TEXT 1
TEXT
sri-badarayanir uvaca
ailasya corvasi-garbhat
sad asann atmaja nrpa
ayuh srutayuh satyayu
rayo ‘tha vijayo jayah
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: O King Pariksit, from the womb of Urvasi,
six sons were generated by Pururava. Their names were Ayu, Srutayu,
Satyayu, Raya, Vijaya and Jaya.
TEXTS 2-3
TEXT
srutayor vasuman putrah
satyayos ca srutanjayah
rayasya suta ekas ca
jayasya tanayo ‘mitah
bhimas tu vijayasyatha
kancano hotrakas tatah
tasya jahnuh suto gangam
gandusi-krtya yo ‘pibat
The son of Srutayu was Vasuman; the son of Satyayu, Srutanjaya; the
son of Raya, Eka; the son of Jaya, Amita; and the son of Vijaya, Bhima.
The son of Bhima was Kancana; the son of Kancana was Hotraka; and the son
of Hotraka was Jahnu, who drank all the water of the Ganges in one sip.
TEXT 4
TEXT
jahnos tu purus tasyatha
balakas catmajo ‘jakah
tatah kusah kusasyapi
kusambus tanayo vasuhkusanabhas ca catvaro
gadhir asit kusambujah
The son of Jahnu was Puru, the son of Puru was Balaka, the son of
Balaka was Ajaka, and the son of Ajaka was Kusa. Kusa had four sons,
named Kusambu, Tanaya, Vasu and Kusanabha. The son of Kusambu was Gadhi.
TEXTS 5-6
TEXT
tasya satyavatim kanyam
rciko ‘yacata dvijah
varam visadrsam matva
gadhir bhargavam abravit
ekatah syama-karnanam
hayanam candra-varcasam
sahasram diyatam sulkam
kanyayah kusika vayam
King Gadhi had a daughter named Satyavati, whom a brahmana sage named
Rcika requested from the King to be his wife. King Gadhi, however,
regarded Rcika as an unfit husband for his daughter, and therefore he
told the brahmana, “My dear sir, I belong to the dynasty of Kusa. Because
we are aristocratic ksatriyas, you have to give some dowry for my
daughter. Therefore, bring at least one thousand horses, each as
brilliant as moonshine and each having one black ear, whether right or
left.”
TEXT 7
TEXT
ity uktas tan-matam jnatva
gatah sa varunantikam
aniya dattva tan asvan
upayeme varananam
When King Gadhi made this demand, the great sage Rcika could
understand the King’s mind. Therefore he went to the demigod Varuna and
brought from him the one thousand horses that Gadhi had demanded. After
delivering these horses, the sage married the King’s beautiful daughter.
TEXT 8
TEXT
sa rsih prarthitah patnya
svasrva capatya-kamyaya
srapayitvobhayair mantrais
carum snatum gato munih
Thereafter, Rcika Muni’s wife and mother-in-law, each desiring a son,
requested the Muni to prepare an oblation. Thus Rcika Muni prepared one
oblation for his wife with a brahmana mantra and another for his motherin-
law with a ksatriya mantra. Then he went out to bathe.
TEXT 9
TEXT
tavat satyavati matra
sva-carum yacita sati
srestham matva tayayacchan
matre matur adat svayam
Meanwhile, because Satyavati’s mother thought that the oblation
prepared for her daughter, Rcika’s wife, must be better, she asked her
daughter for that oblation. Satyavati therefore gave her own oblation to
her mother and ate her mother’s oblation herself.
TEXT 10
TEXT
tad viditva munih praha
patnim kastam akarasih
ghoro danda-dharah putro
bhrata te brahma-vittamah
When the great sage Rcika returned home after bathing and understood
what had happened in his absence, he said to his wife, Satyavati, “You
have done a great wrong. Your son will be a fierce ksatriya, able to
punish everyone, and your brother will be a learned scholar in spiritual
science.”
