The sage Romasa spoke thus: In remote ages, upon the northern shores of the sacred Vytharani, countless sacrifices were performed by sages and gods alike. Their ritual ablutions, after the completion of those vast ceremonies, enriched the river with a fragrance celestial and enduring. For in every holy rite, the share offered to Shiva was consigned to these waters, whereby the Lord was pleased and ordained that whosoever bathed therein would tread the path of the gods. Dharmaja, accompanied by his brothers and by Draupadi, entered the river’s flow, performed the sacred bath, and with folded hands addressed the sage: “By thy grace, O venerable one, we have beheld all the sanctified shrines upon the earth. Even now I hear the chanting of the Vaikhanasa Veda.” The sage, astonished, replied: “O son of Dharma, the hermitage of the Vaikhanasas lies three hundred miles hence. That thou perceivest their hymns from here showeth a divine perception surpassing mortal bounds. Thou art indeed of celestial nature.”
Then he led them to a garden heavy with ripe fruits and said: “In ancient days, Viswakarma performed a mighty sacrifice for Swayambhuva Manu and bestowed the southern realm, with its mountains and forests, as a sacrificial gift unto Kasyapa, the presiding priest. The offerings of a great sacrifice, according to ancient ordinance, are shared among sixteen officiating priests—Brahma, Udgata, Hotra, Adhvaryu, Brahmanachhamsi, Prastota, Mitravaruna, Pratiprasthata, Potha, Pratiharta, Achhavaka, Nesta, Agnidhra, Subrahmanya, Gravasthuta, and Unnetha. The land of the southern quarter belongeth to Yama, and under his rule, the Mother Earth remained secure and joyful. Yet when that domain was given by Viswakarma to Kasyapa and his priestly assembly, the mother grew displeased and withdrew in exile to barren lands. Kasyapa, perceiving the imbalance thus wrought upon the universe, undertook stern austerities to propitiate her. At length, the Mother Earth appeared before him in the form of a sacred Vedic altar and said, ‘Whosoever sitteth upon this altar and offereth prayer unto me shall gain unfailing strength and courage.’ But ere one set foot upon it, he must recite the sacred verse ‘Agnirmithro yoni’ in precise order; otherwise, the altar itself would sink into the sea.”
By her grace, Dharmaja and his brothers grew radiant with might, their vigor shining like Indra’s. The sages blessed them, and the sons of Pandu, endowed with divine favor, journeyed freely until they reached the resounding caves of Mount Mahendra, alive with unseen energies. There, Dharmaja honored the hermits of firm austerity and said, “O revered ones, it is said that the mighty Parasurama abideth in this mountain. Grant us, I pray, the vision of that immortal sage, the incarnation of Vishnu.” Then Akruthavarna, the disciple of Parasurama, replied, “O sinless prince, tomorrow, upon the holy day of Chaturdasi, thou shalt behold him when he appeareth to the assembled sages.” At this, Dharmaja requested Amruthavarna to narrate the lineage of that exalted being.
The sage began his tale: “In days of old, at Kanyakubja, the sage Ruchika, son of Bhrigu, sought the hand of Satyavati, daughter of King Gadhi. The king, mindful of custom, said, ‘O sage, as bride-price I desire a hundred steeds, milk-white in body and with ears dark as the lotus.’ Ruchika, invoking Varuna with precise Vedic hymns, obtained from him a thousand horses of that very kind and thus wedded Satyavati. From that event, the Ganga at Kanyakubja came to be called Aswateertha, the Ford of Horses.
In due time, Ruchika and Satyavati dwelt in peace until the venerable Bhrigu came to visit. Pleased with his daughter-in-law’s devotion, he offered her a boon. Satyavati asked that both she and her mother might bear sons. The sage consented and instructed that Satyavati should bathe and embrace the sacred fig tree while reciting the hymn, and her mother the peepal tree. But by mistake, they reversed the act, each taking the other’s ritual. Bhrigu, perceiving this, said, ‘O noble one, thou shalt bear a Brahmin of fierce Kshatriya spirit, while thy mother shall give birth to a Kshatriya of saintly nature.’ Satyavati implored that her grandson might inherit the warrior’s temper and her son the sage’s wisdom, and the seer granted it. Thus, she gave birth to Jamadagni, radiant and learned in all four Vedas and skilled in arms.
Jamadagni took to wife Renuka, daughter of King Prasenajit, and begot five sons—Rumanvanta, Sushena, Vasu, Vaswavasu, and Rama. Once, as Jamadagni engaged in deep meditation, Renuka went to the forest to fetch water and saw King Chitraratha sporting with his queens in a lake. For an instant her heart compared the royal splendor with her ascetic life, but she quickly withdrew and repented. Yet the sage, perceiving her fleeting distraction, deemed it a fall from perfect chastity and commanded his sons to slay their mother for atonement. The elder sons, unaware of his spiritual test, refused, declaring it sinful to kill a woman, least of all their mother. Then Jamadagni, displeased, forbade them the sacred rites and cast them from his household.
At last Rama, holding an axe, stood before his father. Without hesitation or resentment, he obeyed the command and severed his mother’s head. The calm obedience of the son pleased the sage, who offered him a boon. Parasurama bowed and said, ‘Restore my mother to life; release my brothers from thy curse; let me be unconquerable in battle and long-lived.’ The sage, gratified by such filial devotion, granted all. Renuka rose again, purified and radiant, and the brothers regained their sacred learning. Thereafter, Jamadagni lived in peace, performing his rites with serenity.
Thus concluded Akruthavarna, disciple of Parasurama, saying: “These events, though divine, are woven with human purpose, for the harmony of will, truth, and sacrifice bringeth forth results beyond the measure of men—such is the fruit of righteousness and steadfast living.”
