Adhyaya 16

Verse 1

श्रीशुक उवाच पित्रोपशिक्षितो रामस्तथेति कुरुनन्दन । संवत्सरं तीर्थयात्रां चरित्वाश्रममाव्रजत् ॥ १ ॥

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear Mahārāja Parīkṣit, son of the Kuru dynasty, when Lord Paraśurāma was given this order by his father, he immediately agreed, saying, “Let it be so.” For one complete year he traveled to holy places. Then he returned to his father’s residence.

Verse 2

कदाचिद् रेणुका याता गङ्गायां पद्ममालिनम् । गन्धर्वराजं क्रीडन्तमप्सरोभिरपश्यत ॥ २ ॥

Once when Reṇukā, the wife of Jamadagni, went to the bank of the Ganges to get water, she saw the King of the Gandharvas, decorated with a garland of lotuses and sporting in the Ganges with celestial women [Apsarās].

Verse 3

विलोकयन्ती क्रीडन्तमुदकार्थं नदीं गता । होमवेलां न सस्मार किञ्चिच्चित्ररथस्पृहा ॥ ३ ॥

She had gone to bring water from the Ganges, but when she saw Citraratha, the King of the Gandharvas, sporting with the celestial girls, she was somewhat inclined toward him and failed to remember that the time for the fire sacrifice was passing.

Verse 4

कालात्ययं तं विलोक्य मुने: शापविशङ्किता । आगत्य कलशं तस्थौ पुरोधाय कृताञ्जलि: ॥ ४ ॥

Later, understanding that the time for offering the sacrifice had passed, Reṇukā feared a curse from her husband. Therefore when she returned she simply put the waterpot before him and stood there with folded hands.

Verse 5

व्यभिचारं मुनिर्ज्ञात्वा पत्‍न्या: प्रकुपितोऽब्रवीत् । घ्नतैनां पुत्रका: पापामित्युक्तास्ते न चक्रिरे ॥ ५ ॥

The great sage Jamadagni understood the adultery in the mind of his wife. Therefore he was very angry and told his sons, “My dear sons, kill this sinful woman!” But the sons did not carry out his order.

Verse 6

राम: सञ्चोदित: पित्रा भ्रातृन् मात्रा सहावधीत् । प्रभावज्ञो मुने: सम्यक् समाधेस्तपसश्च स: ॥ ६ ॥

Jamadagni then ordered his youngest son, Paraśurāma, to kill his brothers, who had disobeyed this order, and his mother, who had mentally committed adultery. Lord Paraśurāma, knowing the power of his father, who was practiced in meditation and austerity, killed his mother and brothers immediately.

Verse 7

वरेणच्छन्दयामास प्रीत: सत्यवतीसुत: । वव्रे हतानां रामोऽपि जीवितं चास्मृतिं वधे ॥ ७ ॥

Jamadagni, the son of Satyavatī, was very much pleased with Paraśurāma and asked him to take any benediction he liked. Lord Paraśurāma replied, “Let my mother and brothers live again and not remember having been killed by me. This is the benediction I ask.”

Verse 8

उत्तस्थुस्ते कुशलिनो निद्रापाय इवाञ्जसा । पितुर्विद्वांस्तपोवीर्यं रामश्चक्रे सुहृद्वधम् ॥ ८ ॥

Thereafter, by the benediction of Jamadagni, Lord Paraśurāma’s mother and brothers immediately came alive and were very happy, as if awakened from sound sleep. Lord Paraśurāma had killed his relatives in accordance with his father’s order because he was fully aware of his father’s power, austerity and learning.

Verse 9

येऽर्जुनस्य सुता राजन् स्मरन्त: स्वपितुर्वधम् । रामवीर्यपराभूता लेभिरे शर्म न क्‍वचित् ॥ ९ ॥

My dear King Parīkṣit, the sons of Kārtavīryārjuna, who were defeated by the superior strength of Paraśurāma, never achieved happiness, for they always remembered the killing of their father.

Verse 10

एकदाश्रमतो रामे सभ्रातरि वनं गते । वैरं सिषाधयिषवो लब्धच्छिद्रा उपागमन् ॥ १० ॥

Once when Paraśurāma left the āśrama for the forest with Vasumān and his other brothers, the sons of Kārtavīryārjuna took the opportunity to approach Jamadagni’s residence to seek vengeance for their grudge.