TEXT 11
TEXT
prasaditah satyavatya
maivam bhur iti bhargavah
atha tarhi bhavet pautro
jamadagnis tato ‘bhavat
Satyavati, however, pacified Rcika Muni with peaceful words and
requested that her son not be like a fierce ksatriya. Rcika Muni replied,
“Then your grandson will be of a ksatriya spirit.” Thus Jamadagni was
born as the son of Satyavati.
TEXTS 12-13
TEXT
sa cabhut sumahat-punya
kausiki loka-pavani
renoh sutam renukam vai
jamadagnir uvaha yam
tasyam vai bhargava-rseh
suta vasumad-adayah
yaviyan jajna etesam
rama ity abhivisrutah
Satyavati later became the sacred river Kausiki to purify the entire
world, and her son, Jamadagni, married Renuka, the daughter of Renu. By
the semen of Jamadagni, many sons, headed by Vasuman, were born from the
womb of Renuka. The youngest of them was named Rama, or Parasurama.
TEXT 14
TEXT
yam ahur vasudevamsam
haihayanam kulantakam
trih-sapta-krtvo ya imam
cakre nihksatriyam mahim
Learned scholars accept this Parasurama as the celebrated incarnation
of Vasudeva who annihilated the dynasty of Kartavirya. Parasurama killed
all the ksatriyas on earth twenty-one times.
TEXT 15
TEXT
drptam ksatram bhuvo bharam
abrahmanyam aninasat
rajas-tamo-vrtam ahan
phalguny api krte ‘mhasi
When the royal dynasty, being excessively proud because of the
material modes of passion and ignorance, became irreligious and ceased to
care for the laws enacted by the brahmanas, Parasurama killed them.
Although their offense was not very severe, he killed them to lessen the
burden of the world.
TEXT 16
TEXT
sri-rajovaca
kim tad amho bhagavato
rajanyair ajitatmabhih
krtam yena kulam nastam
ksatriyanam abhiksnasah
King Pariksit inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami: What was the offense
that the ksatriyas who could not control their senses committed before
Lord Parasurama, the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
for which the Lord annihilated the ksatriya dynasty again and again?
TEXTS 17-19
TEXT
sri-badarayanir uvaca
haihayanam adhipatir
arjunah ksatriyarsabhah
dattam narayanamsamsam
aradhya parikarmabhih
bahun dasa-satam lebhe
durdharsatvam aratisu
avyahatendriyaujah sritejo-
virya-yaso-balam
yogesvaratvam aisvaryam
guna yatranimadayah
cacaravyahata-gatir
lokesu pavano yatha
Sukadeva Gosvami said: The best of the ksatriyas, Kartaviryarjuna, the
King of the Haihayas, received one thousand arms by worshiping
Dattatreya, the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Narayana. He also became undefeatable by enemies and received
unobstructed sensory power, beauty, influence, strength, fame and the
mystic power by which to achieve all the perfections of yoga, such as
anima and laghima. Thus having become fully opulent, he roamed all over
the universe without opposition, just like the wind.
TEXT 20
TEXT
stri-ratnair avrtah kridan
revambhasi madotkatah
vaijayantim srajam bibhrad
rurodha saritam bhujaih
Once while enjoying in the water of the River Narmada, the puffed-up
Kartaviryarjuna, surrounded by beautiful women and garlanded with a
garland of victory, stopped the flow of the water with his arms.
TEXT 21
TEXT
viplavitam sva-sibiram
pratisrotah-sarij-jalaih
namrsyat tasya tad viryam
viramani dasananah
Because Kartaviryarjuna made the water flow in the opposite direction,
the camp of Ravana, which was set up on the bank of the Narmada near the
city of Mahismati, was inundated. This was unbearable to the ten-headed
Ravana, who considered himself a great hero and could not tolerate
Kartaviryarjuna’s power.
TEXT 22
TEXT
grhito lilaya strinam
samaksam krta-kilbisah
mahismatyam sanniruddho
mukto yena kapir yatha
When Ravana attempted to insult Kartaviryarjuna in the presence of the
women and thus offended him, Kartaviryarjuna easily arrested Ravana and
put him in custody in the city of Mahismati, just as one captures a
monkey, and then released him neglectfully.
