Hindu Of Universe

“God’s light is within you, It never leaves you.”

Parshuram the wielder of the mighty Parshu, the weapon of Lord Shiva himself.

He is the only disciple of lord shiva trained in every warfare form.

Lord Shiva was so impressed by his disciple that he blessed him with his Parshu.

Parshuram is the son of the sage Jamadagni and Kshatriya princess Renuka, he is the sixth incarnation of lord Vishnu, It is said he is one of the Chiranjeevi and will reappear in Kalyuga as the the teacher of Kalki avatar(the last avatar of lord Vishnu).

Various references across different mythological texts describe his stories.

He is a mighty warrior, well-versed in all the Vedas, and the guru of Bhisma, Dronacharya, Karna, and Rukmi.

He is infamous for his anger, but his anger was an important driving force to vanquish evils, he wiped out the Kshatriyas due to the torment they inflicted on the other clans.

He was furious when the Shiva Dhanush was broken but on hearing the wise words of Lord Rama, quick to realize that his knowledge had made him arrogant.

He happily sacrificed the sacred realms he was blessed with for his severe penance.

He cursed Karna because he felt betrayed, he had vowed not to teach Kshatriyas, and only a Kshatriya could have borne the extreme pain Karna did.

Later he regretted it and blessed Karna with his own divine chariot, bow, and Immortal fame as a warrior.

These stories clearly point out that whenever he used his anger in the path of righteousness and dharma, the result was for society’s greater good and betterment.

He repented his actions only when anger dominated his mind and failed to see the greater purpose.

If we look at the life of Lord Parshuram it is an extremely tough one, born into an ordinary Brahmin family, yet his hunger for knowledge was insatiable.

He was forced to behead his mother at his father’s command, and even though she was later restored to life by his father’s boon, the pain, and trauma he would have borne in those moments are unfathomable.

It is said a single drop of his mother’s blood stained his Parshu, he washed it in countless rivers until it was finally cleaned in the river  Tunga, as a homage to the holy river he made a shiv linga, known as Rameshwara temple.

But this is also metaphorical how that single drop of blood could traumatize such a valiant warrior, this clearly shows his pain and memory of the dreadful event.

The misdeeds of Kshatriyas forced him to annihilate them except few clans like Ishkvaku and Manu, but he never kept the land for himself and instead gifted it to the Brahmins.

His story clearly shows that his determination, hard work, and sheer grit made him overcome situations and enemies that even Devas would have struggled with.

He is selfless, driven by the right motives and always working for the greater good.

He is an inspiration to not be restricted by the limitation of resources or hardships we encounter in life but instead to face and overcome them with the wrath of lord Parshuram.

History of Parashurama

Before he was known as Parashurama, Bhargav Rama was born into a family of Brahmin priests during the Treta Yuga or second age.

According to the Mahabharata, Parashurama’s father was the Brahmin Rishi Jamadagni, while his mother, Renuka Mahar, was a princess from the Kshatriya, or warrior aristocracy class.

Parashurama had four brothers and was trained in warfare by the warrior sage Rishi Vishwamitra.

Attributes of Parashurama

Lord Parashurama is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who has several notable attributes.

As one of the eight Chiranjeevis, or immortals, he is prophesied to become a mentor to Kalki, the 10th and final avatar of Vishnu, who will end the age of adharma, Kali Yuga, and restore the age of purity, Satya Yuga, during the Maha Pralaya, or dissolution of the world.

Notable attributes of Parashurama include:

Worship of Parashurama

Lord Parashurama was born in Vaishakh, the second month of the Hindu calendar, on the third day of Shukla Paksha, the waxing phase of the moon.

His birthday is also celebrated as the holiday Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Parshuram Jayanti, and typically occurs in late April or early May on the Gregorian calendar.

Although Parashurama is not a very popular Hindu god, there are temples dedicated to his worship throughout India, where people worship him by praying and giving offerings. Some temples and pilgrimage sites that worship Parashurama include:

•             Kunjarugiri Parashurama Temple in Udupi.

