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Parashurama(Sanskrit:
IAST:Paraurma,lit.Ramawithanaxe)isthesixth
avatarofVishnuinHinduism.HeisthesonofRenukaandoneofthesaptarishis,Jamadagni.Helived
duringthelastTretaandDvaparaYugasandisoneoftheChiranjivi(immortals)ofHinduism.Parashurama,
aBrahminreceivedhisfamousaxeafterundertakingterriblepenancetopleaseShiva,whointurntaught
himKalariPayattu(themotherofallmartialarts).
Parashuramaismostknownforriddingtheworldofkshatriyastwentyonetimesoverafterthemighty
kingKartaviryaArjunakilledhisfather.HeplaysimportantrolesintheMahabharataandRamayana,
servingasmentortoBhishma,DronaandKarna.
ParashuramaandRavana'ssonIndrajitarebelievedtobetheonlyhumanswhoeverpossessedthethree
ultimateweapons:theBrahmandaastra,VaishnavaastraandPashupatastra.Parashuramawasadisciple
ofShivaandlearnedthescripturesandtheartsofwarfarefromShiva.Hethenacquiredcelestialweapons
fromShivaandtheothergodsonShiva'sinstructions.ShivapersonallytrainedParashuramafordecades
intheartofwarfare.TheBhargavastrawashispersonalcelestialweaponandvijayawashispersonalbow
whichwasgiftedbyShiva.Parashuramaalsofoughtbacktheadvancingseastosavethelands
ofKonkanandKerala.
Parashuramaisworshippedasmlapurua,ormaleancestralfounder,of
theNiyogi,Bhumihar,Chitpavan,Devrukhe,Daivadnya,Mohyal,Tyagi,AnavilandNambudiri
Brahmincommunities.AlongwiththesagesVyasa,KripaandDrona'ssonAshwatthama,Parashuramais
consideredtobeforemostamongtherishisintheKaliyuga.[1][2]Parashuramawillalsobecomeoneofthe
saptarishiinthe8thManvantara.[3]ParashuramaisamightyMaharathiandhewillreappearasthemartial
instructorofVishnu's10thavatarKalki.
Contents[hide]
1Etymology
2Lineage
3Birth
3.1Renuka&TheClayPot
4AcquiringWeaponsfromLordShiva
5GettingVijayaBowFromLordIndra
6KartaviryaSahastrarjunandTheHaihayaKingdom
7TheSacredCalf,TheDeathofKartaviryaArjuna&theGenocideoftheKshatriyas.
7.1VengeanceAgainstKshatriya
8Ramayana
8.1Shiva'sBow
9Mahabharata
9.1VowofBhishma
9.2MentorshipOfDrona
9.3FateOfKarna
10DifferentEpochs
10.1Ekadanta
10.2BeatingBackTheArabianSea
10.3RequestToShiva
10.4Rambhoja
10.5Surya
10.6Dattatreya
11Kalaripayattu
12Sanyasi&EndTime
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13ParashuramaTemples
14ParashuramaKshetras
15Seealso
16References
17AdditionalSources
18Externallinks

Etymology

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ThewordParashuramaisderivedfromtwowordsparashu()
meaning'axe'andrama().Soliterally,
thewordParashuramameans'Ramawithanaxe'.Hisothernamesinclude:
Ramabhadra()graciousRama
Bhargava(
)descendantofBhrigu
Bhrigupati(
)lordofBhrigudynasty

Bhriguvanshi(

)hewhobelongstoBhrigulineage

Jamadagnya()sonofJamadagni

Lineage

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TheexactbirthplaceofBhargavParashuramaiscontested,althoughthehistoryofhislineagetookplacein
theHaihayaKingdomlocatedinmoderndayMaheshwar.
ThegrandfatherofBhargavaParashuramawasagreatrishinamedRuchika,whowassonofafamous
sageBhrigu.ParshuramisalsothekulguruofBharadwajandKashyapgotra.Parshuramisdescendantof
Bhrigu.Oneday,therishiwastravelingthroughthecountrysideseekingabride.Atthetime,therewere
twodominantclans,theBharatSuryavanshaorSolarDynastyandtheChandravamshaorLunarDynasty.
TherulingKingGadhibelongedtotheLunarDynastyandhadabeautifuldaughter,Satyavati,whowas
unwed.RuchikavisitedtheKing,whoentertainedhimathiscourt.Therishiwasbesotwiththebeautyof
SatyavatiandattheendoftheeveningheaskedtheKingtohaveherashisbride.
TheKingwastakenaback,butcouldnotdenytherequestofaBrahmin.Assuch,heagreedtogivehis
daughterawaytotherishi,butonconditionthatRuchikagivehimonethousandhorses,allwithoneear
blackandthebodyentirelywhite.TherishiagreedtothedemandoftheKing.Hethendidpenance
toVarunaandwasblessedwiththehorsesthattheKinghadrequested.RuchikathenmarriedSatyavati
afterfulfillingwishesoftheKing.
Satyavatiadjustedwelltoanasceticlifeasshewasblessedwithagoodcountenance,butshedidnot
haveanychildren.Meanwhile,attheKingdom,herfatherhadnoheirtothethroneaswellandthisalso
worriedSatyavati.Oneday,Ruchikaaskedherwhatwaswrongandshetoldhimofherconcernsforthe
Kingdom.
ThenRuchikahelpedbothSatyavatiandhermother.HegaveSatyavatitwopotions,oneforhermotherso
thatshewouldhaveamightyKshatriyasonandoneforSatyavatisothatshewouldhaveasonthatwould
becomeagreatsage.Satyavatigavethepotionstohermother.However,nottrustingthesage,her
motherswitchedthecontainers.
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Intime,bothmotheranddaughterfoundtheywereexpectingchildren.However,thesagenoticedthat
whenhelookedathiswifehesawaKshatriyaauraandheaskedwhathadhappened.Satyavatitold
Ruchika,towhichheresponded,"Nowoursonwillbeagreatwarriorinsteadofasage."Satyavatibegged
therishitoinsteadmakehergrandsonbecomethegreatwarriorandhersonarishi.Seeingherdistress,
Ruchikaacquiesced.Satyavatigavebirthtoason,Jamadagni,whobecameagreatsaptarishi,whileher
grandsonBhargavwasthesixthincarnationofVishnuandoneofthegreatestwarriorsofallages.

