, he started from his house.

11. Accompanied by Akṛtavraṇa, he went to Māhiṣmatī. Standing in a park at the outskirts of that city, he remembered Mahodara.

12. He sent to Rāma a chariot bow etc. and all the necessary requisites for fighting along with Sahasāha.

13. Rāma, the conqueror of enemies, became ready (for the battle) well-accoutred. He got into the chariot. He took up his bow along with the arrows and blew his conch presented by Rudra.

14. He made a twanging sound with the bowstring, making heaven and Earth tremble as it were. Sahasāha, the most excellent one among the charioteers, drove the chariot.

15. On account of the sounds of the chariot as well as the bow-string of (Rāma) who was furious due to the slaughter of his parents, the entire city, the people and elephants became agitated.

16. On coining to know that Rāma, the destroyer of all Kṣatriyas, had come, the sons of the king became deeply agitated and they made full preparations for fighting with him.

17. Then, O king, the heroic princes Śūrasena and others (seated) in five chariots, made their endeavour to fight with Rāma. They were accompanied by other kings as well.

18. Equipped with armies consisting of four different units, those leading Kṣatriyas confronted Rāma like the locusts approching fire.

19. With his single chariot, Bhārgava restrained them as they rushed on. Being a hero of boundless valour, he fought with all the kings in the battle.

20. A battle took place once again between Rāma and the kings, wherein the infuriated sage of high intellect, killed a hundred kings.

21. After killing Śūrasena and others along with their armies and vehicles, he made the entire group of Kṣatriyas fall on the ground in a moment.

22. The kings who survived, whose wishes had been frustrated and whose vehicles and armies had been killed fled in all directions.

23. After routing the armies, killing the enemies and winning the battle, Rāma killed hundreds of kings and heroes by means of the fire from his excellent arrows.

24. Overwhelmed with fury and desirous of burning the entire city, Bhārgava discharged a missile that had a lustre similar to that of Kālāgni (the fire of world-destruction).

25. The fire from that missile burned the city along with elephants, horses and men. The flames enveloped the clusters of the entire rampart-wall of the city.

26. On seeing the city being burned and desirous of saving his own life, Prince Vītihotra became frightened and fled quickly for the sake of life.

27. After burning the entire city by means of fire from the missile, and after killing the enemies Rāma appeared like the god of Death, the destroyer who devours all the worlds.

28. Accompanied by Akṛtavraṇa and Sahasāha he went ahead making the Earth tremble, as it were, by means of the (rumbling) sound of the chariot.

29. After killing all the Kṣatriyas on the surface of the Earth, Rāma became calm. Then he went to the mountain Mahendra determining in his mind that he should perform penance.

30. In the meantime, in thirty-two years (?) Kṣatriyas rose into prominence. Therefore, he returned (from penance) and took the vow of killing them.

31. Kṣatriya kings were begotten of the widowed wives of those Kṣatriyas by Brāhmaṇas. Again he (Rāma) killed hundreds and thousands of such kings.

32. In two years, Rāma made the Earth devoid of Kṣatriyas once again. At the end of it he performed penance of twenty-four years duration once again.

33. Again, O king, enlightened Kṣatriyas were procreated by the Brāhmaṇas. Rāma killed them entirely like the god of death, the destroyer on the Earth.

34. In the course of so many years some kings were born. Killing them Rāma roamed over the Earth continuously for two years.

35. Enough (of this repetition of incidents) O leading king. The Earth was rendered Kṣatriya-less by Rāma who remembered the death of his father. He cleaved the earth of Kṣatriyas for all twenty-one times.

36. Since his mother beat her own breast twenty-one times, Kṣatriyas on the Earth were exterminated by Rāma as many times.^[1]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This seems to be the refrain of the traditional ballad of Paraśurāma.