Canto 9 |
Chapter 16: How Lord Paras'urâma Came to Destroy the Ruling Class Twenty-one Times
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Oh son of the Kuru dynasty, Paras'urâma, thus by his father being advised, said: 'So be it!', whereupon he for a year traveled to all the holy places. Then he returned to the âs'rama. (2) When Renukâ [his mother] one day went to the bank of the Ganges, she saw the king of the Gandharvas [see also 9.14: 31]. He was garlanded with lotus flowers and sported with the girls of heaven, the Apsaras. (3) She observed his affairs as she went to the river to fetch some water. Slightly drawn to Citraratha, she forgot the time of the fire sacrifice. (4) Realizing that she had neglected the time, she, upon returning, was afraid to be cursed by the sage and stood with folded hands before him, having put the water pot in front of him. (5) The sage understood she had deviated from the rule and became angry with his wife. He said: 'Remove her my sons, she's full of sin', but the sons did not carry out his order. (6) Râma, who through his meditation and austerity was fully aware of the prowess of the sage [and confided perfectly in his authority], in response to the encouragement of his father immediately terminated his mother and all his brothers. (7) When Jamadagni thus being pleased asked him what benediction he would like, he said: 'Give those whom we have lost their life back without them remembering their punishment!' (8) Soon they all rose happily and alive, like they had awakened from deep sleep, since Râma had executed the punishing of his kin in the full awareness of the power of his father's austerity.
(9) The sons of Kârtavîryârjuna [9.15: 17], oh King, [meanwhile] could not have peace with the remembrance of their father being defeated by the superior power of Paras'urâma. (10) When Râma one day with his brothers was away from the âs'rama in the forest, they, seeking revenge, took the opportunity to approach their residence. (11) Finding the muni sitting at the fireplace fully absorbed in contemplating the Supreme One Praised in the Verses, they, determined to do evil, killed him. (12) Being most cruel towards the poor and unprotected mother of Râma who begged for the life of her husband, they, those 'kshatriya' brothers, violently cut his head off and took it away. (13) Renukâ, the chaste wife down in tears grieving, stroke her body with her hands and cried loudly: 'Oh Râma, oh Râma, my dear son!' (14) Hearing the sound of that most sad cry 'Oh Râma', they [Râma and his brothers] from far away, hastened back to the âs'rama where they saw that their father had been murdered. (15) Bewildered by the shock, they all lamented and angrily, depressed, sad and indignified cried: 'Oh father, oh saint, you who are such an example of dharma have now departed for heaven and left us behind!' (16) Thus bewailing their father, Paras'urâma entrusted the body to his brothers and personally took up the ax, determined to put an end to the kshatriyas. (17) Râma went to Mâhishmatî, [the capital] that was bereft of all glory because a brahmin had been killed. There he in the middle of the town made a great pile of the heads he severed from their bodies.(18-19) Their blood formed a terrible river that brought fear to all the rulers who defied the brahminical culture. Because the kshatriyas, the royal class, had killed his father, he acted to their detriment and twenty-one times over wiped them off the earth. He as a master of war thus at Samanta-pañcaka created nine lakes filled with blood instead of water [see also B.G. 4: 7].
(20) Joining his father's head with his body he kept him on kus'a grass and worshiped with sacrifices the Godhead, the True Self and inspiration of all the demigods. (21-22) The hotâ priest he gave the eastern direction, the brahmâ priest he gave the southern direction, the adhvaryu he gave the western side and the udgâtâ received the north [compare 9.11: 2]. The others and Kas'yapa Muni he assigned the different corners and the middle Âryâvarta portion [*] he gave to the upadrashthâ priest who supervises the mantras. The assisting sadasya priests received whatever remained. (23) When he thereafter took a bath, he, on the bank of the major stream that was the Sarasvatî, was cleansed of all impurities [remaining from killing the kshatriyas] and radiated like a cloudless sun [see also B.G. 3: 9]. (24) Because of Paras'urâma's worship, Jamadagni regained his body with all the symptoms of consciousness and became the seventh seer in the constellation of the seven sages [see 8.13: 5, linked to the saptarshi-mandala stars around the polestar]. (25) Paras'urâma, the son of Jamadagni who is also the Supreme Lord with the lotus petal eyes, will be a propounder of Vedic knowledge in the next period of Manu, oh King [as one of the seven sages, see 8.13: 15-16]. (26) He who in peace with the intelligence has given up the clout, still today can be found in the hills of Mahendra and is worshiped and revered for his character and activities by all the perfected souls, the singers of heaven and the venerable souls. (27) This is how the Soul of the Universe, the Supreme Lord Hari, the Controller who appeared as an incarnation in the Bhrigu dynasty and killed the rulers of man many times, relieved the earth of its great burden.