Birth

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TheexactlocationofBhargav'sbirthiscontested,althoughpuranasclaimthathewasbornatRenuka
TirthasthesixthincarnationofLordVishnu.Hisfather,Jamadagni,wasadirectdescendant
ofBrahma.RenukagavebirthtofoursonsbeforeParashurama:Vasu,VisvaVasu,Brihudyanuand
Brutvakanva.Beforethebirthoftheirfifthson,JamadagnimeditatedwithhiswifeRenukaatTapeKa
TibanearRenukalakefordivineprovidence.WiththeblessingofLordShiva,Vishnuansweredtheir
wishesandwasbornfromthewombofRenukaastheirfifthandyoungestson,whomtheynamed
Rambhadra.

Renuka&TheClayPot

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GoddessRenukawasknownforherchastityanddevotiontoherhusband.Suchwasherfaith,thatshe
wasabletofetchwaterfromtheriverinapotofunbakedclay,withthepotheldtogetheronlybythe
strengthofherdevotion.
Onedaywhileattheriver,agroupofGandharvasinachariotpassedbyintheskyabove.Filledwith
desireforonlyamoment,theunbakedpotshehelddissolvedintheriver.Afraidtoreturntoherhusband,
shewaitedattheriverbank,uncertainofwhattodonext.Meanwhile,Jamadagninoticedhiswifehadnot
returned.Throughhisyogicpowers,hedivinedallthathadtakenplaceandwasenraged.Therishicalled
hiseldestson,handedhimanaxeandaskedtheboytokillhismother.Horrified,theboyrefusedandso
Jamadagniturnedhimtostone.Hethenaskedeachofhissonsandastheyrefused,onebyone,he
turnedthemtostone.Finallyonlyhisyoungestson,Parashuramawasleft.Everobedient,theboy
beheadedhismother.
PleasedJamadagnithenofferedtwoboonstoParashurama.Theboyaskedthathismotherbebrought
backtolifeandhisbrotherstobereturnedfromstonetoflesh.Impressedbytheaffectionanddevotionof
hisson,Jamadagnigrantedhisrequest.

AcquiringWeaponsfromLordShiva

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Parashuramagrewuptobeapowerfulyouth.ThoughaBrahminbybirth,Ramaexpressedalotofinterest
inweaponsandaftercompletingtutelageunderhisfatherwhowashimselfapowerfularcher,Ramawent
totheGandhamadanamountains.Oncethere,heundertookseverepenancestopleaseLordShiva.
LordShivawaspleasedwiththis,andappearedbeforehimandaskedhimforaboon.Parashurama
expressedhisdesiretoobtaincelestialweaponsfromtheGod.Shivatoldhimthathewouldgranttheboon
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onlywhenParashuramaprovedhimselftobeaworthysoul.Afteryearsofpenances,Shivawaspleased
withParashurama'sdevotionandsummonedhim.ShivaorderedParashuramatoslaytheDaityasand
DanavaswhoweretheenemiesoftheDevas,towhichthelatteragreed.
AftervanquishingtheDaityasandDanavasinbattle,Parashuramaprovedhimselfworthyandacquiredthe
celestialweaponsfromShiva.
Once,LordShivachallengedShriParashuramtoabattletotesthisskillsinwarfare.Thespiritualmaster
LordShivaandthediscipleShriParashurambecamelockedinfiercebattle,adreadfulduelthatlastedfor
twentyonedaysandwhileevadingablowbytheTrident(Trishul)ofLordShiva,ShriParashuram
counteredandvigorouslyattackedhimwithhisParashu.ItstruckLordShivaontheforeheadcreatinga
wound.LordShivawasverypleasedtoseetheamazingwarfareskillsofhisdiscipleandpassionately
embracedShriParashuram.LordShivapreservedthiswoundasanornamentsothatthereputationofhis
discipleremainedimperishableandinsurmountable.'Khandaparshu'(woundedbyParashu)isoneofthe
thousandnames(forthesalutation)ofLordShiva.

GettingVijayaBowFromLordIndra

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ShriParashurama,clippedthethousandarmsofKartaviryaArjuna(Sahastrarjun),onebyone,withhis
Parshuandkilledhim.Herepelledhisarmybyshoweringarrowsonthem.Thewholecountrygreatly
welcomedthedestructionofKartaviryaArjuna(Sahastrarjun).ThekingofDeities,Indrawasinpossession
ofLordShiva'sVijayaDhanusha.IndrawassopleasedthathepresentedthismostbelovedVijaya(bow)to
ShriParashuramaoninstructionfromLordShiva.DevIndrahaddestroyeddemondynastieswiththisbow.
BythefatalarrowsshotwiththehelpofthisVijayabow,ShriParashuramadestroyedthe
miscreantKshatriyastwentyonetimes.
LaterShriParashuramapresentedtheVijayabowtohisdiscipleKarnawhenhewaspleasedwithhis
intensedevotiontotheGuru.Karnausedthisbowtofightonthe17thdayoftheKurukshetra
war.KarnabecomeunconquerablewithhelpoftheVijaya.

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