Today, the 10th  May, 2024, as per Hindu calendar is Akshay Tritya. It is an auspicious day. That is the Prakatya Divas (birthday) of Bhagvan Parshuram. As per Hindu Literature, Bhagvan Parshuram was the 6th Incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He was an incarnation before Bhagvan Rama Chandra and Bhagvan Krishan Chandra, the 7th and 8th incarnations of Lord Vishnu, respectively.

In Hindu culture, we use term Bhagvan to express our reverence for those divine beings who lived so distinguishably. According to Parashar Muni, a great sage and scholar of ancient times, anybody can be Bhagvan, if he (or she) has six opulence, namely,

Supreme Power,

Supreme Knowledge,

Supreme Wealth,

Supreme Fame,

Supreme Beauty,

Supreme Renunciation.

At another level, in Hindu culture, Bh-a-g-va-n is an acronym of 5 elements of the mother Nature, expressed in Sanskrit as

Bhumi (earth),

Agni (fire),

Gagan (Space or Ether),

Vayu (Air), and

Neer (water).

Bhagvan is one who combines the qualities of these five elements of nature in one’s daily life. The prime qualities of nature are equity, accommodation, tolerance, supporting others and detachment.

Bhagvan Parshuram’s Father was Rishi Jamdganya. His Mother’s name was Renuka. Bhagvan Parshuram  was Brahmin by ‘Varna’ (class at birth). He was expected to grow up as a Brahmin (Intellectual, Teacher, Researcher, Author), but he grew up and performed the duties of a Kshatriya (Warrior class) in response to the demand of times then. As the legend goes, that was the time when some Kings (kshatriyas) of the time had become barbaric and cruel to their subjects. He stood for rights of the common people. He fought and killed many such kings and donated all those kingdoms to Rishi Kashyap (academic).

The legend has it that he visited King Janak at the time of Sita Swayamvar (wedding), highly infuriated when he learned that Rama has Broken Shiv Dhanush (Shiva’s Bow) as part of the condition of marriage set up by King Janak. Unfortunately, Based on the dialogue of Bhagvan Parshuram and Lakshmana  as written in Ramcharit Manas,  and dramatized in ‘Ram Leelas’, he has been painted as an Angry Brahmin, which is totally wrong. If he was angry, why did he bless Ram Chandra and peacefully walked away after Ram Chandra broke Vishnu Dhanush (Vishnu’s Bow).

Ramcharit Manas states (but who cares to read and be excited about positives; negatives sell much better; then and now) that what Rama broke  (defused) in Swayamvar was Shiv Dhanus (the Most Lethal Weapon of the sect of Shaivites). At that time there were two sects, Shaivites having Shiv Dhanush and Vaishanvites having Vishnu Dhanush. Shiv Dhanush was in the custody of King Janak and Vishnu Dhanush was in the custody of Bhagvan Parshuram. By defusing Shiv Dhanush, the balance of power between Vaishnavites and Shaivites was disturbed in favor of Vaishanvites. That actually infuriated him. He asked Rama to defuse Vishnu Dhanush also that was in his custody to see that the balance of power is restored. Once done, he happily walked away, blessing Rama as the symbol of equity and justice.

Bhagvan Parshuram  was also known by other names like Jamdaganya Rama, Bhargav Rama, Veerrama. But he was famous as Parshurama because he had earned Parsa (Farsa) in a  boon from Lord Shiva by offering strictest penance and then killing with that Parsa (Farsa) many barbaric and cruel kings of his time to re-establish rights and dignity of the common man.

He was the teacher of such illustrious warriors like Bhishama,  Guru Dronacharya and Karan of Mahabharta. The references of Bhagvan Parshuram are available in Ramayana, Bhagvad Puran, Mahabharata and Ramcharit Manas. He is Chiranjivi (immortal). All these references are readily available on www.vedpuran.net.

Some important lessons that we may take from Bhagvan Parshuram’s life are:

Be Voice of the poor, marginalized.

Have both shaaster (Brahmanic knowledge) and shaster (weapon).

Live as the situation demands rather than living in the conventional mold.

Balance of power between adversaries can be achieved either by having equally powerful weapons (Strength Respect Strength- APJ Andul Kalam), or none by both.

A ruler who mistreats his subjects has no reason to be a ruler.

Support Education, like he donated all kingdoms he won to Kashyap Rishi. (Education is the best cure of poverty).

 

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