(28) From Gâdhi's loins [see 9.15: 4-5] a most powerful personality [Vis'vâmitra] was born. He, as perfect as a fire, gave up the kshatriya position and achieved the quality of a brahmin by performing austerities [see 7.11: 35 and footnote at 9.7: 7]. (29) Vis'vâmitra also had sons: one hundred-and-one of them, oh ruler. Because the middle one carried the name Madhucchandâ they as a group were called the Madhucchandâs. (30) He accepted S'unahs'epha, the son of Ajîgarta, who with the name of Devarâta ['saved by the demigods'] appeared in the Bhrigu-dynasty, as his own son. He ordered his other sons to accept him as the eldest one. (31) He was the one who was sold as the 'man-animal' for the yajña of king Haris'candra. After offering prayers to the demigods headed by Lord Brahmâ he was released from being bound like an animal [see 9.7: 20]. (32) Stemming from the line of Bhrigu he was advanced in spirituality and was therefore protected by the godly souls involved in the sacrifice for the gods. S'unas'epha was for that reason in the dynasty of Gâdhi also celebrated as Devarâta. (33) The [fifty] eldest Madhucchandâs could not very well accept the fact [that he would be the eldest brother] and were all cursed by the muni who got angry. He said: 'May all of you bad sons become mlecchas [**]!' (34) It was Madhucchandâ who, together with the rest of the fifty sons, then said: 'We will conform to whatever would please you in this matter, oh father!' (35) They accepted him [Devarâta], a seer of mantras, as the eldest and said to him: 'We will all follow you.' Vis'vâmitra told the sons: 'You sons will all have sons because you favored my honor as a father of [worthy] sons. (36) He, Devarâta, is a son of mine, just like you are, oh Kus'ikas [***], please obey him.' And there were many other sons: Ashthaka, Hârîta, Jaya, Kratumân and more. (37) Let it thus be clear what the branches of the dynasty of Kaus'ika are according to the different positions that were obtained by the sons of Vis'vâmitra [the ones obedient, the ones disobedient and the ones adopted].'
Third revised edition, loaded January 25, 2020.
Previous Aadhar edition and Vedabase links:
S'rî S'uka said: 'Oh son of the Kuru dynasty, Paras'urâma, thus by his father being advised, said: 'So be it!', whereupon he for a year traveled to all the holy places. Then he returned to the âs'rama.S'rî S'uka said: 'O son of the Kuru dynasty, Paras'urâma by his father thus advised said: 'So be it!', and traveled for a year all the holy places to return to the âs'rama thereafter. (Vedabase)
When Renukâ [his mother] one day went to the bank of the Ganges, she saw the king of the Gandharvas [see also 9.14: 31]. He was garlanded with lotus flowers and sported with the girls of heaven, the Apsaras.
When once Renukâ (his mother) went to the bank of the Ganges, saw she the king of the Gandharvas [see also 9.14: 31] garlanded with lotus flowers sporting with the girls of heaven, the Apsaras. (Vedabase)
She observed his affairs as she went to the river to fetch some water. Slightly drawn to Citraratha, she forgot the time of the fire sacrifice.
Looking at his affairs as she went to the river for some water forgot she, slightly drawn to Citraratha, the time of the fire-sacrifice. (Vedabase)
Realizing that she had neglected the time, she, upon returning, was afraid to be cursed by the sage and stood with folded hands before him, having put the water pot in front of him.
Seeing the time wasted stood she, returning, afraid to be cursed by the sage, with folded hands before him having put the waterpot in front of him. (Vedabase)
The sage understood she had deviated from the rule and became angry with his wife. He said: 'Remove her my sons, she's full of sin', but the sons did not carry out his order.