•             Anantheshwara Temple in Udupi.

•             Parshuram Kund in Arunachal Pradesh.

•             Parashuram Dham in Nepal.

Lesson Summary

Lord Parashurama is also known as ”Rama with an axe,” Ramabhadra, Bhargava, Jamadagnya, Parashuram, Parshuram, or Parasurama.

 He is number six of ten major avatars, or incarnations, of the supreme Hindu preserver god, Lord Vishnu. Vishnu’s ten major avatars are called the Dashavatara.

Parashurama was born Bhargav Rama, the son of the Brahmin priest Rishi Jamadagni and a Kshatriya warrior aristocracy class princess, Renuka Mahar.

His earthly teacher was the warrior sage, Rishi Vishwamitra. Parashurama was also a deeply devoted follower of the supreme Hindu god of destruction,

Lord Shiva, who trained him to become a great warrior, master of weapons and warfare, gifted him his axe, Parashu, and granted him the Element of Lord Shiva, Rudramsha, which made him one of the Chiranjeevis, or immortals.

As the sixth Dashavatara of Vishnu, Parashurama’s task was to restore and reinforce divine order and balance, called dharma, by defeating the Kshatriyas who had become corrupted and evil.

When King Kartavriya Arjuna, a Kshatriya, killed Parashurama’s father to steal a sacred cow gifted to him by Lord Indra, Parashurama vowed vengeance against the Kshatriyas.

Parashurama subsequently waged twenty-one generations of wars, purging the world of the corruption and evil of the Kshatriyas.

When his task was completed, Parashurama became a hermit to achieve penance.

The holiday Parshuram Jayanti celebrates Parashurama’s birth on the third day of Shukla Paksha, the waxing phase of the moon, in the month of Vaishakh on the Hindu calendar.

Who is the wife of Parashurama?

The wife of Parashurama is Dharani. Not much is known about her, however. After Parashurama defeated the Kshatriyas, he became a hermit.

What are the powers of Parashuram?

Parashuram has the divine powers of the gods, military expertise, and the powers of immortality.

He defeated twenty-one generations of wars against the corrupt Kshatriyas with his powers.

What is Parashuram famous for?

Parashuram is famous for being the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Parashuram, also known as ”Rama with an Axe”, is immortal because of his devotion to Lord Shiva.

The Story of Parshuram

Lord Vishnu occupies an integral place in Indian mythology and religion. Lord Vishnu is known for his many incarnations.

Parshuram is believed to be his sixth incarnation.The story of Parshuram belongs to the Treta yug.

The word Parshuram means Lord Ram with an axe.

The legends associated with Parshuram:

Parshuram was the son of Jamadagni and Renuka. Parshuram had received an axe from Lord Shiva after undertaking terrible reparation.

Lord Shiva had also taught his methods of warfare and other skills.

Born in a Brahmin family, he was unlike the other Brahmins. Instead, Parshuram carried traits of a Kshatriya.

He carried a number of Khatriya traits, which included aggression, warfare and valour. 

Hence, he is called as a ‘Brahma-Kshatriya’ as he had skills from both the clan.

One story associated with Parshuram is that once King Kartavirya Sahasrarjuna and his army forcibly tried to take away Parshuram’s father’s magical cow named Kamdhenu.

Being angry and revengeful, he killed the entire army and King Kartavirya.

 In revenge for their father’s death, the king’s son killed Jamadagni in Parshuram’s absence.

Furious and hurt by their act, he went ahead killing all the king’s sons and corrupt Haihaya Kings and warriors on the earth.

He conducted the Ashvamedha sacrifice and gave away his entire holdings to the priests who conducted the ritual.

Parshuram is also known as immortal, who fought back the advancing ocean, which was going to hit the lands of Kokan and Malabar.

The area between Maharashtra and Karnataka is known as ParshuramKshetra.

