40 - Bhrugu’s departure for Kailasa 

Narayana said - When the kavachas were carried to Vaikuntha by Vishnu, Parashurama the son of Bhrugu then killed Sahasraksha. Having been deprived of the kavacha, the king continued to fight for a week with Brahmastra but was destroyed with all his sons. At the fall of Sahasraksha, the valorous Karttivirya himself came foreword with two lakhs akshauhini army. 

He mounted on a golden chariot. He was clad in costumes studded with the best of gems and was surrounded by several of the weapons all round him. Thus, having been assured protection from all the sides, he marched foreword in the battle-field. 

Parashurama then saw the king in the battle field, who was adorned with innumerable ornaments studded with gems and equated the glory of crores of Indras. He had a chatra of gems and was adorned with gem-studded ornaments. All his limbs were plastered with sandal-paste. He looked quite pleasant while smiling. 

Having a look at sage Parashurama, the king got down from the chariot and bowed down in reverence to him with all the kings. Thereafter, he went back to his chariot with the kings and took his seat there. 

Parashurama blessed the king and spoke appropriate words which suited the time, "You proceed to heaven with your attendants.” 

O Narada, thereafter both the armies fought with each other in which the pupils and brothers of Parashurama were shattered by Kartavirya who fled away from the battle-field. 

With the shooting of innumerable arrows, Parashurama was unable to look at his army as well as the relatives. 

Thereafter Parashurama shot the fire arrows in the battle-field, as a result of which, everything was in flames in the battle-field. The king on his part shot the Varuna-arrow, which extinguished the fire making the atmosphere peaceful. 

Parashurama then shot Gandharvastra which emitted mountains and snakes which was neutralised by the king by shooting the wind arrow. 

Parashurama then shot Nagastra which was quite terrific but the king neutralised it by shooting Garudastra which destroyed the serpent without much effort. 

Parashurama the son of Bhrugu then used the weapon of Maheshvara which was neutralised by the king, by using the Vaisnava weapon. 

О Narada, thereafter Parashurama used Brahmastra for the destruction of the king. The king also used the same type of Brahmastra neutralising the one shot by Parashurama. 

The king at that point of time shot the trident bestowed to him by Dattatreya for killing his enemy which was always successful in its mission. 

Parashurama then saw the trident emitting lustre of crores of suns which was extremely glorious and emitted fire like the fire of dissolution. Even the gods were unable to face it. 

О Narada, the trident fell over Parashurama as a result of which he fell down fainted. 

With the fall of Parashurama, all the gods became restive. At that point of time Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva also arrived in the battle-field. 

At the instance of Narayana, the valorous Shiva brought back the Brahmana to life with this illusion. 

After regaining consciousness Bhrugu found all the three gods before him and he bowed in reverence to them. 

Finding them there, the king bowed his head in devotion and offered his salutation to all of them, besides eulogising them. 

In the meantime, lord Dattatreya also reached in the battle-field for the protection of his devotee. Thereafter Parashurama getting enraged shot the Pashupata weapon but at the same time Bhrugu was surprised at the sight of Dattatreya. 

Inspite of getting surprised Parashurama looked at the king in the battle-field, who was protected in the battle-field by lord Krishna and many of his courtiers. 

Lord Krishna was protecting him wielding his Sudarshana-chakra. All the gods including Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva were offering prayers to him smilingly.

He was surrounded by hundreds of cowherds and was clad in the costumes of cowherds, possessing the complexion of new clouds and holding a flute in his hand. Lord Krishna was playing on the flute. 

In the meantime, a divine voice from the sky was heard that the king possessed the kavacha of Krishna which was handed over to him by Dattatreya and he was wearing it in the casket of gem bound over the right arm. Therefore, Shiva the teacher of the yogis should bet it from him.  Parashurama would be able to kill the king only thereafter. О Narada on hearing this divine voice, Shiva took to the form of a Brahmana and went to the king and begged for the kavacha of Krishna which he had received from the lord and gave it ultimately to Bhrugu. 

Thereafter the gods dispersed to their respective abodes and then Parashurama again said to the king. 

Parashurama said - "O Indra among the kings, get up and fight with me quite courageously. The humans face victory or defeat according to the time. 

Because I have carefully studied myself the scriptures and also made my pupils do so, I have ruled the entire universe pretty well and have fought also pretty well but you made me fainted. 

You also playfully became victorious indulging the Brahmanas but still I have been defeated with the trident given to you by Dattatreya. Shiva then arrived and brought me back to life." 

On hearing the words of Parashurama, the religious minded king bowed to him with devotion and spoke to him the appropriate words. 