Verse 11

दृष्ट्वाग्‍न्यागार आसीनमावेशितधियं मुनिम् । भगवत्युत्तमश्लोके जघ्नुस्ते पापनिश्चया: ॥ ११ ॥

The sons of Kārtavīryārjuna were determined to commit sinful deeds. Therefore when they saw Jamadagni sitting by the side of the fire to perform yajña and meditating upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is praised by the best of selected prayers, they took the opportunity to kill him.

Verse 12

याच्यमाना: कृपणया राममात्रातिदारुणा: । प्रसह्य शिर उत्कृत्य निन्युस्ते क्षत्रबन्धव: ॥ १२ ॥

With pitiable prayers, Reṇukā, the mother of Paraśurāma and wife of Jamadagni, begged for the life of her husband. But the sons of Kārtavīryārjuna, being devoid of the qualities of kṣatriyas, were so cruel that despite her prayers they forcibly cut off his head and took it away.

Verse 13

रेणुका दु:खशोकार्ता निघ्नन्त्यात्मानमात्मना । राम रामेति तातेति विचुक्रोशोच्चकै: सती ॥ १३ ॥

Lamenting in grief for the death of her husband, the most chaste Reṇukā struck her own body with her hands and cried very loudly, “O Rāma, my dear son Rāma!”

Verse 14

तदुपश्रुत्य दूरस्था हा रामेत्यार्तवत्स्वनम् । त्वरयाश्रममासाद्य दद‍ृशु: पितरं हतम् ॥ १४ ॥

Although the sons of Jamadagni, including Lord Paraśurāma, were a long distance from home, as soon as they heard Reṇukā loudly calling “O Rāma, O my son,” they hastily returned to the āśrama, where they saw their father already killed.

Verse 15

ते दु:खरोषामर्षार्तिशोकवेगविमोहिता: । हा तात साधो धर्मिष्ठ त्यक्त्वास्मान्स्वर्गतो भवान् ॥ १५ ॥

Virtually bewildered by grief, anger, indignation, affliction and lamentation, the sons of Jamadagni cried, “O father, most religious, saintly person, you have left us and gone to the heavenly planets!”

Verse 16

विलप्यैवं पितुर्देहं निधाय भ्रातृषु स्वयम् । प्रगृह्य परशुं राम: क्षत्रान्ताय मनो दधे ॥ १६ ॥

Thus lamenting, Lord Paraśurāma entrusted his father’s dead body to his brothers and personally took up his axe, having decided to put an end to all the kṣatriyas on the surface of the world.

Verse 17

गत्वा माहिष्मतीं रामो ब्रह्मघ्नविहतश्रियम् । तेषां स शीर्षभी राजन् मध्ये चक्रे महागिरिम् ॥ १७ ॥

O King, Lord Paraśurāma then went to Māhiṣmatī, which was already doomed by the sinful killing of a brāhmaṇa. In the midst of that city he made a mountain of heads, severed from the bodies of the sons of Kārtavīryārjuna.

Verse 18

तद्रक्तेन नदीं घोरामब्रह्मण्यभयावहाम् । हेतुं कृत्वा पितृवधं क्षत्रेऽमङ्गलकारिणि ॥ १८ ॥ त्रि:सप्तकृत्व: पृथिवीं कृत्वा नि:क्षत्रियां प्रभु: । समन्तपञ्चके चक्रे शोणितोदान् ह्रदान् नव ॥ १९ ॥

With the blood of the bodies of these sons, Lord Paraśurāma created a ghastly river, which brought great fear to the kings who had no respect for brahminical culture. Because the kṣatriyas, the men of power in government, were performing sinful activities, Lord Paraśurāma, on the plea of retaliating for the murder of his father, rid all the kṣatriyas from the face of the earth twenty-one times. Indeed, in the place known as Samanta-pañcaka he created nine lakes filled with their blood.

Verse 19

तद्रक्तेन नदीं घोरामब्रह्मण्यभयावहाम् । हेतुं कृत्वा पितृवधं क्षत्रेऽमङ्गलकारिणि ॥ १८ ॥ त्रि:सप्तकृत्व: पृथिवीं कृत्वा नि:क्षत्रियां प्रभु: । समन्तपञ्चके चक्रे शोणितोदान् ह्रदान् नव ॥ १९ ॥

With the blood of the bodies of these sons, Lord Paraśurāma created a ghastly river, which brought great fear to the kings who had no respect for brahminical culture. Because the kṣatriyas, the men of power in government, were performing sinful activities, Lord Paraśurāma, on the plea of retaliating for the murder of his father, rid all the kṣatriyas from the face of the earth twenty-one times. Indeed, in the place known as Samanta-pañcaka he created nine lakes filled with their blood.

