24 - Penance of Parashuráma: His acquisition of the knowledge of Astras

 Vasishtha said: 

1. On being told thus by him, O Protector of the Earth, Rama, the most excellent one among intelligent persons, scrutinized and pondered over him and inquired of him in surprise. 

Rama enquired: 

2. “Who are You, O extremely fortunate one, tell me. You are indeed no barbarous person. Your body appears to be equipped, as it were, with the grandeur and majesty of Indra. 

3. Your speech sounds to be very charming as though it were that of the omniscient Lord. It is enriched, by words of diverse meaning having the qualities of lucidity, clarity and depth and majesty of the highest class. 

4. Are You Indra, Vahni (the fire-god), Yama, Dhätri (the Creator), Varuna, Kubera the lord of wealth, Ishäna, Tapana (the Sun), Brahmä, Väyu (the Wind god), Soma (the Moon-god), Guru (Jupiter) or Guha (Lord Skanda)? 

5. Due to your grandeur and majesty, you deserve to be almost one of these. But your caste (low birth) causes doubt in my heart. 

6. Lord Vişhņu, the most excellent among all persons, is reputed to be a Māyāvi (one who wields illusive powers). Who are you that have come here with such a body as this? Please do tell me. 

7-8. Or you deserve to be Lord Shiva, the omniscent Lord of the worlds, the supreme lord, the supreme soul, born of the Atman, the eternal Atmātāma (one that rejoices in one's own soul), the lord who moves about as he pleases, and is identical with the entire Universe who has equipped himself with this body (of a hunter). 

9. In this world, a body equipped with such potentiality and influence cannot belong to any one else. Your speech is endued with elegance, aptness and a sense of very high order. It is full of depth of meaning, lucidity and clarity. 

10. I believe that out of feelings of endearment towards his devotee, lord Hara has become visible with this body. There is no doubt that he has come to test me. 

11. You are not a mere hunter. Those hunters will not have such a shapely figure as yours. Hence, obeisance to you. So reveal your real excellent form. 

12. Be pleased to reveal a body befitting your greatness whereby my mental doubts of diverse kinds can be got rid of. 

13. Be pleased now and destroy the delusion of my intellect in every respect, by assuming your original form. 

14. O highly fortunate one, I pray unto you, bowing down my head several times. Who are you please? Reveal yourself. Here I have joined my palms in reverence to you". 

15. After saying this to that highly exalted one and being desirous of comprehending him, the scion of the family of Bhrugu sat on the ground and began to meditate with great concentration. 

16. He seated himself in the lotus pose. He became silent. He controlled his speech, body and mind. He restrained the movement of the vital airs. Thus the sage of high intellect meditated for a long time. 

17. After restraining the group of his sense-organs, after keeping the mind withdrawn within the heart, he meditated and contemplated upon the lord of the Devas, the preceptor of the Universe. 

18. By means of his inner eye in combination with the soul, he beheld the lord of the universe who had assumed the form of a hunter of deer and who confers blessings upon his devotees. 

19. Thereafter Ráma, the descendant of Bhrugu, got up quickly and opened his eyes. He saw the lord standing in front of him in the self-same physical body. 

20-21. On seeing the lord who endears himself to his devotees, and who is the refuge unto all come in front of him for blessing him, O great king, Råma was thrilled. His hairs all over his body stood on end. His eyes welled up with tears of delight. The sage of great intellect fell at his feet with great devotion. 

22. With words choking his throat and faltering due to excitement, o king, he uttered several times “O Sharva, O Šhankara, be refuge upto me.” 

23. Then lord Shambhu who assumed his form on being satisfied at his devotion, lifted up Rama who had bowed down in obeisance on the ground. 

24. Raised up by the creator of the universe himself with his own hands, the scion of the family of Bhrugu eulogised the lord of the chiefs of the Devas, standing in front of him with palms joined in reverence. 

Rāma prayed: 

25. Obeisance to you the lord of the Devas, to Shankara of primordial form. Obeisance to Sharva, the quiescent one, obeisance, obeisance to the eternal one. 

26. Hail to you the blue-throated Lord, one in the form of Nilalohita (the bluish-red god). Obeisance to you the lord of the living beings. Bow to you, the abode of all living beings. 

27. Obeisance, obeisance to the great lord of manifest and unmanifest form. Obeisance to the most bountiful, to Śhiva of many forms. Obeisance to the three-eyed God. 

28. Be my shelter and refuge, O Śharva I am your devotee, O lord of the Universe. Mostly, you alone are the greatest and ultimate resort of those who have no other support. 

29. Unknowingly, O lord, I have misbehaved towards you. O Shankara, I have uttered evil words. O lord, it behoves. you to forgive it. 

30. O lord of all, your form is incomprehensible to others. Which person other than you, is capable of knowing well, your existence? 

31. Hence, O Shankara, be pleased with me in every respect. I have no other goal to reach. Obeisance to you. My repeated obeisance, bows unto you again and again." 

Vasishtha said: 

32. On being eulogised thus, Lord Shiva who was delighted in his mind and who has permeated the Universe said to Rama who was standing in front of him with palms joined in reverence.

 The Lord said: 

33. “I am pleased with you, O dear one. O the most excellent one among the descendants of Bhrugu, I am delighted with this penance as well as your devotion that has no blemish whatsoever. 

34. I shall give you everything you desire and every thing solicited by you. You are the greatest devotee of mine. There is no root in this respect at all. 

33. Whatever is lingering in your heart has been understood by me Hence, carry out unhesitatingly what I am going to tell you. 

