Sri Parshuram Jayanti
At the start of Hindu Vedic year with the month of Veishakh we observe two avatars
of Sri Hari Vishnu - that of Parshuram in the form of a Brahman and Sri Narsingh.
Both of these avatars are among the 10 most popular out of 24 reincarnations of Sri
Vishnu alongside the others - Sri Ram, Sri Krishna, Sri Vaman, Sri Matsyavatara
(fish), Sri Koorma in form of a tortoise and Sri Varaaha (boar).
The birthday of Sri Parshuram is marked on the day called - Akshay Trutiya (divine
third day of Shukla paksh, bright moon side of the month of Veishakh). Being the
sixth avatar of Sri Hari, he gained prominence by bringing his mother, Renuka back
to life after attaining a boon from his father, Jamadagni - who ordered her being
killed.
He proved his affection and devotion to both his parents - by one hand obeying his
father's orders and then exploiting the situation by asking for his mother to be
brought back to life. Parshuram's father, Jamadagni was later killed by King
Kartavirtya Sahashrarjun.
So incensed was Parshuram by his father's premature death that he set out to
eliminate all kshatriyas from earth. So he succeeded for a while until all traces of
kshatriyas was wiped out of earth.
These events meant that there were no warrior class - no kshatriyas left to protect
Earth from adharma. Sri Kashyap rishi later came to earth and after a conflict with
Parshuram ordered him to leave and reside on a mountain, Mahendra.
It is often argued that because of illegal use of power with his axe (parshu), ill fate
fell on Sri Parshuram.
Sri Parshuram is more popularly remembered during Sri Ram Leela years of treth
yugh - when he faced Sri Ram during dhanush yagh. It was when Sri Ram - another
more important Sri Vishnu avatar came to win the heart of Sri Janki Devi (Sita,
daughter of Raja Janak) that Sri Parshuram came to question who had broken the
Shiv dhanush baan.
But upon realising that Sri Ram (born in a kshatriya kingdom of Ajodhya) was in
actual fact a high form of Sri Vishnu himself, Sri Parshuram bowed to him and
praised Raja Janak on hosting the supreme God.
Sri Parshuram commended Raja Janak on finding Sri Ram to be his son-in-law. Sri
Ram later married Sri Janki (Sita) through blessings of Sri Parshuram.