Verse 20

पितु: कायेन सन्धाय शिर आदाय बर्हिषि । सर्वदेवमयं देवमात्मानमयजन्मखै: ॥ २० ॥

Thereafter, Paraśurāma joined his father’s head to the dead body and placed the whole body and head upon kuśa grass. By offering sacrifices, he began to worship Lord Vāsudeva, who is the all-pervading Supersoul of all the demigods and of every living entity.

Verse 21

ददौ प्राचीं दिशं होत्रे ब्रह्मणे दक्षिणां दिशम् । अध्वर्यवे प्रतीचीं वै उद्गात्रे उत्तरां दिशम् ॥ २१ ॥ अन्येभ्योऽवान्तरदिश: कश्यपाय च मध्यत: । आर्यावर्तमुपद्रष्ट्रे सदस्येभ्यस्तत: परम् ॥ २२ ॥

After completing the sacrifice, Lord Paraśurāma gave the eastern direction to the hotā as a gift, the south to the brahmā, the west to the adhvaryu, the north to the udgātā, and the four corners — northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest — to the other priests. He gave the middle to Kaśyapa and the place known as Āryāvarta to the upadraṣṭā. Whatever remained he distributed among the sadasyas, the associate priests.

Verse 22

ददौ प्राचीं दिशं होत्रे ब्रह्मणे दक्षिणां दिशम् । अध्वर्यवे प्रतीचीं वै उद्गात्रे उत्तरां दिशम् ॥ २१ ॥ अन्येभ्योऽवान्तरदिश: कश्यपाय च मध्यत: । आर्यावर्तमुपद्रष्ट्रे सदस्येभ्यस्तत: परम् ॥ २२ ॥

After completing the sacrifice, Lord Paraśurāma gave the eastern direction to the hotā as a gift, the south to the brahmā, the west to the adhvaryu, the north to the udgātā, and the four corners — northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest — to the other priests. He gave the middle to Kaśyapa and the place known as Āryāvarta to the upadraṣṭā. Whatever remained he distributed among the sadasyas, the associate priests.

Verse 23

ततश्चावभृथस्‍नानविधूताशेषकिल्बिष: । सरस्वत्यां महानद्यां रेजे व्यब्भ्र इवांशुमान् ॥ २३ ॥

Thereafter, having completed the ritualistic sacrificial ceremonies, Lord Paraśurāma took the bath known as the avabhṛtha-snāna. Standing on the bank of the great river Sarasvatī, cleared of all sins, Lord Paraśurāma appeared like the sun in a clear, cloudless sky.

Verse 24

स्वदेहं जमदग्निस्तु लब्ध्वा संज्ञानलक्षणम् । ऋषीणां मण्डले सोऽभूत् सप्तमो रामपूजित: ॥ २४ ॥

Thus Jamadagni, being worshiped by Lord Paraśurāma, was brought back to life with full remembrance, and he became one of the seven sages in the group of seven stars.

Verse 25

जामदग्‍न्योऽपि भगवान् राम: कमललोचन: । आगामिन्यन्तरे राजन् वर्तयिष्यति वै बृहत् ॥ २५ ॥

My dear King Parīkṣit, in the next manvantara the lotus-eyed Personality of Godhead Lord Paraśurāma, the son of Jamadagni, will be a great propounder of Vedic knowledge. In other words, he will be one of the seven sages.

Verse 26

आस्तेऽद्यापि महेन्द्राद्रौ न्यस्तदण्ड: प्रशान्तधी: । उपगीयमानचरित: सिद्धगन्धर्वचारणै: ॥ २६ ॥

Lord Paraśurāma still lives as an intelligent brāhmaṇa in the mountainous country known as Mahendra. Completely satisfied, having given up all the weapons of a kṣatriya, he is always worshiped, adored and offered prayers for his exalted character and activities by such celestial beings as the Siddhas, Cāraṇas and Gandharvas.

Verse 27

एवं भृगुषु विश्वात्मा भगवान् हरिरीश्वर: । अवतीर्य परं भारं भुवोऽहन् बहुशो नृपान् ॥ २७ ॥

In this way the supreme soul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord and the supreme controller, descended as an incarnation in the Bhṛgu dynasty and released the universe from the burden of undesirable kings by killing them many times.

