Part 5: Death of Rāma

Wherever there was a Kṣatriya, there Paraśurāma’s axe blazed like the fire of anger embodied. One day Rāma went to that hermitage and the axe blazed, indicating a Kṣatriya like smoke a fire. The ascetics were questioned by Rāma, “Is a Kṣatriya here?” and they replied, “We are Kṣatriyas who became ascetics.” Because of his anger Rāma made the earth clear of Kṣatriyas seven times, like a forest-fire clearing a mountain-slope of grass. Rāma filled a dish with the crushed teeth of the Kṣatriyas, giving the appearance of a full dish of Yama whose desire had been fulfilled.

One day Rāma asked the astrologers, “From what source will my slaying come?” For always people engaged in hostilities fear death from an enemy. They said, “Your slaying will come from him who, occupying the lion-throne here, eats the teeth made into a rice-pudding.” Rāma had an asylum built, quite open, and had a lion-throne set in the front part, and the dish in front of it.

Then Subhūma, golden, twenty-eight bows tall, attained marvelous growth in the hermitage like a tree in a court-yard. One day the Vidyādhara, Meghanāda, asked the astrologers, “To whom should my daughter Padmaśrī be given?” They designated Subhūma as the very best husband for her. He gave the girl to him and became a follower of him alone. The sole protector (of the earth), Subhūma, like a frog in a well, asked his mother, “Is the, world just so large or is there more of it?” His mother explained: “The world is endless, son. This hermitage is only a fly-speck on the world. There is in the world a city, named Hastināpura. Your father Kṛtavīrya, was a long-armed king there. Rāma killed your father and took possession of the kingdom himself. He made the earth free of Kṣatriyas and we stay here from fear.” Then Subhūma, blazing like Bhauma,^[1] went to Hastināpura, hostile and angry. The brilliance of a Kṣatriya is hard to bear. He, fair-armed, went to the asylum, sat down on the lion-throne like a lion, and ate the teeth which had become rice-pudding. The Brāhmans who were guardians there arose for battle and were killed by Meghanāda, like deer by a tiger. Then Rāma, his teeth and hair sparkling, biting his lips with his teeth, came there, as if drawn by Yama’s noose, in anger. The axe was hurled furiously by Rāma at Subhūma. It was extinguished immediately in him, like a spark in water. Because of the lack of a weapon, Subhūma scooped up the dish of teeth. It became a cakra instantly. What can not result from a wealth of merit? Then he, the eighth Cakravartin, cut off Paraśurāma’s head, like cutting off a lotus.