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1. Birth of Parashuraam
2. Parashuraam and Sahastraarjun, Parashuraam and Ganesh Jee
3. Parashuraam and Others - Raam, Lakshman, Ambaa, Bheshm, Karn
4. Other Incidents of His life
5. Parashuraam's Temples

One day he went for hunting and came to Jamadagni Rishi's Aashram. Jamadagni Rishi had the Kaamdhenu cow in his Aashram, so he entertained Raajaa and his army with her grace. When Arjun saw this glory of a Rishi, which was more than his own, he asked him as how could he manage to entertain him and his huge army. Jamadagni Jee said that his cow Kaamdhenu helped him to do it. Seeing her glory, he did not even ask for it from the Rishi, rather untied the cow and took it forcefully to Maahishmatee Puree, his capital. The cow started crying. When they had gone, Parashuraam Jee came at the Aashram and heard the incident. He rushed after them taking his Pharasaa (axe).

Sahastrabaahu was about to enter his city that he saw Parashuraam Jee coming towards him, so he sent his 17 Akshauhinee army to fight with him, but Parashuraam Jee killed all of them in a few moments. Then Sahastrabaahu himself came to fight with him. His wife requested him not to fight with Parashuraam Jee as he was Vishnu's Avataar, but he said - "I know this, and I know this too that I will be killed by him only, so why should I fear? It is better to be killed by him." Hearing this his wife dropped down dead. At this Sahastrabaahu decided not to fight with Parashuraam Jee but the then he herd a Divine voice, "Your wife was the Avataar of Lakshmee, she has gone to Swarg, now you also fight with Parashuraam and join her in Swarg. He performed the last rites of his wife and came out to fight with Parashuraam Jee.

Parashuraam Jee wore the shield named "Brahmaand Kavach" which originally belonged to Shiv Jee. This shield was given by Rishi Durvaasaa to the Matsya King (Suchandra). One who had this shield on his body could never be killed. Hiranyakashyap also had this Kavach on his body, that is why he could be the King of the three worlds.

He took 500 bows together and aimed his arrows on Parashuraam Jee. But Parashuraam Jee cut all of them with his one arrow. Then he cut Sahastrabaahu's 1,000 arms leaving his two arms and then cut his head too. Seeing this his 10,000 sons got frightened and ran away from there. Later Parashuraam Jee killed all of them leaving his five sons - Jayadhwaj, Shoorsen, Vrishabh, Madhu and Oorjit.

Parashuraam Jee brought Kaamdhenu back to his Aashram and told everything that happened there. Hearing all that Jamadagni Muni said - "You did not do good, you are very brave but you killed the King without any purpose. Son, we are Braahman. We should have pardoned him. Pardoning is our greatest quality. Even Brahmaa Jee also got Brahmpad because of pardoning. Killing of a King is more than the killing of a Braahman. Go now to Teerth and wash away your sins." Obeying his father Parashuraam Jee went to Teerth Yaatraa.

Parashuraam Jee and Sahastraarjun's Sons
Since Parashuraam killed Sahastraarjun (read Parashuraam-2 also) whoever his sons survived always remembered their father's killing. One day Parashuraam Jee had gone out of his Aashram along with his all brothers, that they came there and killed Jamadagni Jee. Renukaa, Jamadagni's wife, called Parashuraam loudly - "Where are you Parashuraam? Come soon."

Parashuraam heard the voice of his mother and came there rushing to find only that his father had been killed. He cried a lot for him, then he handed over his body to his brothers, picked his Pharasaa (axe) and decided to kill all Kshatriya. He killed Sahastrabaahu's all sons, but five - Jayadhwaj, Shoorsen, Vrishabh, Madhu and Oorjit. The eldest one had a son named Taaljangh. Taaljangh also had 100 sons [later Raajaa Sagar killed them]

There was a huge mountain of their heads in the midst of the city. There came out a huge river of their blood which filled five ponds in Samantpanchak of Kurukshetra. Thus he emptied Prithvi from Kshatriya 21 times. MBH-Stories, 6-18-Srinjaya says that he killed 640,000 Kshatriya.

