The Bhṛgus : A look at the story of the sixth Avatar of Lord Vishnu, Bhagwān Parshurām
The Bhṛgu or Bhārgava lore invited great conspiracy this past 10th of May, celebrated as Bhagwan Parshuram Janmotsav, here I try to address the controversies & expand upon said lore.
A months long hiatus ends and with great humility I must submit that my absence has been a result of struggles at a personal level, both as a student & a writer.
Though I am glad that my return & with it, the return of, what I will try and make, a consistent posting schedule, has come at a time which is uniquely auspicious for Hindus across the world.
This past month, on Friday, on the 10th of May, 2024, was Akshaya Tritiya, a festival falling on the third day of the bright half of Vaisākha (a month of the Hindu calendar that corresponds to April/May in the Gregorian Calendar).
But the day for many Hindus & especially Brahmans, is made greatly auspicious due to it being the Janmotsav of the Sixth Avatar of God Vishnu, named Shri Rama Jamdagnya but known popularly to his devotees as Bhagwan Parshuram.
The sociopolitical complexities of India can make the celebration of certain festivals rather charged events and this occasion was no exception.
While the birth anniversaries of Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman are celebrated with near-unanimous affirmation from all parts of Hindu society, the janmotsava of Bhagwan Parshurama carries with it considerable baggage.
To ardent devotees, of course, the life and deeds of that Lord are not a matter of regret or resentment but rather of joy & celebration; yet this particular story of the Lord Vishnu’s incarnation as a Brahman of the Bhārgava clan test the complex and haphazard relationships of Hindu communities with each other, their past and faith.
Part of the general confusion of the day was a dearth of clarity on the Bhārgava legends, their history, their interconnections with one another, the exact nature & cause & extent of the deeds of the 6th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Shri Parshuram and so on.
It was partly this malaise which perhaps prematurely, but only for the better, brought me out of my hiatus.
What will follow here will be an attempt to provide clarity to several points of confusion, and add context & (interpretive) commentary to the story of the paternal clan of your humble writer, the Bhrigus, culminating in the birth of undoubtedly one of the greatest Bhārgavās of them all, the Chiranjeevi Avatar of Lord Vishnu, Bhagwan Parshuram.
The Bhrigus :
We begin, where we should, in the beginning. We learn from the Rig Veda Anukramaṇī, the most important of which is the Sarvanukramani of Katyayana (c. 2nd century BCE), that the Bhārgavas (descendants of Bhṛgu) were composers of many Rig Vedic hymns ( X.167, X.137 (5), X.110, , IX.67 (16-18), IX.65, IX.62, VIII.101).
They also find mentions in the hymns of other clans, such as the Vāsiṣṭhas and the Viśvāmitras.
The next question ofc, is "Who is Bhṛgu"?
The word Bhṛgu, etymologically means "to shine", and several scholars agree that the indication of the name is the close connection with Agni, especially Agni in the form of lightning.
In the Rig Veda, verses repeatedly allude to the Bhṛgus and their connection with the Agni cult, similar to that of the Aṅgirāsas :
वह्निं॑ य॒शसं॑ वि॒दथ॑स्य के॒तुं सु॑प्रा॒व्यं॑ दू॒तं स॒द्योअ॑र्थम् । द्वि॒जन्मा॑नं र॒यिमि॑व प्रश॒स्तं रा॒तिं भ॑र॒द्भृग॑वे मात॒रिश्वा॑ ॥
“Mātariśvan brought, as a friend, to Bhṛgu, the celebrated Vahni, the illuminator of sacrifices, the careful protector (of his votaries), the swift-moving messenger (of the gods), the offspring of two parents, (to be to him) as it were a precious treasure.” - RV, 1.60.1
Bhṛgu or as he ought to be appropriately addressed, Maharishi Bhṛgu, is the son of the God Varunā.
This is what we discern from the patronymic adopted by the progenitor of the Bhṛgus, the great sage Bhṛgu himself, being Varuni.
In fact, in the Taittiriya Upanishad, Maharishi Bhṛgu directly refers to Lord Varunā himself as “Father" when asking the latter for knowledge of Brāhmān :
भृगुर्वै वारुणिः । वरुणं पितरमुपससार । अधीहि भगवो ब्रह्मेति ॥ १ ॥
Bhṛgu, that son of Varunā, approached Varunā, his father, saying "Sir, teach me Brahman” - Book III - Bhriguvalli, Chapter 1.1
Akin to their Vashishthā brothers, the Bhṛgu clan too have a shared paternal ancestry.
For they were born from a yajnā in which Varunā, a shared parent of the two clans, offered oblations along with the god whom they may call their “true father”, Prajāpati, the Creator God of the Vedas.