TEXT 23
TEXT
sa ekada tu mrgayam
vicaran vijane vane
yadrcchayasrama-padam
jamadagner upavisat
Once while Kartaviryarjuna was wandering unengaged in a solitary
forest and hunting, he approached the residence of Jamadagni.
TEXT 24
TEXT
tasmai sa naradevaya
munir arhanam aharat
sasainyamatya-vahaya
havismatya tapo-dhanah
The sage Jamadagni, who was engaged in great austerities in the
forest, received the King very well, along with the King’s soldiers,
ministers and carriers. He supplied all the necessities to worship these
guests, for he possessed a kamadhenu cow that was able to supply
everything.
TEXT 25
TEXT
sa vai ratnam tu tad drstva
atmaisvaryatisayanam
tan nadriyatagnihotryam
sabhilasah sahaihayah
Kartaviryarjuna thought that Jamadagni was more powerful and wealthy
than himself because of possessing a jewel in the form of the kamadhenu.
Therefore he and his own men, the Haihayas, were not very much
appreciative of Jamadagni’s reception. On the contrary, they wanted to
possess that kamadhenu, which was useful for the execution of the
agnihotra sacrifice.
TEXT 26
TEXT
havirdhanim rser darpan
naran hartum acodayat
te ca mahismatim ninyuh
sa-vatsam krandatim balat
Being puffed up by material power, Kartaviryarjuna encouraged his men
to steal Jamadagni’s kamadhenu. Thus the men forcibly took away the
crying kamadhenu, along with her calf, to Mahismati, Kartaviryarjuna’s
capital.
TEXT 27
TEXT
atha rajani niryate
rama asrama agatah
srutva tat tasya dauratmyam
cukrodhahir ivahatah
Thereafter, Kartaviryarjuna having left with the kamadhenu, Parasurama
returned to the asrama. When Parasurama, the youngest son of Jamadagni,
heard about Kartaviryarjuna’s nefarious deed, he became as angry as a
trampled snake.
TEXT 28
TEXT
ghoram adaya parasum
satunam varma karmukam
anvadhavata durmarso
mrgendra iva yuthapam
Taking up his fierce chopper, his shield, his bow and a quiver of
arrows, Lord Parasurama, exceedingly angry, chased Kartaviryarjuna just
as a lion chases an elephant.
TEXT 29
TEXT
tam apatantam bhrgu-varyam ojasa
dhanur-dharam bana-parasvadhayudham
aineya-carmambaram arka-dhamabhir
yutam jatabhir dadrse purim visan
As King Kartaviryarjuna entered his capital, Mahismati Puri, he saw
Lord Parasurama, the best of the Bhrgu dynasty, coming after him, holding
a chopper, shield, bow and arrows. Lord Parasurama was covered with a
black deerskin, and his matted locks of hair appeared like the sunshine.
TEXT 30
TEXT
acodayad dhasti-rathasva-pattibhir
gadasi-banarsti-sataghni-saktibhih
aksauhinih sapta-dasatibhisanas
ta rama eko bhagavan asudayat
Upon seeing Parasurama, Kartaviryarjuna immediately feared him and
sent many elephants, chariots, horses and infantry soldiers equipped with
clubs, swords, arrows, rstis, sataghnis, saktis, and many similar weapons
to fight against him. Kartaviryarjuna sent seventeen full aksauhinis of
soldiers to check Parasurama. But Lord Parasurama alone killed all of
them.
TEXT 31
TEXT
yato yato ‘sau praharat-parasvadho
mano-‘nilaujah para-cakra-sudanah
tatas tatas chinna-bhujoru-kandhara
nipetur urvyam hata-suta-vahanah
Lord Parasurama, being expert in killing the military strength of the
enemy, worked with the speed of the mind and the wind, slicing his
enemies with his chopper [parasu]. Wherever he went, the enemies fell,
their legs, arms and shoulders being severed, their chariot drivers
killed, and their carriers, the elephants and horses all annihilated.