The sage understood she had yielded to temptation and became angry with his wife saying: 'Kill her my sons, she's full of sin', but the sons did not carry out his order. (Vedabase)
Râma, who through his meditation and austerity was fully aware of the prowess of the sage [and confided perfectly in his authority], in response to the encouragement of his father immediately terminated his mother and all his brothers.
By his meditation and austerity fully aware of the prowess of the sage did Râma on the encouragement by his father immediately kill his mother and all his brothers. (Vedabase)
When Jamadagni, thus being pleased, asked him what benediction he would like, he said: 'Give those whom we have lost their life back without them remembering their punishment!'
By the pleased Jamadagni asked for any benediction that he would like he said: 'Let the dead today of this Râma return to life and have no remembrance of having been killed by me!' (Vedabase)
Soon they all rose happily and alive, like they had awakened from deep sleep, since Râma had executed the punishing of his kin in the full awareness of the power of his father's austerity.
And soon they rose happily alive like awaking from deep sleep for Râma had executed the killing of his kin in the awareness of this power of austerity of his father. (Vedabase)
The sons of Kârtavîryârjuna [9.15: 17], oh King, [meanwhile] could not have peace with the remembrance of their father being defeated by the superior power of Paras'urâma.
They who were the sons of Kârtavîryârjuna [9.15: 17], o King, never found any happiness always remembering how their father had been overcome by the superior power of Paras'urâma. (Vedabase)
When Râma one day with his brothers was away from the âs'rama in the forest, they, seeking revenge, took the opportunity to approach their residence.
So once when Râma with his brothers was away from the âs'rama in the forest, took they the opportunity to approach their residence seeking revenge. (Vedabase)
Finding the muni sitting at the fireplace fully absorbed in contemplating the Supreme One Praised in the Verses, they, determined to do evil, killed him.
When they at the fireplace found the muni sitting fully absorbed in contemplation on the Supreme One Praised in the Verses, did they, determined to sin, kill him. (Vedabase)
Being most cruel towards the poor and unprotected mother of Râma who begged for the life of her husband, they, those 'kshatriya' brothers, violently cut his head off and took it away.
Most cruel with the poor and unprotected mother of Râma begging for the life of her husband, took they, those 'kshatriya' brothers, violently his head cutting it off. (Vedabase)
Renukâ, the chaste wife down in tears grieving, stroke her body with her hands and cried loudly: 'Oh Râma, oh Râma, my dear son!'
Renukâ the chaste wife down in tears grieving stroke her body with her hands and cried loudly: 'O Râma, o Râma, my dear son!'. (Vedabase)
Hearing the sound of that most sad cry 'Oh Râma', they [Râma and his brothers] from far away, hastened back to the âs'rama where they saw that their father had been murdered.
Hearing that most sad outcry 'oh Râma' however far they were away, hastened they [Râma and his brothers] themselves back to the âs'rama and saw they that the father had been killed. (Vedabase)
Bewildered by the shock, they all lamented and angrily, depressed, sad and indignified cried: 'Oh father, oh saint, you who are such an example of dharma have now departed for heaven and left us behind!'
Bewildered by the force of being hurt, they all aggrieved angrily, depressed and indignified cried out: 'O father, o saint, now have you, such an example of the dharma, left us gone for heaven!' (Vedabase)
Thus bewailing their father, Paras'urâma entrusted the body to his brothers and personally took up the ax, determined to put an end to the kshatriyas.
Lamenting like this over their father entrusted Paras'urâma the body to his brothers and took he in person up the ax with the determination to put an end to the kshatriyas. (Vedabase)
Râma went to Mâhishmatî, [the capital] that was bereft of all glory because a brahmin had been killed. There he in the middle of the town made a great pile of the heads he severed from their bodies.
Because a brahmin had been killed went Paras'urâma to Mâhishmatî [the capital] to the doom of them: he severed all their heads, o King, and made in the middle of the town a great pile of them. (Vedabase)
Their blood formed a terrible river that brought fear to all the rulers who defied the brahminical culture. Because the kshatriyas, the royal class, had killed his father, he acted to their detriment and twenty-one times over wiped them off the earth. He as a master of war thus at Samanta-pañcaka created nine lakes filled with blood instead of water [see also B.G. 4: 7].