In this primordial yajnā, Lord Agni received oblations while Prajāpati, the Vedic Creator God representing the “brahma” and Varunā, the Vedic God of order & justice representing “kshātra” offered the same.
According to The Brhad-Devataā of Saunāka, the story goes as follows :
Prajapati, desirous of offspring, offered a sessional sacrifice (sattra) lasting three years, accompanied by the Sadhyās and the All-gods, we are told. Thither came Vāc in bodily form to the ceremony of initiation. On seeing her there simultaneously Kā’s (Prajapati’s) and Varuna’s essence as effused. Vayu scattered it in the Fire at his will. Then from the flames Bhṛgu was born, (and) the seer Angiras among the coals (angāra) (also Atri)
The same story is told in the Aitreya Brāhmana, as well :
"That spark which first blazed up from Prajapati became that Aditya; the second which blazed up became Bhṛgu. Varuna adopted him as his son. Thence Bhṛgu is called Varuni, descendant of Varuna" - III.34
Apart from the apparent literal meaning of these texts, we have to understand the broader implications of this event.
First, there is the sacrifice, the yajnā, where either Prajapati or Brahmā, offer their "essence", as sacrifice. Therefore, Prajāpati, or the Sacerdotium is the one with agency.
Second there is Lord Agni, himself, acting as the "receiver" of the oblations & Sacerdotium of the ritual. Thus, the oblations bear fruit through the Sacerdotium.
Meanwhile, Varunā himself represents aspects of the Regnum, acting in a secondary role.
Here too, just as Varunā as a God does not assume his truly transcendental form without being united with the Sacredotium, i.e, the God Mitra, the latter both enabling or being the source of & measuring out, the former's authority and power, here too we have as a substitute an equally unequivocal representative of the Sacredotium among the Gods, the sacrifice & sacrificer, Lord Agni & the creator God Prajāpati himself.
The Sacredotium, acting as husband and the Grahapati Regnum acting as the wife, unite in the sacrifice, to beget the Maharishi, Bhrigu.
But what would their parentage indicate about their actions as a people? What were the Bhrigūs like? And why are they referred to elsewhere, such as the Shathapatha Brahmana as merely "Varuni"? :
Now, Bhrigu, the son of Varunā, deemed himself superior to his father Varunā in knowledge. Varunā became aware of this : 'He deems himself superior to me in knowledge?', he thought. - XI Adhyaya, Sixth Khanda, 1st Bråhamana
First, we learn that along with them belonging to the Sacerdotial class, as a Brahman clan, the Bhṛgus performed the functions typically considered the domain of the regnūm or "Kshātra".
Thus, they were Brahmans who performed the functions usually considered to be those of Kshatriyas, a theme we will find repeated when we inspect the particular stories associated with the clan later on, but this does explains the adoption of the "Varuni" patronymic, as well as the "adoption by Varunā” motif being a recurring idea.
Secondly, we learn from the Rig Veda, that unlike the Vashishthās they were not aligned with Sudās, the Bharatā king.
While their Brahmanical status is unquestionable, they operate also as warring tribes, fighting against Sudās instead :
पु॒रो॒ळा इत्तु॒र्वशो॒ यक्षु॑रासीद्रा॒ये मत्स्या॑सो॒ निशि॑ता॒ अपी॑व । श्रु॒ष्टिं च॑क्रु॒र्भृग॑वो द्रु॒ह्यव॑श्च॒ सखा॒ सखा॑यमतर॒द्विषू॑चोः ॥
“Turvaśa, who was presiding (at solemn rites), diligent in sacrifice, (went to Sudāsa) for wealth; but likefishes restricted (to the element of water), the Bhrigus and Druhyus quickly assailed them; of these twoeverywhere going the friend (of Sudāsa, Indra) rescued his friend.” - VII.18.6
Lastly and most intriguing is the fact that among the Bhrigūs, there was in the Vedic era, a king, named Vena Bhārgava :
अ॒यं वे॒नश्चो॑दय॒त्पृश्नि॑गर्भा॒ ज्योति॑र्जरायू॒ रज॑सो वि॒माने॑ । इ॒मम॒पां सं॑ग॒मे सूर्य॑स्य॒ शिशुं॒ न विप्रा॑ म॒तिभी॑ रिहन्ति ॥
“This Vena, born of Prsni’s womb, cherished with lamps, in his stately chariot. Here, where the waters meet the Sun, the sages recite this hymn for the child.” - X.123.1, composes by Vena Bhārgava
All these evidences taken together with some more recent research paints the picture of a powerful Indo-Aryan tribe of Brāhmans, who had come to acquire and wield secular power by feats of arms.