He brought the head of his father, joined it to his body and kept it on Kushaa grass. Then he did Poojaa, Paath, Yagya etc. He then worshipped Lord Vaasudev who is all-pervading and identical with the Ved, by performing sacrifices. Upon completion of the sacrifice, Parashuraam Jee took bath and sat on the bank of Brahm Nadee Saraswatee. Standing on the bank of the river Saraswatee, He appeared like the bright sun in a clear, cloudless sky. He gave then the Eastern direction to the Hotaa (the priest who performs the sacrifice), the South to Brahmaa Jee, the West to the Adhwaryu (the priest conversant with Yajur Ved), the North to the Udgaataa (the reciter of the prayers of the Saam Ved) and the four corners of Eeshaan, Agni, Nairtitya and Vaayu (northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest respectively) to the other priests as an honorarium. He gave the middle portion (Madhya Desh) to Kashyap Jee, the place known as Aaryaavartta to the Upadrashtaa (advisors or preceptors) and the remaining portion of the world to the other participants of the sacrifice.

Maharshi Jamadagni got the status of Sapt Rishi through Parashuraam's efforts. Parashuraam will be one of Sapt Rishi in the coming Manvantar. He still lives on Mahendra Parvat with a calm mind and doesn't hurt anybody.

Parashuraam and Ganesh Jee
[Taken from "Gajanan" by SP Bansal]

After killing Sahastrabaahu and Kshatriya 21 times on Prithvi, Parashuraam Jee came to his Guru Shiv Jee's abode Kailaash Parvat. There on its entrance he saw Nandeeshwar, Mahaakaal, Kaal Bhairav, Mahaa Bhairav, Rudra Bhairav, his Gan and other ghosts etc. With the permission of Nandeeshwar, he entered Shiv's abode. There were many diamond studded temples inside. On the main temple gate he saw Kaarttikeya standing on left and Ganesh and Veerbhadra on its right. After talking to them he was about to enter the temple that Ganesh Jee stopped him saying that he should wait for some time as Shiv was sleeping.

Parashuraam Jee said - "Brother, I am going to pay my respects to my Guru and his wife Paarvatee Jee, because by the grace of them only I could kill Suchandra (the Matsya King) and Sahastrabaahu and emptied he Prithvi from Kshatirya 21 times." Ganesh Jee said - "You should not disturb any couple when they are in private, because such a man who disturbs a couple, has to go to Hell. In fact this restriction is specially meant for father, Guru, King, and Braahman. One who sees such a couple, is left without wife for his next seven lives."

Parashuraam Jee explained to him - "What you are saying may be true for those who go with bad feelings, but I am going there as an innocent child, so do not stop me going in, otherwise I will do whatever I think right at this time. And O Ganesh, They are not just your parents, they are the parents of the whole world. And I have never read it in Ved, nor read anywhere else, nor heard from my Guru what you have just said."

But Ganesh was adamant and he did not allow Parashuraam Jee to enter the temple. So Parashuraam Jee got ready to fight. Both stared fighting. A fierce fight fight took place between them. Once Parashuraam Jee hit his Pharasaa (axe) at Ganesh, it uprooted Ganesh's left tusk and went back in Parashuraam's hands. As Ganesh's tusk fell on the ground with a great thud, Shiv awoke and came out with Paarvatee. He saw Ganesh's tusk fallen on the ground and blood on his face.

Note
In another version, when Parashuraam Jee hurled his axe on Ganesh Jee, Ganesh Jee recognized it as of his father's, so just to honor it, he dropped his one tooth.

When asked about "how did it happen?", Kaarttikeya described the whole incident. Paarvatee Jee got very angry at this, she asked Shiv Jee as who was at fault - Ganesh or Parashuraam? She further said - "Although I can decide it myself, but it is better if you decide it yourself. If you will not be on my side I will feel greatly upset." Saying this Paarvatee Jee stared at Parashuraam who had sat at Shiv's feet without any  bad feeling expression on his face.

