Home > Mind , Body & Soul > Grandma stories >Parashuram avtaar Parashuram was the avtaar that was taken by Lord Vishnu after the Vamana avtaar because it was felt that there were too many people belonging to the Kshatriya race who were taking the world by storm and their number had to be brought down.

The World had just seen Lord Vishnu adorn the Vamana avtaar and now there seemed to be some peace reigning all over. It was at this time that Sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka made their presence felt in many ways - Jamadagni excelled at archery and his wife was ever devoted to him. They had four sons, one of whom was Parashuram.

At the Jamdagni ashram, the diurnal chores would go like this- every morning Renuka would go very religiously to the river to get water for her prayers.One particular day her gaze fell on a Gandharva, (a magical being) and she was smitten by his beauty. It was unchaste for any woman to think of a man other than her husband and her spiritual power waned due to this. That day she returned without water.

Jamadagni, who was a seer too, understood what had transpired and he was livid. He commanded his sons to slay her, but none of them could yield to their father's desire- as it was something heinous to kill one's mother - not only then, but also at any point of time! But Parashuram, who was the ideal son, immediately slew his three brothers as well as his mother. Pleased by his ardent devotion, Jamadagni implored him to ask for any boon of his choice.

Parashuram instantly asked for his brothers and mother to be revived (on the condition that they do not remember anything that had necessitated these events). So they were resuscitated and then everything was at peace.

It was after sometime that a mighty king called 'Karthveeryarjuna', who had a thousand arms, happened to visit Jamadagni's ashram. Kamadhenu, the divine Cow, who resided at the hermitage was the one who was able to grant the wonderful dinner for the king and his battalion of soldiers as She was akin to a wish- granting mother. This caught the fancy of Karthaveeryarjuna who immediately wanted to covet the Cow- so he begged and beseeched the sage to give her away to him, but it was of no avail. Unable to accept 'NO' for an answer, he decided to wage war.

But this was offset by Parashuram, who had obtained through severe penance from Lord Shiva, an astra (weapon) that resembled an axe. With this the King and his army were all vanquished and killed. But things did not end here. The sons of the slain king came to the ashram and killed Jamadagni while he was in deep meditation.

Parashuram, who saw all this drama taking place, took a vow that he would slay the Kshatriya race. With this, the whole Kshatriya race would have come to an unfortunate end, had it not been for the timely intervention of Ram and Lakshman, who had a chance encounter with Parashuram while they made their way to the forest.

With this incarnation, the Kshatriya race had suffered quite a deathly blow and their numbers had been greatly reduced. Then, Parashuram handed over all his power that had been bestowed upon him by the act of Incarnation over to Ram, and then he made a quick exit from the world.