Parashuraam-4
1. Birth of Parashuraam
2. Parashuraam and Sahastraarjun, Parashuraam and Ganesh Jee
3. Parashuraam and Raam and Krishn - Raam, Lakshman, Ambaa, Bheshm, Karn
4. Other Incidents of His Life
5. Parashuraam's Temples
Other Incidents of Parashuraam
Apart from these incidents there
are some other incidents of his life which need attention.
Parashuraam Jee Killed His Mother
After Parashuraam had killed
Shastrabaahu, he went for
Teerth Yaatraa on the advice of his father
Maharshi Jamadagni. He stayed there for one year, then came back home.
One day his mother Renukaa went to the banks of Gangaa to bring water for
her husband's worship. She saw there Gandharv Raaj Chitrarath wearing his lotus
garland playing and enjoying with Apsaraa . She looked at him and continued to
look at him. She got late for her husband's worship. She got somewhat attracted
to Chitrarath too. She came back to Aashram, put the pitcher of water and stood
there.
Muni had known about her mental sin through his Yog power. He got angry and
said to his sons - "Kill this sinner." But his no son obeyed him.
But Parashuraam killed his mother along with his all brothers by the order
of his father, because he knew the power of his father's Tap and Yog. Jamdagni
got very pleased with Parashuraam and asked him to ask for any Var. Parashuraam
Jee immediately said - "Hey Pitaa, My mother and all brothers should be alive
and they should not remember that I had killed them." As he said this all
got up as if they had awaken from a deep sleep.
Parashuraam Jee and Shiv - Khand-Parashu
Shiv was the Guru of Parashuraam Jee. Once, Shiv challenged Parashuraam
to a battle to test his skills in warfare. So the spiritual master (Gurudev)
Shiv and his disciple Parashuraam were locked in a fierce battle. This
dreadful duel lasted for 21 days. While ducking to avoid being hit by
the Trident (Trishool) of Shiv, Parashuraam vigorously attacked him with
his Parashu. It struck Shiv on his forehead creating a wound. Shiva was
very pleased to see the amazing warfare skills of his disciple. He
passionately embraced Parashuraam. Shiv preserved this wound as an
ornament so that the reputation of his disciple remained imperishable
and insurmountable. "Khand-parashu" (wounded by Parashu) is one of the
1,000 names (for the salutation) of Shiv.
Parashuraam Jee Saved Gokarn Teerth
(1) Naarad Puraan,
2/16 says "There is a Gokarn Teerth (see
Gokarn Kshetra) on
the coast of Western sea. It extends up to two Kos (4 and 1/2 miles). When
Raajaa Sagar's sons dug the earth, the sea came up to there and covered it
with its water up to 30 Yojan land. The people, Devtaa, Asur etc moved from
there to Sahya Parvat and Gokarn Teerth was also submerged into water. Rishi
thought to bring it out again, so they went to Mahendra Parvat to see Parashuraam
Jee. Parashuraam Jee welcomed those Rishi and asked the purpose of their coming
there. They said - "We live in Gokarn Aashram. Sagar's sons dug Prithvi,
so we had to leave that place. Please help us to resettle us there."
Parashuraam Jee picked his bow and arrow and went to that place and said to Devtaa
of sea - Varun - "I have come to see you with a special purpose, please appear
before us." But Varun didn't appear before him so Parashuraam Jee picked his
bow and prepared an Agni Vaan (Fire missile) to dry the sea. Frightened with that
missile, Varun Jee came there and fell on his feet. Parashuraam Jee asked him to
move from that place so that Gokarn Terth could be seen and people can live there
again." The Sea moved from there, Parashuraam Jee worshipped Gokarn's Lord
Mahaadev and went away.
(2) The most popular legend would have it that the land crust that forms
the State was raised from the depths of the ocean. Parashuraam had waged an
epic series of wars with the kings to clean up the entire ruling clan that
became blind with the power to overlook Dharm. Then came a moment when
Parashuraam was struck by remorse at the wanton annihilation he had wrought.
