Paraśurāma Tejohāni

This short narrative is told by Lomaśa to the Pāṇḍavas during their pilgrimage to the tīrthas. It tells how Rāma, son of Daśaratha, took the tejas (spiritual radiance) from Paraśurāma with an arrow, and how Paraśurāma won it back at the tīrtha called Vadhūsarā, also known as Dīpodama.

The meeting

Paraśurāma Bhārgava is a great ṛshi and a kshatriya in his deeds, an avatāra of Bhagavān Vishṇu, who destroyed the kshatriya line twenty-one times. He carried a divine bow made by Bhagavān Vishṇu himself.

Rāma, also called Rāmachandra, son of Daśaratha, met Paraśurāma and saw his bow. Rāma took it. He strung it with no effort, which showed his great nature. Then he let fly an arrow from it at Paraśurāma.

The loss of tejas

The arrow did not wound Paraśurāma’s body. It took from him the great tejas he had gathered by his own fierce tapas (austerity) and by the many great deeds of his life as the scourge of the kshatriyas. This is the tejohāni, the loss of gathered spiritual radiance. Paraśurāma was left weaker, and the power he had held for so long was suddenly gone (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 99).

Recovery at Vadhūsarā tīrtha

The pitṛs (ancestors) of Paraśurāma advised him. They told him to go to the tīrtha called Vadhūsarā, also known as Dīpodama, and do tapas and ablutions there. The tejas that had been taken from him could be won back through the power of that holy place.

Paraśurāma followed their advice. He went to Vadhūsarā tīrtha, and by his stay and practice there he got his tejas back. The tīrtha is therefore linked with this event, the loss and return of the power of one of the greatest tapasvīs of the age. Because of Paraśurāma’s recovery there, Lomaśa shows Yudhishṭhira the tīrtha and tells him this account (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 99).

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 99 (told by Lomaśa during the tīrtha-yātrā)