The king said - What have you studied? What have you given away in charity? Which is the earth ruled by you and how many of the kings like me have been killed by you? 

О lord, my wisdom, glory, prowess, various types of battle art, wealth, fortune, knowledge, capacity for giving charity, universal glory, conduct, discipline, knowledge, position, great tapas and everything has been lost with Manorama. 

She was dearer to me than my life, quite chaste and was born out of the amsha of Kamala.  The wife in the yajnas becomes affectionate like mothers and at the time of love sports she becomes a good companion besides sleeping, taking food, in the battle-field and in childhood she always remains with him. Therefore, without her I have become a serpent without poison. 

О Brahmana you had never seen me fight earlier, this is my first grief and my second grief are that I am being defeated by a Brahmana. 

Though according to the times, a lion kills a jackal and a jackal kills a lion. At certain times, a stag kills a tiger and a buck kills an elephant. 

At times a fly kills a buffalo and similarly a snake kills a Garuda. Ordinarily the king is adored by his servants but at times the king has also to adore the servant. 

At times a human kills Indra and in due course of time Brahma also has to meet with his death; at times Prakruti also gets merged into the body of lord Krishna. 

All the gods will have to meet with their end, all the movable and immovable riches of the world have to meet with their end in due course of time. Therefore, the time is indeed horrible and cannot be averted. 

But lord Krishna by his own sweet will is the death for the lord of death, is the creator of the creators, destroyer of the destroyers and preserver of the preservers besides being beyond all of them. 

He is harder than the hardest, smaller than the smallest, lifeless, extremely small, death for the god of death and creates difference in time. 

There are innumerable globes which happen to project only one sixteenth of the tejas of lord Krishna. 

The pure Virat emerged from him who is the cause of all in the universe. Brahma himself who is the creator of the universe emerged out of his navel but in spite of making strenuous efforts Brahma couldn't find the end of the lotus stalk. He wandered for a lakh of years in search of it and ultimately returned to his original place. 

Thereafter inhaling air, he performed tapas for a lakh of years and ultimately, he achieved Goloka and had an audience with lord Krishna. 

Brahma then found lord Krishna resting his head on the breasts of Radha, seated over a gem studded lion-throne, having two arms and surrounded by cowherds and cowherdesses. He offered salutations to him again and again. He getting permission from the lord and knowing his mind, started creating the universe. 

Shiva who destroyed the universe appeared from the head of Brahma and Vishnu who resides in the Sveta-dvipa is known as small Virat. 

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva who emerged from the rays of lord Krishna happens to be the cause of the creation of universe. 

All the gods have emerged from Prakruti; even Parameshvara is unable to resort to creation without the strength of Prakruti. He happens to be the lord of illusion and no creation is possible without him. 

Lord Krishna who is the creator of the universe absorbs Prakruti ultimately in his body at the time of dissolution. At the time of recreation, she emerges again. The same goddess Prakruti is eternal. 

As a potter is unable to make a pot without clay or a gold-smith can never make ornaments without gold, similarly there can be no creation without illusion. 

The Prakruti who is the form of shakti with the will of the lord, turned herself as Radha, Padma, Savitri, Durga, Sarasvati. She is divided into these five forms. 

She is called Radha because, she is dearer to lord Krishna than his life and is quite dear to him. 

She is the goddess of fortune and bestows all the welfare and is blissful, as a result of which, she is called Lakshmi. 

The one who is the great goddess of knowledge and the strength of the lord, besides being the creator of the Vedas, is known as Savitri. 

The one who is the goddess of wisdom and prowess, possessing all the knowledge and the form of all, besides being destroyer of the misfortune, is known as Durga. 

The goddess who controls the speech and bestows the wisdom in the scriptures, has been born out of the throat of lord Krishna and is known as Sarasvati. 

The great goddess also known as Mulaprakruti is divided into five forms and thereafter in the process of creation, she appears in many forms. 

Therefore, all the ladies of the universe are born out of the amsha of Prakruti and the men are born out of the amsha of Purusha because during the time of creation without Maya no creation is possible. 

О Brahma in every globe, Brahma happens to be the creator of the universe while Vishnu remains the preserver and Shiva always becomes the destroyer. 

О Parashurama, this knowledge was bestowed on me by Dattatreya at Pushkara on the full moon day of the month of Magha. 

Thus, speaking to Parashurama, Karttivirya offered salutations to him and holding his bow and arrow, at once mounted the chariot. 

Soon thereafter, Parashurama with the use of Brahmastra destroyed the army of the king and reciting the name of Srihari in his mind killed the king with the use of Pashupatastra. 

