NARAYANEEYAM DASAKAM - 36 - PARASURAMA AVATHAARAM

Dasakam - 36 - Parasurama Avathaaram

Lord had incarnated as Dattatreya earlier, born to sage Atri and Anusooya. Attracted to him for his yogic powers, many disciples thronged his place. This was a hindrance to his Dhyanam, So he stayed alone with his wife Muktha kannikai.  King Kaartaveeryarjuna was extremely devoted to Dattathreya. When he visited, Dattatreya granted psychic powers consisting of eight siddhis and promised death only in his hands.

To make the boon come true and also because of enmity in between kings, which could only be partly kept in check by Kaarthaveeryarjuna's valour, Lord incarnated to reduce the burden on the earth. He was born as the last son of Sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka and was named Parasurama. By fourteen years of age, he was well versed in vedas. Once Sage Jamadagni got furious with his wife Renuka for her attachment with a gandharva Chittaratha and ordered his sons to behead their mother. First two sons refused to carry out the order. However, Parasurama beheaded his mother and his brothers and after father cooled down, he got the boon to restore them back to life. Happy with Parasurama, Mother Renuka also granted boons.

Jamadgni had brought the divine cow, Kaamadhenu to ashrama to please Renuka. As per Advice from Sage Bhrigu, Parasurama went to Himalayas to meditate on Lord Shiva. Shiva granted him battle-axe or parasu and various other missiles. He killed an asura under Lord Shiva's instruction and became friends with Akruthavranar and returned to the ashram. Meanwhile, at the ashram, once King Kaarthaveerya Arjuna and his huge army visited and they were fed by the milk from the divine cow. On return to palace, King was ill advised by his ministers to purchase the cow, hence he sent his emissary to purchase it from Sage Jamadagni but he refused to sell it. Jamadagni  was killed and the cow and calf were abducted. Furious over the action, Kaamadhenu produced warriors from her body which destroyed king's army, still the calf was abducted by the remaining army of soldiers. Jamadagni was revived by Sukracharya.

Parasurama on his return, came to know of the happenings from father. He immediately invoked Mahaodaran, an emissary of Lord Shiva and received bow, arrows, axe and left to meet the king at Maahishmathi, in a chariot along with Akruthavranar. After King refused to handover the calf, Parasurama fought with Kartaveeryarjuna and his ten thousand sons. King with his sons and seventeen akshauhini army and his friends fought a fierce battle with Parasurama. Most of them were killed by the battle axe of Parasuraama and some fled. 

Kartaveeryarjuna had thousand arms and he had once, stopped flow of Narmada with his hand to form a dam. He had frightened Ravana by holding him under water and making him go breathless. Such a mighty king gave a fitting fight with his remaining sons, but was soon made powerless by Parasurama. Then Kartaveeryarjuna realised that it should be only Lord. He surrendered to the Lord and was killed and granted salvation immediately.

Remaining sons of the Kartaveeryarjuna king, wanted to take revenge for killing of their father and beheaded Sage Jamadagni. Renuka cried calling her son twenty one times and Parasurama took a vow to kill Kshatriyas who hated brahmins, twenty one times massacred the entire community and then did tarpana to the ancestors at the blood bath called Samanta Panchaka. Sage Jamadagni was revived by the pleased ancestors. When Parasurama tried to fight with Saalva, Sanat Kumarars stopped him from the action and advised that he will be killed later by Krishna.

Parasuraama gave away all land, he conquered from Shatriyas to sage Kashyapa and left to Mahendra parvath for meditation. Once Earth was surrounded by Sea water up to Gokarna, he fired missile of fire at the ocean. Ocean diety in fear withdrew slowly, and upon throwing of sacrificial ladle, the Sruva into the ocean, sea receded  and the land of Kerala came up.

Bhattathiri praised Lord for all his mighty powers in his Parsurama avatharam and pleads to protect him of all his afflictions.

