U Lakshman Rao
The world fell into tyranny as the very class meant to uphold justice—the Kshatriya warriors—became corrupt and oppressive. They upset the balance of the social order. Kings, intoxicated by conquest, ruled with unchecked power and arrogance. The earth was stained with blood, not offered in noble sacrifice, but spilled in ruthless slaughter driven by ambition. Nepotism, corruption, and immorality prevailed. The core values of society—belief, virtue, and faith—stood on the verge of collapse. The cries of the oppressed reached the heavens, and in the divine court of cosmic justice, the need arose for a force not of persuasion, but of retribution—something terrible and divine, born not to reason, but to purge.
In ancient times, there lived a wise and noble king, Ranthideva. From his lineage came the sage Jahnu, who once took the mighty Ganga into his palm and drank her waters, only to release her again in response to Bhagiratha’s penance. From this act, the river Ganga came to be known as Jahnavi. From this same Jahnu lineage came Gadhi, whose children were the sage Vishwamitra and Satyavati. Satyavati married the sage Ruchika and became the sacred river Kaushika. Their union brought forth Jamadagni, who later married Renuka. From this couple, Lord Vishnu was born in the form of Parashurama.
Parashurama possessed strength and valor greater than any Kshatriya. Trained in both austerities and the sacred Vedic rituals, he mastered Dhanurveda—the art of warfare—and excelled in archery. Through intense penance, he received a divine axe from Lord Shiva, a weapon that was both terrifying and invincible in battle. Witnessing the rising tyranny of Kshatriya kings, he resolved to bring justice to a world drowning in cruelty.
The powerful and oppressive king of the Haihaya dynasty, Kartavirya Arjuna, led conquests across many kingdoms. Parashurama alone confronted him in battle, destroying his army, which numbered seventeen Akshauhinis. To cleanse the earth of injustice, Parashurama waged war twenty-one times against arrogant and selfish dynasties, humbling them and restoring order. He filled seven pools with the blood of fallen warriors and performed sacred oblations to redeem the souls of those past rulers.
Parashurama was deeply obedient to his father. One day, while he was away in the forest, his mother Renuka momentarily lost her purity of thought. His father Jamadagni, perceiving this, commanded his sons to kill her. All refused—except Parashurama. On returning and learning of the situation, he immediately obeyed without protest and beheaded his mother. Jamadagni then asked him to punish his brothers as well, which he did without hesitation. Pleased with his unwavering devotion and discipline, Jamadagni offered him a boon. Parashurama requested that his mother and brothers be restored to life, and his father granted it, blessing him with immortality.
Parashurama became the storm that corrected the course of civilization. Though his actions seemed destructive, they were not acts of blind rage, but divine correction, like a surgeon’s scalpel rather than a warrior’s sword. After fulfilling his duty, he donated the entire earth to Sage Kashyapa and retreated into the forest for eternal meditation. Yet he remained bound by dharma, reappearing when duty called.
As an immortal avatar of Vishnu, Parashurama bridges the mortal and divine realms. He continues to live, even in the present age, guiding dharma. He became the guru of legendary warriors—Bhishma, Drona, and Karna—teaching them the sacred art of warfare. His presence is a lasting reminder that protectors must be held accountable, and that when justice is denied, divine wrath will descend, not robed in gentleness, but in righteous fury. Clad not in silk, but in storm, Parashurama embodies the truth that dharma cannot always be preserved by peace alone.