Parshuram was known for his love for righteousness.

He was known to be the Guru to Bhishma, Dronacharya and Karna.

However, in advance, Parshuram knew that Karna would do injustice to Duryodhan in the Kruskshetra war.

 So as the duty of a good guru, he decides to teach him the Brahmashastra, but he also cursed Karna that the knowledge will not be any useful to him.

According to the folklore, Parshuram gave the Sudharshan chakra to Lord Krishna.

 It is believed that the main motto of Vishnu’s sixth incarnation was to free the earth’s burden by assassinating the sinful and irreligious kings who neglected their duties.

According to another legend, Parshuram once went to meet Lord Shiva.

As he reached the door, Lord Ganesh confronted Parshuram and stopped him from meeting with Lord Shiva.

Angry and furious, Parshuram threw the axe given by Lord Shiva on Ganesha.

 Knowing that the axe was given by Lord Shiva, Ganesha allowed the axe to cut away one of his tusks.

Another story mentioned in the Kalki Purana believes that Parshuram still resides on the earth. It states that Parshuram will be the martial guru of Shri Kalki, who is going to be the last avatar of Lord Vishnu.

He instructs Kalki to perform a long sacrament to please Lord Shiva. After being pleased Lord Shiva will bless Kalki with the celestial weaponry.

Parshuram Jayanti: 10 interesting things to know about Lord Parshuram 

1.            Parshuram was a devotee of Lord Shiva

2.            He had received a Parshu or an axe-like weapon from Lord Shiva as a boon

3.            According to legends, Lord Shiva also tought Parshuram the art of warfare

4.            Parshuram’s father was Rishi Jamadgani and he is known to be the first warrior Brahmin

5.            Legends say, Parshuram could not be defeated in warfare after he was blessed with Lord Shiva’s weapon

6.            Parshuram is believed to have tought the skills of using weapons to famous characters of the Mahabharata like Bhishma, Dronacharya and even Karana.

7.            It is even believed that he still lives on the earth and will teach warfare to Kalki, the tenth form of Lord Vishnu

8.            Like Lord Shiva, Lord Rama, Krishna and other gods, Parshuram is not worshipped.

9.            He is believed to be born at the Janapav hills in Indore and there is still a Shiva temple on the hilltop where Parshuram is believed to have meditated and worshipped Lord Shiva.

10.          Legends about Parasurama often talk about anger and violence, and the ill effects of anger.

On this Parshuram Jayanti, here are 10 interesting things to know about Lord Parshuram:

1. Legends have it that Parshuram was one of the greatest devotees of Lord Shiva.

2. Following his relentless devotion, he received a Parshu or an axe-like weapon from Lord Shiva – as a boon.

3. It is said that Lord Shiva taught Parshuram the art of warfare.

4. Legends say, Parshuram was undefeatable in warfare after he was blessed with Lord Shiva’s weapon.

5. Hindu Mythology states that Parshuram was the one who taught the skills of using weapons to famous characters of the Mahabharata like Bhishma, Dronacharya and even Karana.

6. Little is known about Parshuram’s family. He was born to Rishi Jamadgani and Renuka.

7. It is believed thatLord Parshuram was born at the Janapav hills in Indore. As of today, a Shiva temple is set up on the hilltop, where Parshuram is believed to have meditated and worshiped him.

8. It is believed that Parshuram still lives on the earth.

9. Unlike Lord Shiva, Rama, Krishna and other gods, Parshuram is not worshipped as it is believed he is immortal.

10. Legends about Parshuram often talk about anger, violence, and the ill effects these emotions can cause.

10 Unknown Interesting Stories About Lord Parshuram

1.            Lord Parashuram, meaning ‘Rama with an ax’, was the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The word ‘Parashu’ means ax. He was the son of Renuka and Sage Jamadagni, one of the Saptrishis and also one of the immortals of Hindu mythology. According to legends, he is still believed to be living at Mahendragiri mountain peak in Orissa. Here are a few interesting stories about Parashuram.

