Parshuram Jayanti 2022: Lesser Known Facts About Lord Vishnu's Avatar

The great Parashuram or Parshuram, who is known to be the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, was born to a Brahmin Saptarishi sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka.

Born in the Treta-yuga, he is one of the seven immortals known in Hinduism. Even though he was a Brahmin by birth, he possessed the aggression and courage of a Kshatriya, this got him the name of 'Brahma-Kshatriya’.

He was extremely skilled in methods of warfare, so much so that he solely killed all the corrupt warriors on earth 21 times.

The Story Behind Parashurama Beheading His Mother

The legends state that Parashuram went on killing every single Kshatriya that came in his way till there were none left.

This caused him to be shunned by the rest of the Brahmins, for he had violated the norms of lifestyle for sages and was tainted by the murders.

Many such unknown facts about Parashuram still lay hidden in the legends of Hindu mythology. Read further to know more of these little known facts about Parashuram.

Birthplace Of Lord Parshuram

The birthplace of the great Lord Parashuram is said to be Renuka tirth. It has also been mentioned that his lineage took place in the modern-day Maheshwar. His father, rishi Jamadagni, was a direct descendent of Lord Bramha.

Parshuram Was Named Rambhadra At Birth

Before his birth, both his parents meditated for the blessings of Lord Shiva. This led them to have the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu as their fifth son, whom they named 'Rambhadra' at birth. He performed a hard penance and pleased Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva gave him a divine axe. An axe is known as Farsha or Parsha in Hindi. Hence, he was named Parshuram.

Parshuram's Celestial Weapon

Even at a very young age, Parashuram bore great interest in weapons. He went through a severe penance to please Lord Shiva, who finally granted him with a boon of a celestial axe. However, this only happened after he proved himself worthy of it, for which Lord Shiva himself became his spiritual master. After receiving this celestial weapon, he came to be known as 'Parshuram'.

Battle Between His Master And Him

The great Lord Shiva challenged Parshuram to test his warfare skills. A fierce battle took place between the master and disciple that lasted for 21 days.

Lord Shiva Pleased With Parshuram's Warfare Skills

During the battle, while avoiding the trident of the great Lord, Parshuram attacked Lord Shiva and struck him with his axe on his forehead. Seeing this Lord Shiva was extremely pleased, as his disciple had mastered the art of warfare. He embraced the wound and preserved it to assure his disciple's reputation eternally and came to be known as 'Khand-Parashu' since then.

Parshuram's Story Of Being An Obedient Son

Lord Parshuram's mother, Renuka, was an extremely devoted wife, so much so that the power of her faith allowed her to fetch water in unbaked clay. Sadly, one day while filling up the pot, she saw Gandharva's chariot passing from the sky and just for a moment she was filled with desire. As a result, the pot melted away in the river. Her husband on becoming aware of this, through his yogic powers, in rage asked his sons to kill her with an axe. None except Lord Parshuram did the task. He beheaded his mother and the four brothers, as asked by his father. Later, his father asked him for two boons and thus he asked for the lives of his mother and brothers back, which were granted to him by his father.

Parshuram Was Born Upon The Request Of Earth

The Puranas say that once when the sin and atrocities increased on the Earth, she approached Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu promised her that he would take birth as a human being and save her from the atrocities of the sinners. As a result, he took birth as Parshuram. Parshuram killed the demons and saved mother Earth.

He Killed The Demons Twenty One Times

It is believed that Kartaveerya Arjuna, who was also known as Sahastrabahu had a hundred sons. They had killed the sons of the father of Parshuram. It is said that his mother beat her head twenty one times when she heard the news of his death. This enraged him so much that he went about killing all the demons on Earth. He, therefore, cleared the Earth of demons twenty-one times.

Went To Live On The Mount Mahendragiri

After he killed the demons twenty-one times and had become the lord of it, sage Kashyap had to come before him and as an attempt to stop him, he asked him to give the Earth away as a donation to him. This way, Lord Parshuram gave away the Earth as a donation and went to live on Mount Mahendragiri. It is believed that he still comes to save his devotees from the miseries and problems upon their calls. It is also said that he might come to the earth during the day but stay there the whole night.

Is One Of The 'Ashta Chiranjeevi'

There are eight warriors who are believed to have the blessing of immortality. These eight are collectively known as the Ashta Chiranjeevi. Parshuram had the blessing of immortality from his father, sage Jamdagni. Thus the brave warrior sage continues to protect his devotees today and forever.