Paarvatee then addressed Parashuraam Jee - "You are born in Braahman family of great people. You have acquired all this bravery through your axe given by your Guru and you used it on your Guru's son. You have broken the tooth of your Guru's son, now you chop off his head also. If victory over Ganesh pleases you, and after that you have the guts to stand in front of us, you deserve our blessings. Ganesh's brilliance is equal to Krishn, as he is a part of Krishn Himself, that is why he is worshipped first."

After saying this Paarvatee was in a sudden rage to curse Parashuraam Jee that Parashuraam Jee saluted Shiv and prayed Krishn. Just then a small Braahman boy appeared there having shining white teeth and wearing white clothes and the Yagyopaveet, carrying a staff, an umbrella and a vermillion Tilak on his forehead. Shiv, his sons and his attendants bowed his head to him and the boy blessed them all. The boy said - "I heard all the noise so I have come from Shwet Dweep to protect Parashuraam. I am always there to protect my devotees when ever they are in trouble. But I certainly do not take side of those who do not respect their Guru. This is true that Vishnu is the giver of food, but deities are 100 times greater than Him, and the Guru is even 100 times greater than the Deities, because he removes darkness of ignorance. Hence his wife and son are also worthy of worship. Since Parashuraam has insulted both, that is why I have come here to resolve this matter."

Then he said to Paarvatee Jee - "O Devee, You are a mother and Parashuraam is like your son, just like Kaarttikeya and Ganesh. You know very well that who can resolve the matter between two sons. Ganesh is Ekdant (having one tooth) - just taking this name liberates us from all problems. That is why he is called Ekdant Heyrambh, Vighn Naashak, Lambodar, Shoorpkarn, Gajaanan, Guhagaraaj. All names have their own meanings, such as "Ga" in Ganesh means "Gyaan", "Na" means "freedom", "Eesh" means Lord. Hence Ganesh is the Lord of knowledge and freedom. Similarly "Dant" in Ekdant means "strength", thus he becomes the Devtaa of strength."

Parashuraam and Dattaatreya
Taken from   http://www.srishti-drishti.blogspot.ca/   
Continued to  Braahman's Question from Hemaangad  in Parashuraam-6

This story comes in Tripur Rahasya.
Parashuraam Jee asked Dattaatreya in Tripur Rahasya - "What did that Braahman asked King Hemaangad and how did he enlighten him? Please tell me everything."
Dattaatreya Jee said - "The Braahman asked Hemaangad - "O Prince, You are a sage, but how come that you still go for hunting? How can a sage engage himself in such a work? Work implies duality while wisdom is non-dual. Both are opposite to each other. Please tell me how is this possible?"
Hemaangad said to the Braahman - "O Braahman, Your confusion is not clear because of your ignorance. Wisdom is natural and eternal. It cannot clash with work. Work cannot make the wisdom ineffective. Wisdom is as useful as a dream only, so no eternal good is possible in that case. All this work depends on self awareness (wisdom). Wisdom is that consciousness in which this whole world is known to be an image."

Braahman asked - "That is true. I have also come on the conclusion that the Self is pure and unblemished intelligence, but my question is this that how can it be unblemished when the desire arises in it? Is not the desire modification of Self?"
Hemaangad said - "O Braahman, you should clear the confusion by clarity in this way, that "the sky appears blue to all alike whether they know or do not know that space is colorless, even to he who knows the truth. But only the ignorant man is confused by this, while he who knows the truth is not confused. Even his (of knowledgeable man's) confusion is seemed confusion only to an ignorant, not to himself. In the same way there is a difference is between a sage and the ignorant man. The sage has accurate knowledge and unerring judgment, while the ignorant has a blurred conception and his judgment is warped. Thus the sage has the knowledge, and the truth never forsakes him although he is immersed in the work."

Dattaatreya Jee said - "Thus the Braahman's confusion was cleared by Hemaangad and had a clear understanding of true realization. Hey Raam, This is it." That is how Parashuraam Jee reached the serene of godhead from his fierce asceticism.

Questions asked by the Braahman and answers given by the King Hemaangad

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