Lyrics of Dasakam 36

अत्रे: पुत्रतया पुरा त्वम्-अनसूयायां हि दत्ताभिधो

जात: शिष्य निबन्धतन्द्रित मना: स्वस्थश्चरन् कान्तया ।

दृष्टो भक्ततमेन हेहयमही पालेन तस्मै वरान्

अष्टैश्वर्य मुखान् प्रदाय ददिथ स्वेनैव च अन्ते वधम् ॥१॥

atre: putratayaa puraa tvam-anasuuyaayaaM hi dattaabhidhO

jaata: shiShya nibandhatandrita manaa: svasthashcharan kaantayaa |

dR^iShTO bhaktatamena hehayamahii paalena tasmai varaan

aShTaishvarya mukhaan pradaaya daditha svenaiva cha ante vadham || 1 ||

सत्यं कर्तुम्-अथ अर्जुनस्य च वरं तत्-शक्ति-मात्रा-नतं

ब्रह्मद्वेषि तदाखिलं नृपकुलं हन्तुं च भूमेर्भरम् ।

सञ्जातो जमदग्नितो भृगुकुले त्वं रेणुकायां हरे

रामो नाम तदात्मजेषु अवरज: पित्रो:-अधा: सम्मदम् ॥२॥

satyaM kartum atha arjunasya cha varaM tat-shakti maatraa-nataM

brahmadveShi tadaakhilaM nR^ipakulaM hantuM cha bhuumerbharam |

sa~njaatO jamadagnitO bhR^igukule tvaM reNukaayaaM hare

raamO naama tadaatmajeShu: avaraja: pitrO: adhaa: sammadam || 2 ||

लब्ध-आम्नायगण:-चतुर्दश वया गन्धर्वराजे मनाक्

आसक्तां किल मातरं प्रति पितु: क्रोधाकुलस्याज्ञया ।

ताताज्ञातिग सोदरै: सममिमां छित्वाऽथ शान्तात् पितु:

तेषां जीवन योगमापिथ वरं माता च ते-अदात्-वरान् ॥३॥

labdha-amnaayagaNa: chaturdasha vayaa gandharva raaje manaak

aasaktaaM kila maataraM prati pitu: krOdhaakulasyaaj~nayaa |

taataaj~naatiga sOdarai: samamimaaM Chitvaa(a)tha shaantaat pitu:

teShaaM jiivana yOgamaapitha varaM maataa cha te adaat-varaan || 3 ||

पित्रा मातृमुदे: तवा हृतवियत्-धेनो: निजादाश्रमात्

प्रस्थायाथ भृगोर्गिरा हिमगिरौ-आराध्य गौरीपतिम् ।

लब्ध्वा तत्परशुं तदुक्त दनुजच्छेदी महास्त्रादिकं

प्राप्तो मित्रम्-अथ-अकृत्-व्रण-मुनिं प्राप्यागम: स्वाश्रमम् ॥४॥

pitraa maatR^imude: tavaa hR^itaviyat-dhenO: nijaadaashramaat

prasthaayaatha bhR^igOrgiraa himagirow-aaraadhya gauriipatim |

labdhvaa tatparashuM tadukta danujachChedii mahaastraadikaM

praaptO mitram-atha-akR^ita vraNa muniM praapyaagama: svaashramam || 4 ||

आखेटोपगत:-अर्जुन: सुरगवी सम्प्राप्त सम्पद्गणै:

त्वत्-पित्रा परिपूजित: पुरगतो दुर्मन्त्रि वाचा पुन: ।

गां क्रेतुं सचिवं न्ययुङ्क्त कुधिया तेनापि रुन्धन्

मुनि-प्राण-क्षेप सरोष गोहत चमू-चक्रेण वत्सो हृत: ॥५॥

aakheTOpagata: arjuna: suragavii sampraapta sampadgaNai:

tvat-pitraa paripuujita: puragatO durmantri vaachaa puna: |

gaaM kretuM sachivaM nyayunkta kudhiyaa tenaapi rundhan

muni-praaNa-kshepa sarOSha gOhata chamuu-chakreNa vatsO hR^ita: || 5 ||

शुक्रोज्जीवित तातवाक्य चलित क्रोधोऽथ सख्या समं

बिभ्रद्ध्यात महोदरोप निहितं चापं कुठारं शरान् ।

आरूढ: सहवाह यन्तृकरथं माहिष्मतीम्-आविशन्

वाग्भिर्वत्सम्-अदाशुषि क्षितिपतौ सम्प्रास्तुथा: सङ्गरम् ॥६॥

shukrOjjiivita taatavaakya chalita krOdhO(a)tha sakhyaa samaM

vibhraddhyaata mahOdarOpanihitaM chaapaM kuThaaraM sharaan |

aaruuDhassahavaahayantR^ikarathaM maahiShmatiimaavishan

vaagbhirvatsam adaashuShi kshitipatau sampraastuthaaH sangaram || 6 ||

पुत्राणाम्-अयुतेन सप्त दशभिश्च अक्षौहिणीभि:

महा-सेनानीभि: अनेक मित्र निवहै: व्याजृम्भित-आयोधन: ।

सद्य:-त्वत्ककुठार बाणविदलन् निश्शेष सैन्योत्करो

भीतिप्रद्रुत नष्टशिष्ट तनय: त्वामापतत् हेहय: ॥७॥

putraaNaam-ayutena sapta dashabhishcha akshauhiNiibhi: 

mahaa-senaaniibhi: aneka mitra nivahai: vyaajR^imbhita-ayOdhana: |

sadya: tvatkakuTaara baaNavidalan nishsheSha sainyOtkarO

bhiitipradruta naShTashiShTa tanaya: tvaamaapatat hehaya: || 7 ||

लीलावारित नर्मदा जलवलत् लङ्केशगर्वापह:

श्रीमत्-बाहु-सहस्र-मुक्त बहुशस्त्रास्त्रं निरुन्धन्नमुम् ।

चक्रे त्वय्यथ वैष्णवेऽपि विफले बुद्ध्वा हरिं त्वां मुदा

ध्यायन्तं छित सर्वदोषम्-अवधी: सोऽगात् परं ते पदम् ॥८॥

liilaavaarita narmadaa jalavalat lankesha garvaapaha:

shriimad-baahu-sahasra-mukta bahushastraastraM nirundhannamum |

chakre tvayyatha vaiShNave(a)pi viphale buddhvaa hariM tvaaM mudaa

dhyaayantaM Chita sarvadOSham-avadhii: sO(a)gaat paraM te padam || 8 ||

भूयोऽमर्षित-हेहयात्मज गणै: ताते हते रेणुकाम्

आघ्नानां हृदयं निरीक्ष्य बहुशो घोरां प्रतिज्ञां वहन् ।

ध्यानानीत रथायुधस्त्वमकृथा विप्रद्रुह: क्षत्रियान्

दिक्चक्रेषु कुठारयन् विशिखयन् नि:क्षत्रियां मेदिनीम् ॥९॥

bhuuyO(a)marShita hehayaatmajagaNaistaate hate reNukaam

aaghnaanaaM hR^idayaM niriikshya bahushO ghOraaM pratij~naaM vahan |

dhyaanaaniita rathaayudhastvamakR^ithaa vipradruhaH kshatriyaan

dikchakreShu kuThaarayan vishikhayan niHkshatriyaaM mediniim || 9 ||

तातोज्जीवनकृत् नृपालक-कुलं त्रिस्सप्तकृत्वो जयन्

सन्तर्प्याथ समन्तपञ्चक महारक्त हृदौघे पितृन्

यज्ञे क्ष्मामपि काश्यपादिषु दिशन् साल्वेन युध्यन् पुन:

कृष्णोऽमुं निहनिष्यतीति शमितो युद्धात् कुमारै: भवान् ॥१०॥

taatOjjiivanakR^ita nR^ipaalaka-kulaM trissaptakR^itvO jayan

santarpyaatha samantapa~nchaka mahaarakta hradaughe pitR^In |

yaj~ne kshmaamapi kaashyapaadiShu dishan saalvena yudhyan puna:

kR^iShNO(a)muM nihaniShyatiiti shamitO yuddaat kumaarai: bhavaan || 10 ||

न्यस्यास्त्राणि महेन्द्र भूभृति तपस्तन्वन् पुनर्मज्जितां

गोकर्णावधि सागरेण धरणीं दृष्ट्वार्थित: तापसै: ।

ध्यातेष्वास धृतानलास्त्र चकितं सिन्धुं स्रुव क्षेपणात्

उत्सार्योद्धृत केरलो भृगुपते वातेश संरक्ष माम् ॥११॥

nyasyaastraaNi mahendra bhuubhR^iti tapastanvan punarmajjitaaM

gOkarNaavadhi saagareNa dharaNiiM dR^iShTvaarthita: taapasai: |

dhyaateShvaasa dhR^itaanalaastra chakitaM sindhuM sruva kshepaNaat

utsaaryOd-dhR^ita keralO bhR^igupate vaatesha samraksha maam || 11 ||

--------Sri Krishnarpanam-------