Origin of the Bhārgava - Haihaya Conflict : The story of Aurva
The story of Bhagwān Parshurām truly begins with the story of the Bhārgava-Haihaya conflict, the origins of which may be traced back to the time before the birth of Rishi Aurva Bhārgava.
Aurva Bhārgava was the great grandfather of the protagonist of our story, Rāma Bhārgava.
The Mahabhārata, Adi Parva: Chaitraratha Parva: Section CLXXX, informs us of the Bhārgavas in a setting where the Haihayas, a Chandravanshi dynasty had been fortunate enough to have the Bhārgavas as their royal purohitas.
We learn, that the Haihaya King, Kritavirya was indulgent in offering sacrifices to the gods, and in his Soma sacrifices he engaged the Bhrigus.
He in return, indebted to the gracious Brahmans endowed them with wealth & rice as a show of gratitude.
After his death, his sons, having come into misfortune, disguised as beggars, went to the Bhārgavas to ask for their wealth.
While many Bhārgavas conceded & gave the wealth to the princes freely, others did not wish to do so.
The princes considering the refusal akin to treachery began a violent expedition against the Bhārgavas. Purohits, their wives & even unborn children were not spared the blade.
The Mahabhārata paints a vivid picture of the horror as Bhārgava women attempted to escape the slaughter with their unborn sons in their wombs.
The Kshatriyas roamed the earth "slaughtering even the embryos that were in the wombs of the women of the Bhṛgu race".
Many escaped to the mountains. Indeed, among them was devi Arushi, the daughter of Manu and wife of Rishi Chyavana, the son of Maharishi Bhṛgu himself.
There, in the mountains of Himavat, devi Arushi preserved the seed of the Bhṛgu race, as the Kshatriyas came to know of this fact, they at once set about to destroy this would be perpetrator of Bhṛgu's lineage.
As they came upon the lady, her son whom she had hid in her thigh, burst forth. Effulgent like the midday sun, the child, Rishi Aurva ( alternatively Ūrva, Ūrūja) was born (Ūrū= Thigh and so, born of a thigh).
Such was the energy that sprang forth from Rishi Aurva that the would be Brahman killers were blinded by his effulgence.
Within moments these same men begged the mother to beseech her son to restore their sights.
The irony, if you would imagine, to beg a mother whom only moments before these same fiends would have slain without a thought, was perhaps not lost on devi Arushi herself, for she remarked :
"'Ye children, while ye were destroying even the embryos of the Bhrigu race, this child was held by me in my thigh.... And in order that the prosperity of Bhrigu's race might be restored, the entire Vedas with their branches came unto this one even while he was in the womb. It is plain that this scion of the Bhrigu race, enraged at the slaughter of his fathers, desireth to slay you! It is by his celestial energy that your eyes have been scorched. Therefore, ye children, pray ye unto this my excellent child born of my thigh. Propitiated by your homage he may restore your eye-sight." - The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Chaitraratha Parva: Section CLXXXI
There is no mincing of words here, this is the scorn of a mother who had seen untold many of her own race, mothers like herself, & unborn children of her people, slain at the hands of the same wretches who now prostrated at the feet of her vengeful son, whose very birth was an act of defiance.
As these Kshatriyas begged the child for their eyesight, the newly born Maharishi Aurva relented & restored their sight. However, his wrath was not sated nor was his appetite for vengeance so easily ignored.
Bent upon the destruction of the indifferent worlds, the gods, the Asuras and all men, who had not assisted his race during their hour of need, the brilliant child set to austerities that he may destroy all the worlds by the power of his ascetic energy.
It was at this crucial juncture that the Bhrigu ancestors, who had long been dead and those who had been recently slain, arrived to reason with Rishi Aurva and to convince him to reconsider hia decision to bring about the destruction of the world.
Addressed by his Pitras that illustrious scion of the Bhrigu race then spoke thusly :
"I heard the doleful cries of my mother and other women of the Bhrigu race who were then being exterminated by the Kshatriyas. Ye Pitris, when those wretches of Kshatriyas began to exterminate the Bhrigus together with unborn children of their race, it was then that wrath filled my soul. My mother and the other women of our race, each in an advanced state of pregnancy, and my father, while terribly alarmed, found not in all the worlds a single protector. Then when the Bhrigu women found not a single protector, my mother held me in one of her thighs. If there be a punisher of crimes in the worlds no one in all the worlds would dare commit a crime; if he findeth not a punisher, the number of sinners becometh large." - The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Chaitraratha Parva: Section CLXXXIII
The text here allows us to understand, the plight of a young child, witness to terrible violence inflicted upon his people, where the very extermination of his race was the objective of the enemy.