2. Parashuram obtained his famous ax after he did strict penance to please Lord Shiva. Parashuram performed thousands of Ashwamedha yagnas and then handed over all the land he conquered as alms to Sage Kashyap.

3. Once, the Kshatriya king, Kartavirya Arjuna, visited Sage Jamadagni’s ashram and stole a divine cow that had been given to the rishi as a gift by Lord Indra.

The cow could produce delicious food for many people at a time.

The enraged Parashuram killed Kartavirya and recovered the cow.

In order to avenge Kartavirya’s slaying, his son killed Sage Jamadagni. In retaliation, Parashuram killed all the male Kshatriyas 21 times and also filled five lakes with their blood.

4. He played an important role in the Hindu epic, Ramayana, as it was he who gave the bow of Shiva to Janaka for Sita’s swayamvara.

5. He also plays a role in the epic, Mahabharata, as a mentor to Bhishma, Drona, and Karna.

6. The son who killed his mother – His mother was Renuka, a woman who was known for her chastity and devotion to her husband.

Her devotion was so great that she could fetch water in an unbaked clay pot.

One day, when she was at the river, she saw a handsome gandharva.

For a fleeting moment, she was overcome by desire and, when this happened, the unbaked pot dissolved.

Her husband Jamadagni found out what had happened due to his yogic powers, and he became enraged.

He called his sons and gave them an ax, with a command that they kill their mother. But all refused, and they were turned to stone.

But Parashuram was the only son who agreed, and he immediately beheaded his mother.

He was given two boons for his obedience, and he asked that his mother and his brothers be restored back to life.

7. His fight with Shiva – Once Shiva challenged Parashuram for a battle in order to test his skills in warfare.

They engaged in a fierce battle which went on for 21 days.

One day, he attacked Shiva with his ax, which struck him on the forehead. Impressed by his great skill, Shiva embraced him.

For this reason, Shiva is also called Khanda- Parshu.

8. Parashuram once cursed Karna that he would forget his skills when he needed them the most.

Karna once went to Dronacharya and asked him to teach him how to use the Brahmastra and how to release and withdraw it.

Dronacharya taught the Brahmastra only to Arjuna and a little bit to his own son, Ashwathama.

So he was not willing to teach Karna.

Then Karna approached Parashuram, the guru of Dronacharya. But Parashuram only taught Brahmins, and Karna was a Kshatriya.

Thus, Karna lied to Parashuram, saying that he was a Brahmin.

Parashuram took him as a student and trained him. Finally, he declared that Karna was his equal in warfare and archery.

He even taught him all about the Brahmastra.

One day, a scorpion bit Karna when Parashuram was asleep on his lap, but he did not cry out in pain as he did not want to wake up his guru.

When Parashuram woke up and realized what happened, he knew that only a Kshatriya would be able to bear the agony for so long.

Thus, he discovered that Karna had lied to him.

9. Once, Parashuram was annoyed with Surya (Sun God). He shot several arrows at the sky, and when he ran out of the arrows he had with him, he told his wife to bring some more.

The Sun God, however, focused his rays on her, and it caused her to collapse. Surya then came before Parashuram and gave him a pair of slippers and an umbrella.

10. Once he went to Mount Kailash to meet Shiva, but Ganesha stopped him.

Furious, Parashuram threw his ax on him. But Ganesha knew that the ax had been given to him by his father, and he allowed it to cut off his left tusk.

Thus, he got the name Ekdante.

Later, he returned the divine ax and blessed him.

6 Interesting Facts about Lord Parashuram – 6th Avatar of Vishnu

1. The reason behind the name Parshuram

The word Parashurama is derived from two words parashu (परशु) meaning ‘axe’ and Rama (राम). The word Parshuram means ‘Rama with an axe’.

