Avatara Annihilates Administrators

Chapter 15, 16

Sukadeva Goswami then described the descendants of Urvasi, in which lineage Satyavati appeared.

Satyavati’s husband was the sage, Rcika Muni. Her father had asked him to donate 1,000 special horses as a dowry, which he successfully sourced from Varuna. Later, Satyavati and her mother both requested Rcika Muni to prepare an oblation so they could have a son. The sage prepared one oblation for a priestly (brahmana) son, and gave it to Satyavati, and the other oblation for a warrior (ksatriya) son, and gave that to her mother. Satyavati and her mother, however, switched the oblations, and Satyavati was thus destined to have a fierce, ksatriya son. When she pleaded that this be changed, he adjusted the benediction so that her grandson would become this fierce ksatriya.

In time, she had a son named Jamadagni, who then had a son called Parasurama, the avatara of the Lord who would fiercely annihilate the deviant rulers of the universe. Sukadeva Goswami then narrated the events leading up to the mass killing.

King Kartaviryarjuna had become extremely powerful, and even held the mighty Ravana captive at one point. When Kartaviryarjuna audaciously stole Jamadagni’s desire cow, Parasurama arrived in his capital and annihilated his armies. He confronted Kartaviryarjuna, cut off his 1,000 arms and then decapitated him. The cow was released and the news of his victory reached Jamadagni. His father disapproved of such violence and encouraged his son to atone for the sin by visiting the holy places. Parasurama thus travelled for one year.

Later, Jamadagni detected that his wife had compromised her chastity. He ordered his sons to kill her, but they could not follow their father’s instruction. When Jamadagni issued the order to Parasurama, however, the fierce avatara killed all his brothers and his mother. Jamadagni was satisfied and asked his son to request any blessing. Parasurama then prayed that they all come back to life.

Meanwhile, the sons of Kartaviryarjuna were still dismayed at their father’s death. In retaliation, they mercilessly killed Jamadagni. This heinous crime enraged Parasurama to no end. He launched a full-scale attack on the ksatriya clan, and began by killing all of Kartaviyarjuna’s sons. In total, Parasurama killed the ksatriyas twenty-one times, so that there were no warriors left! The mass slaughter caused rivers of blood and a mountain of heads.

Later, when Parasurama joined the head of his father to the dead body, Jamadagni miraculously came back to life. Parasurama then renounced His weapons and entered the Mahendra mountains, where he continues to live even today.