Their river of blood was a terror causing fear to all kings in defiance of the brahminical. His having to accept the murder of his father had been the cause that led to the twenty-one times over wiping off of the earth of all the royal class whenever they acted badly; as a Master of war he thus at Samanta-pañcaka created nine lakes filled with blood instead of water [see also B.G. 4: 7]. (Vedabase)
Joining his father's head with his body he kept him on kus'a grass and worshiped with sacrifices the Godhead, the True Self and inspiration of all the demigods.
Joining his father's head with the body keeping it on kus'a grass, worshiped he with sacrifices the Omnipresent Godhead Pervading All Divinity. (Vedabase)
The hotâ priest he gave the eastern direction, the brahmâ priest he gave the southern direction, the adhvaryu he gave the western side and the udgâtâ received the north [compare 9.11: 2]. The others and Kas'yapa Muni he assigned the different corners and the middle Âryâvarta portion [*] he gave to the upadrashthâ priest who supervises the mantras. The assisting sadasya priests received whatever remained.
The hotâ priest he gave as a gift the eastern direction, the brahmâ priest he gave the southern direction, the adhvaryu he gave the western side and the udgâtâ received the north indeed [compare 9.11: 2]. The others and Kas'yapa Muni he donated the different corners and the middle Âryâvarta portion [*] he gave to the upadrashthâ priest supervising the mantras; the assisting sadasya priests got whatever remained. (Vedabase)
When he thereafter took a bath, he, on the bank of the major stream that was the Sarasvatî, was cleansed of all impurities [remaining from killing the kshatriyas] and radiated like a cloudless sun [see also B.G. 3: 9].
When he thereafter took a bath was he on the bank of the major stream that was the Sarasvatî cleansed of the endless reactions to the sin and appeared he like a cloudless sun [see also B.G. 3: 9]. (Vedabase)
Because of Paras'urâma's worship, Jamadagni regained his body with all the symptoms of consciousness and became the seventh seer in the constellation of the seven sages [see 8.13: 5, linked to the saptarshi-mandala stars around the polestar].
Because of the worship of Paras'urâma regained Jamadagni his own body with all the symptoms of life, knowledge and remembrance of the great seers and became he the seventh star in a constellation of seven [the seven sages, see 8.13: 5, linked to the saptarshi-mandala stars around the polestar]. (Vedabase)
Paras'urâma, the son of Jamadagni who is also the Supreme Lord with the lotus petal eyes, will be a propounder of Vedic knowledge in the next period of Manu, oh King [as one of the seven sages, see 8.13: 15-16].
The son of Jamadagni, Paras'urâma, that is also the Supreme Lord with the lotus-petal eyes, will in the coming period of Manu, o King, be a propounder of the vedic knowledge [as one of the seven sages, see 8.13: 15-16]. (Vedabase)
He who in peace with the intelligence has given up the clout, still today can be found in the hills of Mahendra and is worshiped and revered for his character and activities by all the perfected souls, the singers of heaven and the venerable souls.
He, having given up the clout in peace with the intelligence, is still around today in the hills of Mahendra and is worshiped and revered for his character and activities by all the perfected, singers of heaven and venerable ones. (Vedabase)
This is how the Soul of the Universe, the Supreme Lord Hari, the Controller who appeared as an incarnation in the Bhrigu dynasty and killed the rulers of man many times, relieved the earth of its great burden.
This way has, appearing as an incarnation in the Bhrigu dynasty and killing the rulers of man many times, the Soul of the Universe, the Supreme Lord Hari, the Controller, relieved the earth of its great burden. (Vedabase)
From Gâdhi's loins [see 9.15: 4-5] a most powerful personality [Vis'vâmitra] was born. He, as perfect as a fire, gave up the kshatriya position and achieved the quality of a brahmin by performing austerities [see 7.11: 35 and footnote at 9.7: 7].