His other names include:

•             Ramabhadra – Gracious Rama

•             Bhargava – Descendant of Bhrigu

•             Bhrigupati – Lord of Bhrigu dynasty

•             Bhriguvanshi – He who belongs to Bhrigu lineage

•             Jamadagnya – Son of Jamadagni

2. Shiva Dhanus and Parashurama

According to  Ramayana, Lord Parshuram was upset with Lord Rama, who broke the bow that belonged to his Guru, Lord Shiva. Angry warrior sage gave Sharanga (Bow passed by Lord Vishnu) to Rama and challenged him to string and shoot him.

Rama took the bow and arrow from Parasurama, easily fit the arrow in the bow, drew it to its fullest extent, and asked the sage, ” Where shall I discharge this deadly arrow? As you are my superior, I cannot aim it at you.

Impressed and astonished, Parasurama immediately realized that this was no ordinary Kshatriya standing there in front of him.

You surely must be Lord Vishnu himself.

I accept defeat, but I am not ashamed as you are indeed the lord of all the worlds.

You have already divested me of all my power and my pride.

Please release this arrow on my desires for heavenly pleasures and burn them to ashes.

The only thing that I now desire is to become your eternal servant.

Saying so, Parasurama bowed down before Rama, who released the arrow.

The sage immediately vanished along with the arrow.

Varuna, the god of the water, then appeared before Rama and gave him the celestial bow to keep on behalf of all the gods.

3. The Immortal One – Chiranjeevi

There are many immortals, according to Hindu scriptures and stories. In Sanskrit, Chiranjeevi means a long-lived person, Chiram (means long), and Jivee (means lived). The word is also known as Amaratva or Immortality.

Parshuram is considered one of the Astha Chiranjeevi (Eight Immortals) who has lived from one Satyayuga to another.

They will remain alive through Kali Yuga and wait for the next Satya Yuga.

Lord Parshuram appears in  Mahabharata and  Ramayana stories, events from two different Yugas,  Mahabharata in Dwapara and  Ramayana in Tetra Yuga.

He will reappear in Kali Yuga to instruct Lord Kalki in Astra and Sastra Vidya.

According to Vishnu Purana, he was trained by Lord Shiva himself and was initiated with Rudramsha (Element of Lord Shiva himself).

Only Shiva himself can kill those who received Rudramsha.

That is why he is immortal, and according to Kalki Purana, he will reappear in Kali Yuga to instruct Lord Kalki in Astra and Sastra Vidya.

4. Parshuram Killed Kartavirya Arjuna, One with 1000 hands

King Kartavriya Arjuna was the reason why Parshuram was vengeful of the Kshatriyas.

Sage Jamadagni had a divine cow gifted by Lord Indra, which could feed any number of people with delicious food within seconds.

The Kshatriya king, Kartavirya Arjuna, stole the cow from his hermitage. Parashuram killed Kartavirya to rescue the cow.

To take revenge, King Kartavirya’s son killed Jamadagni. During those days, the Kshatriyas were becoming atrocious.

Therefore, Parashuram took a vow to destroy the evil-minded Kshatriyas of his time to restore peace on the earth and kept roaming with his axe to kill the unlawful ones on the way.

According to  Vayu Purana, King Kartavirya invaded Lanka and took Ravana as a prisoner, but later, he was killed by Parshuram, and Ravana was rescued from Kartavirya.

There are multiple stories of different Puranas on how King Kartavirya was killed, but all the stories mention that it was Lord Parshuram.

Bhagawan Sri Krishna, Balarama, Kamsa, Ugrasena, Vasudeva, Sini, Satyaki, Hridaka, Kritaverma, Pradyumna, Charudeshna, Samba, Aniruddha, etc. are notable descendants of King Kartavirya.

5. Lord Ganesha’s Broken Tusk

After Lord Parshuram defeated King Kartavirya Arjuna and helped Ravana (devotee of Lord Shiva), he wanted to meet Lord Shiva on Mount Kailasha.

