27 - Destruction of Jamadagni and Parashurama’s resolve 

Narayana said - The king reciting the name of the lord and getting surprised left for his abode. He once again arrived at the hermitage of Jamadagni. 

He was accompanied by four lakhs of chariots, ten lakhs of soldiers mounted on chariots, one lakh big horses besides elephants, foot soldiers, the number of which could not be estimated. 

There was a lakh of others kings who were great, valorous and strong. Thus the king arrived there with a well equipped army and could conquer the three worlds. He surrounded the hermitage of Jamadagni from all sides. Kartaviryarjuna was mounted on a chariot wearing the kavacha. 

О sage, with the sound produced from the playing of musical instruments and with the terrific sound of the movement of the troops all the people in the hermitage of Jamadagni fainted. 

The valorous king entered the hermitage and caught hold of the Kapila cow and the degraded king dragged her and thought of carrying her to his abode. 

Thereafter, the dwellers of the hermitage of the sage took the bows and arrows in their hands, with naked bodies bowing at the feet of the cow, reciting the name of the lord, assuring variously, appeared before the king for a fight. 

The sage making great effort created a net of arrows and he covered his entire hermitage with the net of arrows as if a human being was wearing a kavacha. 

The sage then created another net of arrows and surrounded the entire army of the king with the same. 

Thus with the net of the arrows created by the sage, the entire royal army was imprisoned in it like a bird placed in a cage.

Thereafter finding the army thus imprisoned there, the king got down from his chariot and with folded hands together with all other kings bowed in reverence to the sage. 

The sage blessed them variously; thereafter the king was delighted and mounted his chariot. The king then together with all other kings started shooting arrows, clubs and shaktis but the sage destroyed all of them playfully. The sage also used his own weapons which were also shattered by the king who ultimately used the trident to attack the sage. The trident was destroyed by the sage and he created another net of arrows but the king with the use of his terrific weapons shattered the same. 

Those who were captured in the net of arrows, could not escape anywhere. Thereafter, the sage with the use of Jrumbhanastra, made all the elephants, the horses, the foot soldiers and all other soldiers to be overpowered in a deep swoon. Finding the king asleep, the sage, did not kill him. 

Delightfully he brought to senses the Kapila cow who had fainted while weeping and taking her with him he returned to his Ashrama. 

In the meantime, the king recovered his senses, prevented the movement of the sage and the cow with the use of his arrows. 

But inspite of the danger ahead he left the battle-field and went to his abode. The sage thereafter moved fearlessly towards his hermitage. 

The king then shot Brahmstra on the sage which was neutralised by the sage with the use of his own Brahm astra. The sage then with the use of divine weapons with him, neutralised all the weapons of the king including his bows and arrows, the chariot with charioteer and the horrible kavacha also. 

This enraged the king who looked at the shakti which was lying close by and could surely destroy a human being and was bestowed by Dattatreya. 

The king mentally bowed in reverence to Dattatreya and then to the shakti. Thereafter the shakti which dazzled like hundreds of suns and started wielding the same in the battle-field. 

O Narada, the king invoked the lustre of all the gods, Narayana, Shiva, Brahma and the illusion reciting the mantras as a result of which, the lustre of the same was spread in all the ten directions. 

Finding the king using that shakti on the sage, all the gods who had assembled there to witness the battle started crying in terror. 

Kartaviryarjuna had himself shot it wielding in the air. The shakti got ignited and struck at the chest of the sage. 

It pierced through the heart of the sage and then went to the lord which was given by the lord to Dattatreya. 

The sage fainted instantaneously and the life departed out of his body. His lustre went to Brahmaloka while roaming in the air for some time. 

Finding the sage killed in the battle-field, the Kapila cow started crying in the battle-field. She said, "O lord" and thus speaking she went to the Goloka. 

Reaching Goloka she narrated the entire story to lord Krishna who was seated there, on the gem studded lion-throne comfortably and was surrounded by the cow-herds and cowherdesses. 

О Brahmana, the cow was first of all given by lord Krishna to Brahma. Brahma gave her to Bhrugu and Bhrugu lovingly gave her away to Jamadagni at Pushkara. 

Thereafter, she bowing in reverence to the group of Kamadhenu cows left the place. With the tears dropping from her eyes pearls were formed on earth. 