To be vengeful, to seek retribution was the most natural instinct for the effulgent Aurva, whose birth prevented his mother being killed like so many Bhrigu women.
Nonetheless, the narratives tells us that the Bhrigu ancestors did indeed manage to convince Rishi Aurva to reconsider & he was asked to send his wrath, which was like the destructive aspect of Lord Agni himself, into the abode of Lord Varuna.
Here, the paternal deity returns, acting as the primordial essence from which Bhrigu himself was born & into which the vengeful wrath of the Bhrigu scion, Aurva passed.
Interpreted differently, the passage offers a suggestion, that while the vengeful wrath of Aurva was not sated, that the terrible punishment for their unspeakable crimes would inevitably befall the Kshatriya Haihayas, since, Rishi Aurva himself had reflected to his ancestors that, if there is no punisher for sinful criminals, then the number of sinners would inevitably perpetuate.
The idea of Agni passing into water & being birthed out of water, is again, a Vedic one. We find references to this idea :
मयो॑ दधे॒ मेधि॑रः पू॒तद॑क्षो दि॒वः सु॒बन्धु॑र्ज॒नुषा॑ पृथि॒व्याः । अवि॑न्दन्नु दर्श॒तम॒प्स्व१॒॑न्तर्दे॒वासो॑ अ॒ग्निम॒पसि॒ स्वसॄ॑णाम् ॥
अव॑र्धयन्त्सु॒भगं॑ स॒प्त य॒ह्वीः श्वे॒तं ज॑ज्ञा॒नम॑रु॒षं म॑हि॒त्वा । शिशुं॒ न जा॒तम॒भ्या॑रु॒रश्वा॑ दे॒वासो॑ अ॒ग्निं जनि॑मन्वपुष्यन् ॥
“The gods discovered the graceful Agni (concealed) amidst the waters of the flowing (rivers), for the purpose of sacred acts; Agni, who is intelligent,of purified vigour, and friendly; who from his birth bestowed happiness on earth and heaven. The seven great rivers augmented in might the auspicious, pure, and radiant Agni as soon as he was born, in like manner as mares (tend) the newborn foal; the gods cherished the body (of Agni) at his birth.” - RV, III.1.3-4
Oldenberg offers an interesting perspective, that Lord Agni's very nature inspired these poetic expressions, for when he emerges from the rain bearing storm clouds, he "emerges from the waters" and when water extinguishes his flame, he essentially "enters the waters & remains latent within".
Thus, while the waters of Lord Varuna "ate up" the wrathful fire of Aurva's vengeance, the essence of that desire for vengeance would remain unsatiated, and within the Bhrigu bloodline, in each successive generation, there would be the ever looming possibility, of a scion of the Bhrigus who would avenge his ancestors.
The story of Rishi Aurva, lays bare the origin of the Bhrigu-Haihaya conflict, of power struggles between a Brahman tribe and a Kshatriya dynasty.
The latter being patrons-turned-enemies of the former, and the former reeling under a devastating attack on their race, one in which certainly they lost a great many numbers and were exposed to the extremities to which their former patrons were willing to go.
The Birth of Rāma Jāmdagnya, Bhagwan Parshurām
In the lineage of Bhrigu, was born Rishi Richika, son of Rishi Aurva.
This Rishi Richika sought as his wife the daughter of then King of Kanyakubja, Gadhi. The king made a condition to agree to the marriage proposal if Rishi Richika could present a "thousand steeds of lunar brightness, each with one ear black of hue", each of the shining white horses with one black ear.
Here again, we see a return of Lord Varuna, the one-half of the Prajapati-Varuna duo who are the progenitors of the Bhrigu clan.
Rishi Richika acquired the horses from Varuna himself.
The conditions satisfied, the royal dynasty of Kanyakubja was tied in matrimonial relations with the Bhargavas.
To Devi Satyavati was born Rishi Jamadagni, the events leading upto his birth are interesting and connect the Bhrigus to another Brahman clan, the Vishwamitras.
It so happened that on one occasion the forefather of Rishi Richika visited the hermitage of the sage, and their upon being impressed by the dutiful conduct of his kulvadhu, the progenitor of the Bhrigus granted her any boon of her desire.
Ever the ideal wife, that noble daughter of King Gadhi asked from her husband's grandsire the boon of a son for herself and her mother.
Delighted by the wish, Maharishi Bhrigu vouchsafed the favour she asked for.
To this end, the grandsire of the Bhrigus instructed his daughter in law and her mother in the order of the ritual that they were to perform.