Parshurama went to Mount Kailash to pay his obeisances to Shiva, but Lord Ganesha stopped Him.

Parshuram was enraged by his nature that he was being prevented from seeing Lord Shiva, so he started fighting Lord Ganesha. Parshuram threw His Axe at Ganesha during the fight, and one of his Tusk was broken.

Ganesha didn’t defend himself because the axe was a gift from Shiva.

(Note: There is another story regarding Lord Ganesha’s broken Tusk.

Ganesha broke his own Tusk to write  Mahabharata, told by Sage Vyasa)

6. Parashurama in Mahabharata

The reference to Parashurama appears in the epic  Mahabharata a few times. Parashurama taught the art of war to Bhishma and Dronacharya.

He also gave knowledge of Brahmastra to Karna.

Karna lied to Parashuram to become his disciple, telling him that he was a Brahmin. Parshurama cursed him that he would forget the knowledge Parshuram had given him at the time when he would need it most.

Parshuram also had to fight a small war with Bhishma, his disciple, over the controversy of princess Amba, in which Bhishma defeated Parashuram.

When is Parashurama Jayanti?

This regional Indian holiday is observed on ‘Akshaya Tritiya’ every year.

According to the Hindu calendar, the Lord Parshuram’s birthday falls on the ‘tritiya’ (third day) of ‘shukla paksha’ in the month of ‘Vaisakh’, which occurs in April or May.

It celebrates the birth anniversary of Parashurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Hinduism.

Traditions of Parashurama Jayanti

According to the legend, Mahishmati Nagri, a region in central India was ruled by the demon king Kiratarjuna and his kingdom of the Kshatriyas.

Goddess Earth was so concerned about the evil deeds of the king, that she asked Lord Vishnu for help.

Lord Vishnu said the he would be born as a son to Renuka and Sage Jamadagni and destroy the kingdom.

Vishnu reincarnated as the great warrior Parshurama (literally Rama with an Axe) and defeated the king and the Kshatriyas, restoring peace on earth.

This day holds special religious significance for Hindus.

Devotees fast from the night before to the day of Parshuram Jayanti.

They visit temples and offer worship to Lord Vishnu to seek his blessings.

Donating food to Brahmans Is consider very auspicious on this day.

This day is also known as Akshaya Tritiya and is considered good to start or do anything auspicious.

Parashurama may also be known as Rama Jamadagnya , Rama Bhargava and Veerarama in some Hindu texts.

Parashurama is worshipped as mool purush, or founder, of the Niyogi Bhumihar Brahmin, Chitpavan, Daivadnya, Mohyal, Tyagi, Anavil and Nambudiri Brahmin communities.

Parashurama Jayanti: Celebrating the Birth of Maharshi Parashurama

Parashurama was the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu and his birth anniversary is celebrated as Parshurama Jayanti.

It falls on Tritiya (third day) of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Vaishakh.

This day is also known as Akshaya Tritiya and the day is considered good to start or do anything auspicious.

It believed that any puja performed on this day gives hundred times more results than other days and it is applicable for any kind of donation.

Parashurma came to destroy Earth’s burden and remove all kinds of evil existing. Fasting on this day is known to be very beneficial for everyone.

This day has marked the start of the Golden era of the Hindu culture and is celebrated in all parts of India with joy and happiness.

Lots of donation and Brahmin feeding is done on Parashurama Jayanti.

Rituals of the Day

• Like all other festivals, it is good to take bath early in the morning and wear clean clothes for the puja ceremony.

• Puja ceremony includes worshipping Lord Vishnu’s idol or picture with good sweets, flowers, kumkum and chandan. Offering holy tulsi leaves is also considered auspicious.

• People fasting on this day are said to be blessed with a son and reborn to be a great human being. All over India, people start new businesses, marriages, and long journeys on this day.

• Only fruits and milk products should be eaten during fast and no cereals or pulses should not be eaten.