Thus, Parashurama reciting the name of Shiva rid the earth of the Kshatriyas twenty-one times quite easily. 

For the fulfilment of his vow he killed even the infants being carried by the mothers in their wombs, besides the old as well as the young Kshatriyas.

After his death Karttivirya reached Goloka and met lord Krishna there. Parashurama on the other hand continued reciting the name of Hari and left the place. 

Maheshvara ridding the earth of Kshatriyas twenty-one times and because of his holding the battle-axe on his shoulders, he came to be known by the name of Parashurama subsequently. 

О Narada, the gods, the sages, goddesses and siddhas, Gandharvas and Kinnaras, showered flowers on Parashurama. The musical instruments were played upon including the Dundubhis in the heaven, the gods felt immensely delighted. The glory of Parashurama was spread all over the universe. 

Thereafter Brahma, Bhrugu, Shukra, Valmiki, Chyavana and Jamadagni delightfully went to Goloka. 

All the people were feeling emotional and tears were coming out of their eyes gleefully.  They were offering blessings to him holding Durva-grass and the flowers in their hands, uttering the words of blessing and welfare. 

Finding them there, Parashurama prostrated on the ground and also expressed his reverence for them. He was carried by Brahma in his lap and expressed his delight. Brahma the teacher of the Vedas then spoke to him the appropriate words which bestowed pleasure. 

Brahma said - О Parashurama, I am going to speak to you the words which are quite appropriate, bestow all the fortunes, are the best, truthful and respected by all. You please listen to them. The family god happens to be the most adorable one of all the gods. Someone is termed as the father who happens to be the cause of one’s birth and another is known as the father because he brings up a child. 

О sage, the father who brings up the child is considered to be better than the one who becomes the cause of the birth because without food the body perishes. It is not enough to be born from a father. 

Out of these the mother happens to be a hundred times more adorable. Because of her holding the child in the womb and by bringing up the child, she is considered to be the best. 

Out of these the gods are a hundred times more adorable. This has been ordained by the Vedas. The teacher who imparts wisdom, knowledge and mantra is better than the family gods. 

The son of the teacher who happens to be like the teacher is also adorable and the wife of the teacher is much more adorable because when the gods get annoyed the teacher protects a person and when the teacher is annoyed no one can protect him. A Guru happens to be Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva besides being Parabrahman and is dearer than Brahmana.

A Guru imparts wisdom and knowledge, himself for the lord. The one who bestows the devotion of the lord, no other relative can equate him. 

A person who is engrossed in darkness, attains the light of wisdom from the teacher and ultimately attains wisdom and success in many fields. Therefore no one could be a relative better than the teacher. 

The knowledge imparted by the teacher makes one to achieve success in various fields pleasantly. He is adored in the universe. The same knowledge, therefore, could be a better relative than the teacher.

A foolish person getting intoxicated with knowledge and riches does not adore his teacher and he therefore earns the sin of Brahmahatya. There is no doubt about it. 

The person who serves the Guru in spite of his being a pauper, the degraded one as an ordinary person, his taking bath at the sacred places cannot purify him nor can he become entitled to the performing of noble deeds. 

Lord Krishna happens to be your family god and Shiva happens to be your teacher. Therefore, О son, you go to take refuge under your respectable teacher who is more adorable than other gods.

By his grace you have been able to rid the earth of the Kshatriyas, twenty-one times, because of whom you have achieved the devotion of the lord, you go and take refuge under the same lord Shiva. 

You go and take refuge under lord Shiva who happens to be the lord of Parvati, is quite blissful, bestower of bliss and the cause of welfare besides being adored by Parvati. 

Sri Krishna the lord of Goloka takes to the form of Shiva with his amsha. The family god happens to be the teacher; therefore, you go and take refuge under him. 

О son, lord Krishna happens to be the soul of everyone; Shiva happens to be the store of knowledge; I myself am the mind; Vishnu is the life and Prakruti appears as the strength in everyone. 

He happens to be bestower of knowledge, the form of knowledge, the seed of knowledge, eternal, the one who has conquered death and is death for the death. You, therefore, take refuge under him. He takes to many forms in spite of his being the form of Brahmana, in order to shower his grace on his devotees. He is all knowledgeable, eternal and as such you go and take refuge under him. Prakruti (Parvati) achieved him in the form of husband after performing tapas for a lakh of years. You go and take refuge under the teacher like this. 

О Narada, thus speaking Brahma accompanied by the sages and Parashurama resolved to proceed to Kailasa.