He offered severe penance atop the mountain heights. In a mood of profound
atonement, the sage heaved his mighty axe into the midst of the distant
ocean. The waves foamed and frothed as a axe-shaped land extending from
Gokarn to Kanyaa Kumaaree surfaced from the depths of the sea to form the
state Kerala and hence the sobriquet - "Gods own Country".
He made/worshipped at the 108 Shiv Kshetra all over the South Western coast of
India, of which 105 exist in modern Kerala, followed by one in Sucheendram,
Tamilnaadu, two in Karnaatak namely Kollur and Gokarn. These temples have
special sanctity.
Parashuraam Claims a New Land - Parashuraam Kshetra
The region in between the Arabian sea and the Western Ghaat stretching
from Naasik in Mahaaraashtra to Kanyaa Kumaaree in the southern end of
the Indian peninsula is known as
Parashuraam
Kshetra -- the holy land of Parashuraam. Parashuraam Jee had already
donated the entire earth after conquering it from Kshstriya and killing
them 21 times. So he was the sole king of the entire Earth. He then performed
the Ashwamedh (Yagya, and at the end of the Yagya, he donated the entire
land to Kashyap Jee, the presiding priest of the Yagya. As sage Kashyap
Jee took the custody of the land, he realized that as long as Parashuraam
Jee lived on this land, the Kshatriya will not prosper there, so he told
Parashuraam - "Now I have authority over this land, so you have no
right to even stay on this land." But Parshuraam Jee needed to live
some place to live, so Varun Dev obliged him. Parashuraam threw his axe
and the area traversed was changed to land - that is the Kerala. Thus
Parashuraam Jee shifted the sea backwards and created his own place/terrain.
The land between Vaitarana and Kanyaa Kumaaree (coastal places in South
India) is known as "Parashuraam Kshetra" (the land of Parashuraam).
He created a temple of worship right after he resurfaced parts of Coastal Kerala
from the sea.
He placed statues of various deities in 108 different places and introduced martial
arts ("Kalari Payattu") to protect the temple from the evils.
Also, while the other pilgrimages created by Parashuraam are devoted to Shiv,
Subramanya and Ganesh, Kollur is the only one devoted to Goddess Paarvatee.
The following nine Kshetra are
popularly known as Parashuraam Kshetra and a.k.a. "Parashuraam Srishti".
Seven Mukti Sthal
1. Parashuraam Ghaat - Chiplun - Konkan Mahaaraashtra
2. Udupee
3. Subramanya
4. Kollur
5. Shankaranaaraayan
6. Koteshwar
7. Kumbasee (Annegudde)
8. Gokarn
9. Parashuraam Kund (Arunaachal Pradesh)
Near Nanjangud is the Sangam, where the Kapilaa and Kaundinya rivers
meet. This place is termed as Parashuraam Kshetra which is where the sage
Parashuraam is said to have cleansed himself from the sin of beheading his
mother. A small rivulet called Swarnavatee also joins the rivers here. Here
is a temple also dedicated to Lord Parashuraam.
[From
Wikipedia]
One More Legend About Parashuraam Kshetra
There is a legend that in one of the Kshetra, a King called Raam Bhoj
worshipped Lord Parashuraam. He was the ruler of the lands between Gokarn
and Kanyaa Kumaaree and was proclaimed King of the entire Parashuraam
Kshetra. Once he decided to perform an Ashwamedh Yagya and plowed the land
but mistakenly killed a serpent. However the serpent was a demon. To repent
this sin Parashuraam Jee directed the King to build a big silver pedestal
with the image of a serpent at each of its four corners and to worship him
who would be seated in spirit on the pedestal and also to distribute gold
equal to his own weight (Tulaa Bhaar) to deserving persons. Raam Bhoj did
likewise and performed the Ashwamedh Yagya successfully. At its conclusion
Parashuraam Jee appeared and declared that he was very pleased with the
Yagya and that henceforth the sacrificial land "Roopya Peeth" (silver
pedestal) (present day Udupee ) would become a famous centre of pilgrimage.
This land is also known as 'Taulav' land because Raam Bhoj performed 'Tulaa
Bhaar'.
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