The ritual involved a purifying bath, embracing a tree (a peepal tree for the mother, a fig tree for the daughter), followed by consumption from a pot of milk and rice, prepared by the Maharishi himself.
As fate would have it, the mother convinced the daughter to exchange the trees and pots. When he returned, the grandsire, already aware of what had transpired, reminded his daughter in law of the gravity of her actions.
Thus, he says :
"O dutiful girl! O my daughter of a lovely brow, the wrong pot of rice thou tookest as food. And it was the wrong tree which was embraced by thee. It was thy mother who deluded thee. A son will be born of thee, who, though of the priestly caste, will be of a character fit for the military order" - The Mahabharata, Book 3: Vana Parva: Tirtha-yatra Parva: Section CXV
Likewise, he also informed Devi Satyavati, that her mother would beget a son, though born in the house of a king, he would be a member of the sacerdotial caste, a Brahman of great virtues. The latter, would be Maharishi Vishwamitra & we will explore the story of his origins in greater detail in another post.
Devi Satyavati was shattered and implored her father in law, to make it not so. She asked him to prolong the birth of such a Brahman in the line of Aurva, who would do deeds befitting the military order by one generation.
The grandsire blessed his kulvadhu & so it was that Devi Satyavati gave birth to Maharishi Jamadagni, rivaling other great rishis in knowledge of the Vaidik lore & the Sun in lustre.
That "ocean of penances" Rishi Jamadagni married the daughter of the Raja of Ayodhya, Devi Renuka, and the solar dynasty was allied in eternal matrimonial connection to the Bhrigus.
To Devi Renuka were born five sons, the youngest among them, Rāma, or Rāma Jāmdagnya, the protagonist of this story.
The birth of Bhagwān Parshurām, as the birth of every avtār, was preceeded by the swelling of evil in the world.
The great deeds of the avtārs are necessary interventions by the God Vishnu, in the affairs of the mortal realms, to restore the order of dharma & righteousness.
We learn, that evil indeed perpetuated in this age, the Tretā Yuga, from the aforementioned story of the genocide of the Bhārgavas, at the hands of the Haihayas.
In that same clan, was born Kartavirya Arjuna, a tyrannical oppressor of his subjects, who in his reckless pride had invited the ire of the gods, the rishis & the creatures of the earth alike.
Having appeased another Brahman avtār of Lord Vishnu, Lord Dattātreya, he had obtained many boons by the latter's grace :
He secured the boon of a thousand arms, thus earning the epiphet, Sahastra-Arjuna
Unassailable formidability against the enemies
The ability to propitiate his subjects upon conquering new domains, uninterrupted and insuperable power of senses and organs
And lastly, to be slain only by one superior to him in battle. - Brahma Purāna, 11.162-164
With these boons this king embarked on extensive conquests.
Arrogant with power, we learn that Kartavirya burned the hermitage of the Vashishthās. Then, a Vashishthā named Apāva, cursed the king thusly :
“A great misdeed has been perpetrated by you, O Haihaya, in not having spared this forest of mine. A powerful man will kill you. The mighty and valorous son of Jamadagni named Rāma will chop off your thousand arms. The powerful resplendent brahmin, the descendant of Bhrigu will thrash you and kill you.” - Brahma Purāna, 11.194-201
Sunk in luxury and self-indulgence while enjoying the waters of the holy Narmada, Sahastra-Arjuna, by the power of Datta's boon, used his arms to curb the flow of the Narmada herself.
At that time, the grandson of Maharishi Pulastya, the ten-headed Rāvana was engaged in worship on the banks of the Narmada, and finding the flow of the holy river obstructed his encampment was flooded.
Furious, Rāvana engaged Sahastra-Arjuna in battle, but could not best the arrogant king, for the latter enjoyed the boons of Shri Dattātreya.
Soon, as in previous ages, a tyrant had grown in power, in Kartavirya, to such extent that it was necessary for the Preserver of Creation, the Pillar which upholds Dharma, Bhagwān Vishnu, to descend once again, in the cause of restoration of order.
We are given a perspective of the gods, & the auspicious plans that were set in motion for the birth of Bhagwān Parshurām.