From Gâdhi [see 9.15: 4-5] was born the most powerful one [Vis'vâmitra] who as flaming as a fire by his austerities had given up the position of a kshatriya and had achieved the quality of a brahmin [see 7.11: 35 and footnote at 9.7: 7]. (Vedabase)
Vis'vâmitra also had sons: one hundred-and-one of them, oh ruler. Because the middle one carried the name Madhucchandâ they as a group were called the Madhucchandâs.
With Vis'vâmitra one could also count on sons: one hundred-and-one in number indeed, o ruler, who because of the middle one being called Madhucchandâ as a group were celebrated as the Madhucchandâs. (Vedabase)
He accepted S'unahs'epha, the son of Ajîgarta, who with the name of Devarâta ['saved by the demigods'] appeared in the Bhrigu-dynasty, as his own son. He ordered his other sons to accept him as the eldest one.
He accepted as his son S'unahs'epha, who as Devarâta ['saved by the godly'], in the Bhrigu-dynasty came forward as the son of Ajîgarta; he ordered his own sons to accept him as the eldest. (Vedabase)
He was the one who was sold as the 'man-animal' for the yajña of king Haris'candra. After offering prayers to the demigods headed by Lord Brahmâ he was released from being bound like an animal [see 9.7: 20].
He indeed was for the yajña of Haris'candra sold [to Rohita] as the man-animal of sacrifice. By his offering prayers to the godly headed by Lord Brahmâ was he released from being bound like an animal [see 9.7: 20]. (Vedabase)
Stemming from the line of Bhrigu he was advanced in spirituality and was therefore protected by the godly souls involved in the sacrifice for the gods. S'unas'epha was for that reason in the dynasty of Gâdhi also celebrated as Devarâta.
He, protected in the arena of the godly, managed by dint of those god-fearing people in the dynasty of Gâdhi to advance in spirituality and was thus in the line of Bhrigu celebrated as well as Devarâta as S'unas'epha. (Vedabase)
The [fifty] eldest Madhucchandâs could not very well accept the fact [that he would be the eldest brother] and were all cursed by the muni who got angry. He said: 'May all of you bad sons become mlecchas [**]!'
Those of the Madhucchandâs who were the [fifty] eldest could not wholeheartedly accept that [of him as their eldest brother] and were all cursed by the muni being angry with them saying: 'May all of you bad sons become mlecchas [**]!' (Vedabase)
It was Madhucchandâ who, together with the rest of the fifty sons, then said: 'We will conform to whatever would please you in this matter, oh father!'
It was Madhucchandâ indeed who with the second fifty then said: 'We'll abide by whatever to your pleasure would be ours, o father!' (Vedabase)
They accepted him [Devarâta], a seer of mantras, as the eldest and said to him: 'We will all follow you.' Vis'vâmitra told the sons: 'You sons will all have sons because you favored my honor as a father of [worthy] sons.
The eldest they accepted as a seer of mantras saying to him: 'You we have agreed to follow and so for true we surely will'. Vis'vâmitra told the sons: 'You all will become fathers of sons to my honor for you have accepted me as a father of worthy sons. (Vedabase)
He, Devarâta, is a son of mine, just like you are, oh Kus'ikas [***], please obey him.' And there were many other sons: Ashthaka, Hârîta, Jaya, Kratumân and more.
This one Devarâta is, just like you are, my son, o Kus'ikas [***], just obey him', and many other sons followed: Ashthaka, Hârîta, Jaya, Kratumân and more. (Vedabase)
Let it thus be clear what the branches of the dynasty of Kaus'ika are according to the different positions that were obtained by the sons of Vis'vâmitra [the ones obedient, the ones disobedient and the ones adopted].'
This is how the dynasty of Kaus'ika originated from the sons of Vis'vâmitra from whose different positions they as such had taken, as a consequence thus different types could be ascertained.(Vedabase)
*: The tract of land in India between the Himalaya Mountains and the Vindhya Hills is called Âryâvarta.**: Mlecchas are people opposed to the Vedas, non-Aryans that are also known as the meat-eaters that Lord Kalki will slay at the end of Kali-yuga.
***: 'One of Kaus'ika' is another name for Vis'vâmitra and his sons, see also 6.8: 38.
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