Notes on Parasurama.
There
are several places in the puranas and epics of ancient India where the legends
of Parasurama are depicted. Although all of them mention about the
extermination Kshatriya clans by Parasurama fighting 21 rounds; the other
details are more varied and some were eliminated in those narratives. Broadly
the legends are here.
Jamadagnya Rishi married a princess named Renuka and lived with her in a forest hermitage. During their life together, he sired five sons. In course of years all of them came of age. The last was Rama who later was known as Parasurama for his boons from God Shiva. Certain things happened much later. Let us take note that Renuka was not a child when she married the Rishi. That may be at the age of 15 or so. Then 5 pregnancies; that might take another 8 years or so. She must be of 23 years age at which Renuka conceived and delivered Rama;. Whether they followed a kind of birth control or completely abstained from any sexual intercourse there after; is not known. Since the male is a Rishi the fact might be the second choice. Then again for Rama to propitiates Shiva and receive boons would take something near 20 tears. It will mean that Renuka was at the ripe age of 43 but not having any sex for about 20 years. Living together with Jamadagnya for about 28 years as a pure and devoted wife before something happened in their life.
One legend says that Renuka used to go to river ‘Narmada’ to take bath in the mornings. She possessed power to make a water pot a day from the mud on the river banks. She fetches water and carried the pot to the dwelling where the Rishi is waiting to perform his daily rituals.
On that particular day Renuka sighted the Gandharva King, Chitraradha going along the sky accompanied with numerous wives. Renuka viewed their reflection in the still waters of Narmada. She noted the happy wives with their merry husband. It was only for some few moments before the reflection moved out of sight. When she tried to make the water pot from river mud, it did not take form. She went back to the hermitage crying all the way. The Rishi was waiting too long for Renuka to bring water. When he saw his wife coming without the usual water pot, he knew what happened on river bank and was furious with anger and wanted punish her for the purported infidelity. He called his sons and ordered them to kill her. The first four categorically refused to follow. But last one Parasurama used his axe to sever the head from the body of his mother. The father Rishi offered boons to the youngest. Parasurama asked his father to bring back his mother alive which was granted apart from others. Some legends completely omit this part from their narration.
In another place it is said that Renuka went to the river and saw the king Karthaveeryarjuna having blocked river flow by spreading his thousand hands was merry with his wives swimming and frolicking in the water. She just got fascinated with some desire. She failed to fetch water and the Rishi was furious and so on to her death and resurrection.
One thing is sure that the Rishi couple was well with their sexual life then they were young enough. This is in contrast with another Rishi couple namely Agastya and Lopamudra. In Rigvedam 01 – 172 verse 1 & 2 Lopamudra laments that her youth is slipping while Agastya continues his deep meditations without fulfilling his marital duties/obligations towards his spouse. This made the Rishi to realise that he is obliged to complete his marital duty of sexual intercourse with his wife. He corrects himself goes to sleep with wife. Some legend mentioned that they had more than one child (one says four) even at their late age.
The Parasurama legend says that king Karthaviryarjuna killed Jamadagni and then abducted the divine cow from the hermitage. The story is like this. Once the king and all his retinues came to the hermitage of Jamadagni. Both Rishi and Renuka received them well as guests. It was the divine cow that provided all to complete the hospitality. The King told Rishi that all exceptional objects should belong to the king alone and therefore he should release the divine cow to him. The Rishi refused. The king killed him and took away the cow.
There is something similar with the legend of Viswamitra and Vasishta. Vasishta had the divine cow=Surabhi or Kamadhenu in his hermitage which fought with Viswamitra and defeated him. Viswamitra admitted Brahmin is higher and he made hard efforts to become one. At last he succeeded. Gods and rishies applauded and welcomed him.
The legend is that Parasurama exterminated the Kshatriya clans in 21 round fights. However from other sources seem to say that certain clans did escape his fury like the kings of Ayodhya descendents sun clan and kshatriyas of Kurukshetra descendents of moon clan etc.
Thinking on these legends over and over one might come to the conclusion that the authors of these legends were either unaware of others or they themselves were puzzled and therefore left out parts from their compositions.
K.N.Krishnan.
April, 2012.