From the Mahabharat we learn :
Then the celestials and the saints of a rigidly virtuous life, met together, and thus spake to Vishnu, the god of gods, the slayer of demons, and possessed of prowess that never failed, saying. 'O blessed and revered lord, for the purpose of preserving all the born beings, it is necessary that Arjuna should be killed by thee.' And the mighty ruler of the Haihaya tribe placing himself on his celestial car, affronted Indra, while that deity was enjoying himself with Sachi, his queen. Then, O Bharata's son, the blessed and the revered god (Vishhnu) held a consultation with Indra, with a view to destroying Kartavirya's son. And on that occasion, all that was for the good of the world of beings, was communicated by the lord of gods; and the blessed god worshipped by the world, to do all that was necessary, went to the delightful Vadari wood which was his own chosen retreat for practising penances. - The Mahabharata, Book 3: Vana Parva: Tirtha-yatra Parva: Section CXV
Rāma Jamdagnya : Bhagwān Parshurām, his great deeds and the purpose of this Avtāra of Bhagwān Vishnu
So it was that the dormant prophecy of the Bhrigus & the inevitable punishment of the Haihayas had been born, Rāma Jamadagnya.
There are 2 great events in the life of Bhagwān Parshurām during the twilight of the Kṛta-yuga/Tretā Yuga that must be addressed to understand the true purpose of this incarnation of Bhagwān Vishnu.
Once, when Bhagwān Parshurām was away from the hermitage, his father's abode was visited by Sahastra-Arjuna, who had come upon the place during a hunting expedition.
Knowing now, how the Aurva story had preceded the events described here, it is safe to assume, this was not a friendly encounter.
More likely, this was akin to a raid, on Bhārgava soil, by the Haihaya King, who no doubt wished to revive & indeed end the old rivalry of his house with the Brahman clan.
During this "visit" we know that he stole from the Bhrigus, their cows, one among them, akin to Kāmdhenu, for we are told that during this visit, the hermitage "fed" the king and his entire host. This lends further credence to the idea that the Bhārgavas indeed were a territorial power & that this happenstance of a hunt leading to Kartavirya arriving at the hermitage was more than mere coincidence.
But nevertheless, when Parshurām ji returns, he discovers the grave sin that had occured.
A Brāhman's home was looted, the old Haihaya enemy had returned when the memories of their genocidal attack were still green & lastly, the sacred cow of his father was taken by force by the thousand-armed aggressor.
Thus, Lord Rāma, headed towards Mahishmati. Singlehandedly engaging the Haihayas, Lord Rāma slew Sahastra-Arjuna on that day, axe in hand he cut off the arms of the thousand-armed one & so frightful was his slaughter of the Haihaya armies, that the 10,000 sons of Kartavirya were put to flight.
Then, that Bhrigu, protector of cows, returned to his fathers hermitage, with the calf & cows with him, essential for the performance of the Agnihotra.
Following this incident sometime later, we learn that Kartavirya's sons, seeking vengeance from the Bhrigus, took the opportunity when Lord Rāma was away from the hermitage, to ambush Maharishi Jamadagni.
It was here, when Jamadagni was in deep prayer and meditation, that the sons of Kartavirya killed that ocean of penances.
Devi Renuka cried for her husband and cried for her son, as her entire world was shattered before her very eyes.
She pleaded with the Kshatriyas to spare her husband's corpse, but to no avail, for those fiends severed the sage's head and took it with them.
Lord Parshurām finally arrived and there seeing his grieving mother, beating her chest in grief, wailing next to the mutilated corpse of her husband, he swore, vengeance, but more than that, he swore justice.
Justice, for those who had been terribly afflicted by the tyranny of a corrupt class of kings.
Now Lord Parshurām sallies forth, no doubt, the Kushikās of Kanyakubja and the Suryavanshis of Ayodhya (his mother's and grandmother's family) accompanied him in force.
There in Mahishmati, in the heart of the city, the heads of the sons of Kartavirya were piled high as a mountain.
Conquering the earth and slaying tyrannical Kshatriyas 21 times over, that valiant hero performed penances and in dakshina gave the earth to Brahmans.
However, what is curious about this avtar of Bhagwān Vishnu, is that unlike his previous incarnations, or the ones to follow, Parshurām remained. He did not rejoin into the supreme consciousness. He did not die a natural death.
Instead he persisted on Mount Mahendra. Here, he lay dormant. This is not unlike, the events of his birth.
The prophesied birth of a Bhrigu who would perform feats worthy of the military order, was prolonged, by a generation.
Thus, it is at the very core of Lord Parshurām’s story, to essentially remain dormant until the divinely ordained hour arrives.
Remain, as the refuge of divine intent, providence & power, until the time is opportune for great deeds to be performed again, to remove the darkness of the age.
Räma Däsarathi meets Rāma Jamdagnya
In the third avtāra deed of his life in the Tretā Yuga, we observe that the above interpretation of Lord Parshurām's avtāra functions holds true.
For when the son of Raja Dashrath and the next avtāra of Lord Vishnu, Bhagwān Rāma, broke the bow of Lord Shivā, the terrible clamour of the divine bow's breaking, brought the dormant avtāra of Lord Vishnu into agency.