TEXT 32
TEXT
drstva sva-sainyam rudhiraugha-kardame
ranajire rama-kuthara-sayakaih
vivrkna-varma-dhvaja-capa-vigraham
nipatitam haihaya apatad rusa
By manipulating his axe and arrows, Lord Parasurama cut to pieces the
shields, flags, bows and bodies of Kartaviryarjuna’s soldiers, who fell
on the battlefield, muddying the ground with their blood. Seeing these
reverses, Kartaviryarjuna, infuriated, rushed to the battlefield.
TEXT 33
TEXT
atharjunah panca-satesu bahubhir
dhanuhsu banan yugapat sa sandadhe
ramaya ramo ‘stra-bhrtam samagranis
tany eka-dhanvesubhir acchinat samam
Then Kartaviryarjuna, with his one thousand arms, simultaneously fixed
arrows on five hundred bows to kill Lord Parasurama. But Lord Parasurama,
the best of fighters, released enough arrows with only one bow to cut to
pieces immediately all the arrows and bows in the hands of
Kartaviryarjuna.
TEXT 34
TEXT
punah sva-hastair acalan mrdhe ‘nghripan
utksipya vegad abhidhavato yudhi
bhujan kutharena kathora-nemina
ciccheda ramah prasabham tv aher iva
When his arrows were cut to pieces, Kartaviryarjuna uprooted many
trees and hills with his own hands and again rushed strongly toward Lord
Parasurama to kill him. But Parasurama then used his axe with great force
to cut off Kartaviryarjuna’s arms, just as one might lop off the hoods of
a serpent.
TEXTS 35-36
TEXT
krtta-bahoh siras tasya
gireh srngam ivaharat
hate pitari tat-putra
ayutam dudruvur bhayat
agnihotrim upavartya
savatsam para-vira-ha
samupetyasramam pitre
pariklistam samarpayat
Thereafter, Parasurama cut off like a mountain peak the head of
Kartaviryarjuna, who had already lost his arms. When Kartaviryarjuna’s
ten thousand sons saw their father killed, they all fled in fear. Then
Parasurama, having killed the enemy, released the kamadhenu, which had
undergone great suffering, and brought it back with its calf to his
residence, where he gave it to his father, Jamadagni.
TEXT 37
TEXT
sva-karma tat krtam ramah
pitre bhratrbhya eva ca
varnayam asa tac chrutva
jamadagnir abhasata
Parasurama described to his father and brothers his activities in
killing Kartaviryarjuna. Upon hearing of these deeds, Jamadagni spoke to
his son as follows.
TEXT 38
TEXT
rama rama mahabaho
bhavan papam akarasit
avadhin naradevam yat
sarva-devamayam vrtha
O great hero, my dear son Parasurama, you have unnecessarily killed
the king, who is supposed to be the embodiment of all the demigods. Thus
you have committed a sin.
TEXT 39
TEXT
vayam hi brahmanas tata
ksamayarhanatam gatah
yaya loka-gurur devah
paramesthyam agat padam
My dear son, we are all brahmanas and have become worshipable for the
people in general because of our quality of forgiveness. It is because of
this quality that Lord Brahma, the supreme spiritual master of this
universe, has achieved his post.
TEXT 40
TEXT
ksamaya rocate laksmir
brahmi sauri yatha prabha
ksaminam asu bhagavams
tusyate harir isvarah
The duty of a brahmana is to culture the quality of forgiveness, which
is illuminating like the sun. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari,
is pleased with those who are forgiving.
TEXT 41
TEXT
rajno murdhabhisiktasya
vadho brahma-vadhad guruh
tirtha-samsevaya camho
jahy angacyuta-cetanah
My dear son, killing a king who is an emperor is more severely sinful
than killing a brahmana. But now, if you become Krsna conscious and
worship the holy places, you can atone for this great sin.
Leave a Reply