Unlike Lord Rama and Krishna, Parashurama is believed to be still living on Earth and is not worshipped.

There is one holy place in Pajaka, where a temple exists that commemorates Parashurama, and there are few temples on the western coast of India.

People are known to wait for Akshaya Trithiya to start any new ventures ever year.

Facts About Lord Parashurama

1.            Lord Parashurama, the son of Renuka and saptarishi Sage Jamadagni, is the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu, was gifted the boon of immortality, making him one of the seven Chiranjivis of Hinduism.

2.            After performing a terrible penance to please Lord Shiva, Lord Parashurama was rewarded an ax, or Parashu and was instructed in the martial arts. Lord Shiva gave him the boon of immortality.

3.            As the mentor of Bhishma, Karna, Drona, and Rukmi, he secures an important role in the Mahabharata, and finds a mention in the Ramayana as well.

Lord Parashurama is the most known for his grave revenge against Kartavirya for murdering his father, when Parashurama got this world rid of the kshatriyas twenty-one times.

4.            According to the Mahabharata, Parashurama ordered Bhishma to marry Princess Amba, and Bhishma, who had vowed to embrace Brahmacharya, refused him.

This enraged Parashurama, that they both broke into a battle which lasted for 23 days. Ganga’s attempt to stop them went in vein.

Sage Narada intervened the fight when Bhishma was urged to use the deadly Prashwapastra against Parashurama, which would be destructive for the rest of the world.

Parashurama ceased from fighting any further.

5.            The myth goes that Kerala was formed by Parashurama when he threw his bloodstained ax into the sea from Gokarna to stop the land from submerging. The ax landed at Kanyakumari, and the land between Gokarna and Kanyakumari was then named as Kerala.

6.            Following his victory over Kartavirya Arjuna, Lord Parashurama was greeted with esteem and praises, that Lord Indra gifted him his favorite bow Vijaya.

7.            As said in the Ramayana, Lord Parashurama gave the Pinaka, Lord Shiva’s bow, to Sita’s father for her swayamwar. The bow broke into two when Lord Rama successfully strung it, producing a tremendous sound that woke Parashurama from his meditation at the top of the Mahendra Mountains.

8.            According to Valmiki Ramayana, after Sita’s marriage to Lord Rama, Lord Parashurama threatened Lord Rama and provoked him to a duel. Lord Rama refused, saying he did not wish to kill a Brahmin.

9.            In a rendition of Ramlilas played across India, it is known that Sita, despite the warnings of the kshatriyas, approached Sage Parashurama who was revolted and drowned in rage. He blessed her with a lifetime of blissful marriage, saying “Dheergha Sumangali Bhava.”

10.          As mentioned in the Puranas, Lord Parashurama traveled the Himalayas to pay respects to Lord Shiva when he was stopped by Lord Ganesha. Lord Parashurama attacked him with his Parashu, which severed Lord Ganesha’s left tusk.

11.          To terrify Suryadev from causing too much heat, Lord Parashurama shot several arrows to the sky. He asked his wife Dharani to fetch more arrows when he ran out of them, but Suryadev weakened her. Suryadev appeared before Parashurama and offered him with an umbrella and sandals.

12.          As per the Nath traditions, Parashurama sought Dattatreya on Mount Gandhamadana. Their conversations were enlightened with the knowledge of scriptures and renunciation of earthly matters, thus eventually freeing Parashurama from the cycle of death and rebirth.

13.          Parashurama and saptarishi Agastya are known as the founders of Kalaripayattu, ‘the mother of all martial arts.’

14.          Towards the end of the Vedic period, Lord Parashurama had grown weary of all the bloodshed that he relinquished his weapons and possessions, and sought asceticism.

15.          The Kalki Purana states that the Chiranjivi Lord Parashurama will emerge toward the end of the Kali Yug as the martial, spiritual guru of Kalki, the tenth avatar of Vishnu.