At once, moving with the mind's velocity, he arrived just as Raja Dashrath was departing with his Kulvadhus, the daughters of Raja Janak, and his sons, from Mithila.
Good and bad omens at once appeared before the departing party, not long before the dread of tyranny, Lord Parshurām made his appearance.
With the bow of Lord Vishnu in hand, Parshurām challenged Rāma Dashrathi, to string an arrow upon it, a task which if the latter accomplished, he would earn the reward of a duel with the great scion of the Bhrigu race.
The dialogue continues and eventually, Bhagwān Rāma strings an arrow, being provoked into action.
Realizing, in that moment, that he was standing before Lord Vishnu's incantation, Lord Parshurām accepted that any contest between the two was futile.
Parshurām, reminds Rāma, that he had sword to his guru Maharishi Kashyap, no never dwell upon his domains at night, thus, with the strung bow he requested the destruction of his conquered celestial domains, but not his velocity.
The arrow released, the domains destroyed, Bhagwān Rāma and Parshurām, prayed to one another, and the latter departed to his abode.
रामं दाशरथिं रामो जामदग्न्यः प्रपूजितः।
ततः प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य जगामात्मगतिं प्रभुः २४॥
"After that, Shri Rama Dashrathi worshiped Shri Rāma Jamdagnya. After being worshiped by him, Lord Parashuram circumambulated Shri Rāma and went to his place. - Valmiki Ramayana, Book I : Bala Kanda, Chapter 76.24
What must be understood is the eschatological layers of this event is first of all an appreciation for what has occured.
Appreciate for a moment that both Rāmas are essentially one and the same consciousness.
Both are Avtārs of Bhagwān Vishnu, both are the same being, incarnate into two bodies, two experiences, each born for different purposes, with a different perspective on events & their roles in them.
As human beings, we are distraught enough with our feeble attempts to wrap our heads around the concept of our own consciousness.
Imagine, yourself, standing before your friend, & for even a moment consider that interaction from both your own & your friend's perspective, that alone would be challenging.
Next, what is important to understand is that Parshurām is confronted not only with himself, as Vishnu, but his own limitations.
These limitations are not in terms of competence or strength, but rather in his agency and domains. Parshurām, here stood, at the precipice of his temporaral dominon. Beyond this, the agency of Bhagwān Vishnu acting through him would require to be kept dormant, for the age of Rāma Dashrathi was to be ushered henceforth.
The Mahabharat retelling of the story uses the concept of domains rather literally, with Raja Dashrath sending his son Rāma to receive Bhrigu Rāma at the border of his domains:
"Dasaratha, hearing that Rama of Bhrigu's race had arrived on the confines of his domains, set his own son Rama to receive the hero with respect" - Mahabharata, Book 3: Vana Parva: Tirtha-yatra Parva: Section XCIX
The Rāma before him, is about to enter adulthood, and embark on a life that would eventually result in his performing his avtār deeds.
In raising the challenge of the Vishnu Bow, Parshurām both triggers his own limitations and simultaneously, awakens the agency & realization within Rāma Dashrathi of being an avtār of Bhagwān Vishnu.
Now both Rāmas, cognizant of one another as one and the same, worship one another & the one destined to remain dormant and persist to the next Yugā, returns to his abode.
Bhagwān Parshurām in the Dvāpar Yuga : The Bhishma Battle
The role played by Bhagwān Parshurām in the Mahabharata cannot be ignored.
He plays the role of the guru for three of the most prominent characters in the epic.
Drona, the son of Maharishi Bharadvaj & himself the guru of the Kauravas & Pandavas, Bhishma and Karna receive their education in the weapons and arts of war from Parshurām ji himself.
The references to the Bhargavas in the Mahabharata has been the topic of much discussion among historians & popular narrators.
But before we address these references we ought to address one of the most important deeds of Bhagwan Parshuram in the Dvāpar.
We will briefly summarize the background of events.
Bhishma, causes the union of Salva the Lord of Saubha & Amba, the daughter of the King of Kashi in marriage to be hindered by taking her to Hastinapur. The princess distraught by her fate sought the protection of sages who guided her to seek the protection of Prabhu Rāma Jamadagnya.
As he was singularly powerful enough to overcome even such Kshatriyas as Bhishma.
Having requested the torch bearer of the race of Bhrigus for her salvation, she was given the vow of her honour’s protection and a choice by Bhagwān Parshurām.
If she so wished he would address the matter either to Bhishma or to Salva.
Lady Amba replied saying, that Bhishma was the root cause of her misery, and so, Bhagwān Parshurām should slay him.