The king after killing Jamadagni performed repentance with his soldiers and left for his place. 

Finding his lord having been killed, the chaste Menaka arrived there taking the body in her lap, she fainted. 

On regaining consciousness, the chaste lady, did not cry but reciting the name of Rama and her husband started summoning Parashurama. 

Parashurama on the other hand who could move at the speed thought and was well-versed in the yogas arrived there from Pushkara and he bowed in reverence to his mother. 

Parashurama then found his father having been killed, the mother filled with grief and the cow Kapila having proceeded to Goloka. He also learnt about the news of the battle. He lamented again and again reciting the name of his father and mother. Thereafter he, who was the best of the yogis prepared a pyre of a sandal-wood. 

Renuka on the other hand embraced Parashurama, kissed his cheeks and head. Thereafter she started crying aloud. 

She uttered, "O Rama, where should I proceed leaving you." Thus speaking she went on lamenting again and again. 

О son, you have been dearer to me than my life even. On son, you don’t go to the battle-field after performing the last rites of your parents. О son, you remain in your abode comfortably and perform tapas but don’t fight with terrific ks atriyas because by doing so, the result becomes unpleasant." 

Thus hearing the words of his mother, Parashurama took a vow that "I shall surely rid the earth of the kshatriyas twenty one times and I shall kill this degraded Kartavirya playfully." I shall then offer tarpana to my ancestors with the blood of Kartavlrya." Thus taking a vow before his mother, Parashurama again started lamenting. Thereafter he started speaking to his mother, the words which were prosperous, truthful and according to the scriptures. 

Parashurama said - The one who disobeys the command of his father and does not kill the killer of the father, such a foolish fellow surely falls in the terrific hell. 

The one who ignites fire, administers poison or holds weapons or the one who snatches away the riches and the one who snatches away another fields and the wife, the one who kills the father and the brother, the one who is always lazy, the back-biter, the one who always speaks harsh words, such people are always treated to be sinners and according to the provision of the Vedas, they are fit to be killed. 

The one who snatches away the riches, drives away others' possessions, the shaving of the head or denouncement these are considered to be the death for the Brahmana. 

In the meantime, the sage Bhrugu himself arrived there and he started expressing his heart felt grief. Finding both Parashurama and Renuka in a melancholy mood he started speaking to them the words which was according to the Vedas and were beneficial even for the next world.

Bhrugu said - О son, you are bom in my race and are very well-read. Why are you lamenting? Because everything in the universe is perishable like the bubble of water. 

О son, recite the name of lord Krishna, who is the essence of truth and is quite truthful as well. О son, whosoever is gone is gone. The one who has gone can never come back. 

Whatever is destined to happen, it happens always. Who can prevent one from facing the results of the deeds performed by him in earlier births? 

O son, whatever past, present and future is there, has been built preordained by lord Krishna on the basis of the deeds which are destined to be performed; who can prevent them? О son this body of five elements is the seed of illusion which vanishes like the dream of the morning hours. 

With the departing of the soul from the body, hunger, sleep, mercy, glory, forgiveness and grace besides the wisdom of the mind also depart from the body. 

His wisdom and all his strength also leave the body like the servants of the king who always follow him. Therefore, you make an effort to recite the name of lord Krishna, 

О son, who happens to be the father of whom and who happens to be the son of whom; all of them are influenced by their own deeds and are wandering here in the ocean of the universe. 

О son, the intellectuals do not lament like this. Therefore, you stop crying because the tears that fall with the crying drive the dead person to the hell. 

By calling whose name the sages cry, they cannot get him back even when they cry for him. This is certain because the soul is part of the body. The skin and bones are consumed by the earth. Similarly, a part of the body is consumed by the water, the void goes to the sky and the part of the wind merges into the wind and the part of lustre merges into the light. 

Thus everything merges into the five elements. Therefore, no one would gain anything by lamenting. Thereafter, only the name his glory, his good deeds are remembered by the people after the death of a person. Therefore, you perform the last rights as prescribed in the Vedas. 

Because the one who performs these rites for the welfare of the departed soul, he could be called the real relative." On hearing the words of Bhrugu, the chaste Renuka shed all her grief and started speaking to him.