Verse 28

गाधेरभून्महातेजा: समिद्ध इव पावक: । तपसा क्षात्रमुत्सृज्य यो लेभे ब्रह्मवर्चसम् ॥ २८ ॥

Viśvāmitra, the son of Mahārāja Gādhi, was as powerful as the flames of fire. From the position of a kṣatriya, he achieved the position of a powerful brāhmaṇa by undergoing penances and austerities.

Verse 29

विश्वामित्रस्य चैवासन् पुत्रा एकशतं नृप । मध्यमस्तु मधुच्छन्दा मधुच्छन्दस एव ते ॥ २९ ॥

O King Parīkṣit, Viśvāmitra had 101 sons, of whom the middle one was known as Madhucchandā. In relation to him, all the other sons were celebrated as the Madhucchandās.

Verse 30

पुत्रं कृत्वा शुन:शेफं देवरातं च भार्गवम् । आजीगर्तं सुतानाह ज्येष्ठ एष प्रकल्प्यताम् ॥ ३० ॥

Viśvāmitra accepted the son of Ajīgarta known as Śunaḥśepha, who was born in the Bhṛgu dynasty and was also known as Devarāta, as one of his own sons. Viśvāmitra ordered his other sons to accept Śunaḥśepha as their eldest brother.

Verse 31

यो वै हरिश्चन्द्रमखे विक्रीत: पुरुष: पशु: । स्तुत्वा देवान् प्रजेशादीन् मुमुचे पाशबन्धनात् ॥ ३१ ॥

Śunaḥśepha’s father sold Śunaḥśepha to be sacrificed as a man-animal in the yajña of King Hariścandra. When Śunaḥśepha was brought into the sacrificial arena, he prayed to the demigods for release and was released by their mercy.

Verse 32

यो रातो देवयजने देवैर्गाधिषु तापस: । देवरात इति ख्यात: शुन:शेफस्तु भार्गव: ॥ ३२ ॥

Although Śunaḥśepha was born in the Bhārgava dynasty, he was greatly advanced in spiritual life, and therefore the demigods involved in the sacrifice protected him. Consequently he was also celebrated as the descendant of Gādhi named Devarāta.

Verse 33

ये मधुच्छन्दसो ज्येष्ठा: कुशलं मेनिरे न तत् । अशपत् तान्मुनि: क्रुद्धो म्‍लेच्छा भवत दुर्जना: ॥ ३३ ॥

When requested by their father to accept Śunaḥśepha as the eldest son, the elder fifty of the Madhucchandās, the sons of Viśvāmitra, did not agree. Therefore Viśvāmitra, being angry, cursed them. “May all of you bad sons become mlecchas,” he said, “being opposed to the principles of Vedic culture.”

Verse 34

स होवाच मधुच्छन्दा: सार्धं पञ्चाशता तत: । यन्नो भवान् सञ्जानीते तस्मिंस्तिष्ठामहे वयम् ॥ ३४ ॥

When the elder Madhucchandās were cursed, the younger fifty, along with Madhucchandā himself, approached their father and agreed to accept his proposal. “Dear father,” they said, “we shall abide by whatever arrangement you like.”

Verse 35

ज्येष्ठं मन्त्रद‍ृशं चक्रुस्त्वामन्वञ्चो वयं स्म हि । विश्वामित्र: सुतानाह वीरवन्तो भविष्यथ । ये मानं मेऽनुगृह्णन्तो वीरवन्तमकर्त माम् ॥ ३५ ॥

Thus the younger Madhucchandās accepted Śunaḥśepha as their eldest brother and told him, “We shall follow your orders.” Viśvāmitra then said to his obedient sons, “Because you have accepted Śunaḥśepha as your eldest brother, I am very satisfied. By accepting my order, you have made me a father of worthy sons, and therefore I bless all of you to become the fathers of sons also.”

Verse 36

एष व: कुशिका वीरो देवरातस्तमन्वित । अन्ये चाष्टकहारीतजयक्रतुमदादय: ॥ ३६ ॥

Viśvāmitra said, “O Kuśikas [descendants of Kauśika], this Devarāta is my son and is one of you. Please obey his orders.” O King Parīkṣit, Viśvāmitra had many other sons, such as Aṣṭaka, Hārīta, Jaya and Kratumān.

Verse 37

एवं कौशिकगोत्रं तु विश्वामित्रै: पृथग्विधम् । प्रवरान्तरमापन्नं तद्धि चैवं प्रकल्पितम् ॥ ३७ ॥

Viśvāmitra cursed some of his sons and blessed the others, and he also adopted a son. Thus there were varieties in the Kauśika dynasty, but among all the sons, Devarāta was considered the eldest.