The suggestion would breach upon Parshurām's vow of not taking up arms again.
But then he was addressed by the Brahmans present there, reminding him that he had also sword to never abandon those who had come to seek his protection.
He had promised to ever be a foe to those who would wish evil upon Brahmanas.
That he should summon Bhishma, his pupil, to the frontier of the Kuru kingdom, and there the two having quarreled in words, then began a terrible battle.
The battle, lasted 23 nights and on the 24th day, the two ceased fighting owing to a divine intervention by the Bhrigu ancestors & the Vasus & Devarishi Narada, who convinced both fighters to cease the battle.
Now, let us address the story again, from a critical perspective.
We have already discussed the crucial role that Bhagwān Parshurām plays. That his temporary dormancy was a necessary part of his avtār.
Now let us understand the conflict as it relates to the Mahabharat, the larger narrative of Bhagwān Parshurām's role & the importance of the particular events of this story.
First, though it may seem convenient, the story is not one which can be read as a reassertion of Kshatriya might in the Dvapar yuga.
Not only is Bhagwān Parshurām a unique Brahman figure, Bhishma himself, has a rather Brahminical relationship with dharma.
He is a Kshatriya who abandoned his duty as a king, prince & son, & took a vow of celibacy, suitable for an ascetic, instead of taking the throne & ruling as a Kshatriya.
Furthermore, the story more precisely represents the very function for which Parshurām ji's dormancy was disturbed once before.
The eve of the current avtār deed had arrived.
The earth was once again, teeming with adharma & Kshatriyas who had taken to wicked ways.
That the sight of the battle was Kurukshetra should be no surprise, as it would be here, that the avtār of the Dvapar, Krishna, would take charge of his greatest avtār deed, the Kaurav-Pandava war.
Likewise, it is no surprise that it is indeed Bhishma, who is the opponent in this instance for Parshurām ji, unlike the current avtār of the Yuga, as was the case in Treta, with Rama Dashrathi.
This is because Bhishma is the Kaurav-Pandava conflict embodied. He is at the root of the current disorder. His vows are ultimately at the very core of events which shaped the conflict. He is also worshipped by both factions, as grandsire.
The conflict further is heralding the Mahabharat war that is to come.
In fact, the Parshurām-Bhishma conflict occurs at the eve of the Mahabharat war. The juxtaposition between the destruction of Kshatriyas at the hands of Parshurām & the destructive battle between him & Bhishma, serves as the perfect backdrop for what is to come, a war like no other.
Thus, it is completely in line with the established role of Bhagwān Parshurām, to appear at the conjuncture of two Yugas, as he had before, ( the slaying of SahastraArjun at the krta/treta yuga conjuncture, meeting Rama Dashrathi at the treta/davapar and the Bhishma conflict at the dvapar/kali conjuncture).
Conclusion :
Thus, we see the importance of Bhagwān Parshurām, in our faith & history.
He is the overseer of the passing of Yugas.
A dormant champion in waiting, for the right hour to intervene again in mortal affairs.
He is the one who heralds the Yugāntas, he preserves the agency of the avtār until such time when the avtār of the current age is ready.
The significance of his birth and his own avtār deeds is echoed in the words of his ancestor, Maharishi Aurva, that the divine order requires there to be terrible punishment for terrible crimes.
He brought judgement to tyranny & restored the appropriate varna order.
Lastly, a few words, finally, pertaining to an aspect of the controversies mentioned before.
It is alleged that the occurrence of any reference to Bhagwān Parshurām is merely interpolation by Bhargavas who being Brahmans had access to scriptures.
Not only are the Bhargavas derided as exaggerating their own importance in the scriptures, the very existence of Bhagwān Parshurām is brought into question.
Now, we've already established the narrative consistency in the scriptures, the crucial junctures when Bhagwān Parshurām appears, the role he plays etc.
Let us address the argument from a different angle.
If indeed the text is interpolated why has the interpolation survived consistency & remained in line with the narrative of the entire text in all surviving versions of the epic as we have received them?
If indeed the Bhargavas had sufficient influence and authority to edit texts across centuries & across the country, why did they choose to allow arguably their greatest champion, Bhagwān Parshurām, to be stalemated by Bhishma at their battle at the Kurushetra?
The conspiracies don't stand scrutiny. And this post is one my own contribution to their undoing.
I must take the time to thank you all for subscribing to my substack.
Also for your incredible patience.
My hiatus I assure you was not without guilt as writing these posts is it's own reward for me.
This post in particular is one of many to come, hopefully not as cumbersome, but exploring similar topics.
For now, I take my leave and as always, I encourage you to tell me what you think about the article in the comments.
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