Parasurama: The Brahmin Form of Lord Vishnu, The Conqueror Of Kshatriyas

Parasurama, or Rama Parasu, known as Rama wielding the axe, is the Sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu in Hinduism. He was born as the youngest son of Rsi Jamadagni and Renuka. Jamadagni was a sage descended from the Bhrigu lineage, and thus Parasurama is also known as Bhargava.

At the birth, Rsi Jamadagni named his youngest son "Rama" as a symbol of hope and great potential. As he grew up, Rama became widely known as Parasurama due to his habit of carrying an axe, which symbolized strength and skill.

Image of Sage Jamadagni and Renuka Holding Young Parasurama (Source: Personal Collection)

In his youth, Parasurama once killed his own mother, Renuka, due to her failure in serving Jamadagni’s needs, which angered him. Jamadagni then ordered his sons to kill their mother, promising to grant any wish they desired. However, as children, none of Jamadagni’s sons, except for Parasurama, were willing to do so. Jamadagni, in his rage, cursed them to turn into stone. As the youngest and wisest son, Parasurama agreed to kill his mother. Afterward, he demanded that Jamadagni revive Renuka and restore his four brothers to human form. Proud of his son, Jamadagni fulfilled Parasurama’s requests.

Parasurama in Battle (Source: Personal Collection)

During Parasurama's lifetime, the Kshatriya class, who were supposed to protect the weak, often engaged in wars for power and wealth. Following his father's command, Parasurama rose to eliminate the Kshatriyas to restore peace, as their unchecked actions threatened the world's tranquility.

The main reason for Parasurama's determination to eradicate the Kshatriyas stemmed from the actions of the king of the Hehaya kingdom, Kartavirya Arjuna, who seized Jamadagni’s cow and often oppressed the people. In anger, Parasurama killed Kartavirya Arjuna.

Later, Kartavirya Arjuna’s sons sought revenge by killing Jamadagni. This further fueled Parasurama's hatred toward the entire Kshatriya class. Parasurama then set out to exterminate the Kshatriyas 21 times. He traveled the world three times and performed a holy sacrifice at a place called Samantapanchaka, which would later be known as Kurukshetra, a sacred battlefield where the great civil war between the Pandavas and Kauravas occurred.

Despite the countless Kshatriyas killed by Parasurama, some survived, including members of the Solar Dynasty ruling Ayodhya in the Kingdom of Kosala. One descendant of this dynasty was Sri Rama, son of Dasaratha, who was also the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu.

One day, Sri Rama won a competition held in the Kingdom of Mithila, led by King Janaka, who was seeking a suitable husband for his daughter Sita, renowned for her beauty and grace. This competition involved lifting and stringing a sacred bow bestowed by Lord Shiva, a feat only the chosen one could accomplish. Among many powerful challengers, only Sri Rama was able not only to lift and string the bow with ease but also to break it.

The thunderous sound of the bow breaking reached Parasurama in his hermitage. He traveled to Mithila to challenge Rama, whom he saw as disrespectful. However, Sri Rama’s calm demeanor successfully pacified Parasurama, who then returned to his hermitage. This event marked the meeting of two avatars of Lord Vishnu, as Vishnu had incarnated again as Sri Rama while Parasurama was still alive. At that point, Parasurama’s role as Vishnu’s avatar had ended, but as a Chiranjeevi, he remained immortal.

In the subsequent era, Dwapara Yuga, Lord Vishnu was reincarnated as his eighth avatar, Krishna. Krishna was born to Vasudeva and Devaki, but because they were imprisoned by King Kamsa, Krishna was raised by the shepherd couple Yashoda and Nanda, who loved him as their own. Krishna also had an elder brother named Balarama.

During Dwapara Yuga, Parasurama became the teacher of King Angga Karna, who was a cousin of Krishna. Karna, although a Kshatriya, disguised himself as a Brahmana to learn powerful skills from Parasurama, who harbored a deep hatred for Kshatriyas.

After imparting various mystical teachings, Parasurama eventually discovered Karna's true identity and cursed him to forget all the powers he had learned. This curse manifested during Karna's final battle when he faced his own brother, Arjuna, in the Kurukshetra War.

Illustration of Parasurama Meditating on the Top of Mountains (Source: Personal Collection)

Parasurama is believed to still alive until this day, meditating in a top of a mountain or deep forest wilderness.