Parashuram: The Warrior Rishi

Jamadagni, was a direct descendant of Brahma. But Before the birth of their fifth son, Jamadagni with his wife Renuka, meditated for divine boons. With the blessing of Lord Shiva, Vishnu was born in his sixth Avatar, as the youngest son of Jamadagni-Renuka, Parashuram.

As he grew older, Parashuram left home to do devout austerities and pleased Lord Shiva. Shiva presented Parashuram with Divine weapons along with the indestructible axe, ‘Parashu’ and advised him to go and liberate the Mother Earth from ill-behaved extremists, demons and those blinded by pride.

One day, while Parashuram was away in the forest cutting wood, King Kartavirya came to the hermitage of Jamadagni. In honor of the King, the Rishi served him a grand feast. Surprised by the grandeur, the King asked how the Rishi was able to serve up such magnificent food with limited resources. Jamadagni showed him the 'Kamadhenu' calf given by Indra. King Kartavirya wanted to take the calf. The Rishi refused and Kartavirya stole the sacred 'Kamadhenu'. On returning home, Parashuram was infuriated and traveled to the royal palace, he decimated the royal guards and killed King Kartavirya, thus retrieving the calf. Parashuram went on a pilgrimage of holy places for one year as penance of this act. Meanwhile, the sons of Kartavirya attacked the hermitage and murdered Jamadagni. When Parashuram returned home, he found his mother next to the body of his father, crying hysterically as she beat her chest twenty-one times in a row. Parashuram then vowed to rid the earth of the war-mongering Kshatriyas twenty-one times over, once for each time his mother beat her chest.

Parashuram among many heroic feats, once clipped the thousand arms of 'Sahastrarjun' (incarnation of Vishnu's Sudarshan Chakra') with his Parshu and killed him. Lord Indra pleased with this feat, gifted the Vijaya bow (of Lord Shiva) to Parashuram. Later, Parashuram had given this ‘Vijaya’ bow of Shiva to King Janaka, the father of Sita. As a test of worthiness, Sita's suitors at the 'Swayam-var' were asked to lift and string the mystic bow. None were successful until Rama, who in the process broke the bow into half.

Parashuram traveled to the Himalayas to pay respect to his teacher, Shiva. While travelling, his path was blocked by Lord Ganesha. Enraged, Parashuram threw his axe at the later. Ganesha, realizing the weapon to be that of Lord Shiva, paid its due respect and allowed it to sever his left tusk (thus named 'Ekadanta', meaning One Toothed). Parashuram on realizing the gravity of this event, sought forgiveness from Shiva-Parvati. Upon being forgiven, he gave this divine axe to Ganesha and blessed him.

Parashuram has the gift of immortality, he was witness to Vishnu's later avatars as Ram, Krishna and the rest that followed