36. There is no adequate power in you today, dear one, in grasping the terrible miraculous weapons. Hence, perform still more severe penance. 

37. After traversing the entire earth and purifying your body by taking holy baths in all the holy centres in the due order, you will acquire all the miraculous weapons." 

38. After saying thus, even as Rama was watching, O king, the omnipresent lord, the dispenser of the destiny of the universe, vanished with the self-same body, within a moment. 

39. When the lord of the universe disappeared, Råma bowed down to Shankara and decided to perform holy baths in sacred places, after roaming all over the Earth. 

40. Thereafter, he traversed all over the earth in due order. Self-possessed that he was, he took holy baths in all the sacred places in accordance with the injunction. 

41. In all the holy centres, in all the important shrines and sacred temples, he untiringly propitiated the Pitrus and Devas duly. 

42. Duly performing such holy rites as fast, penance, homas, japas, holy baths etc. in the holy centres he travelled all over the earth. 

43. By performing holy dips in the sacred centres in due order, and slowly circumambulating the earth, O king, he became purificd in his body. 

44. Having traversed thus all over the earth at the behest of god Śhambhu, the descendant of Bhrugu went again to that land where he had been living before for penance. 

45. After going there, O king, and staying there itself, he devoutly worshipped lord Umāpati (the spouse of Uma) by means of austerities and holy observances. 

46. It was in the meantime, O king, that a long-drawn war took place between the Devas and the Asuras causing horripilation. 

47. Thereupon, the excessively powerful Asuras defeated the gods and acquired the glory and riches of the Devas. They had nothing to fear from anywhere. 

48. The Devas who had been defeated in the war Vasava (Indra) and all the others whose assets and magnificent glory had been seized by their enemies--sought refuge in Shankara. 

49. After propitiating the lord of the universe by means of obeisances and eulogies about his victory, the Devas requested the Pināka-wielding lord (Śhiva) to destroy the Asuras. 

50. Thereupon, O king, Shambhu, the bestower of boons on the Devas, promised to them the slaughter of the Dänavas, and spoke thus to Mahodara. 

51. "In the southern sector of Himālayas, a sage's son of great penance, named Rāma, is performing penance directed towards me. He is very brilliant. 

52. Go there now itself, O Mahodara and convey my behest to him. Even as he is performing penance, let him be brought here without delay”. 

53. On being ordered thus, Mahodara bowed down to the lord after saying "So be it”, and went with the velocity of the Wind to the place where Rama was settled down. 

54. After reaching that spot and seeing Rama the great sage performing penance, he humbly spoke these words. 

55. “O excellent one among the descendants of Bhrugu lord Shambhu wishes to see you. I have come here at his behest. Hence, come to the presence of his lotus-like feet". 

56. On hearing his words, Bhargava got up quickly, received his behest approvingly with his head (bowed down), and replied-"So be it”. 

57. Thereupon, Mahodara with great speed led Rama immediately to a place by the side of Shambhu on the Kailasa, the excellent mountain. 

58. The most excellent scion of the family of Bhrugu saw Shankara who endears himself to his devotees, accompanied by the goblins as well as Indra and other immortal beings (i.e. gods). 

59-62a. The lord was being eulogised by Närada and other ascetics whose wealth was penance. He was being attended upon by the Gandharvas who were singing, and by the groups of Apsaras who were dancing. The lord of the Devas had the hide of an elephant for his garment and had smeared the entire body with the holy ashes. The three-eyed moon-crested lord had the tawny-matted hair over his head. He had adorned himself with serpents serving the purpose of ornaments. His lips and arms were long. He was gentle. His lotus-like face appeared delighted. O king, he was seated on a golden slap in the midst of the assembly of the Devas. 

62b-65a. The most excellent one among the descendants of Bhrugu, approached the lord of the Devas with palms joined in reverence. His entire body had hairs standing on end as a result of his vision of Shrikantha. He went near Hara with his body drenched in tears of joy. He was excited due to delight, he uttered the words, “Obeisance to you, O lord of the Devas" several times. Finally, he fell down at the feet of the enemy of the three Puras (i.e. god Shiva). 

65b-66. Amidst the groups of the Devas who were looking on, 'the delighted lord Shiva lifted up the most excellent scion of the family of Bhrugu. With an enthusiastic smile and eagerness, he spoke these sweet words to Rama whose lotus-like face appeared pleasant. 

67. “These Girvăņas (Devas) have been attacked by the hosts of Daityas. They were dislodged from their abodes. Unable to kill them they have approached me. 

68. Hence, at my bchest as well as with a desire to do something pleasing to the Devas, O Rama, kill the entire hosts of Daityas. You are considered capable of it by me". 

69. Then Råma bowed down to Sharva. Even as all the Devas stood listening, Råma spoke these words very humbly, with palms joined in reverence. 

70. “O lord, you are omniscient. You are the immanent soul of everyone. Hence, is not (what I am going to say) known to you (already)? Still, listen to the words I submit. 

71. If it is impossible for Shankara and other Devas to kill the asuras how can they be killed by me singlehandedly? 

72. I am ignorant of miraculous missiles, O lord of the Devas. I am not an expert in warfare. How can I kill all the enemies of the Devas without any weapon whatsoever?” 

73. On being told by him thus, the lord of the Devas transferred to that noble-souled Rāma white lustrous splendour of Śhiva, full of miraculous missiles, as brilliant as the fire of Death. 

74. After handing over his own axe what could overpower all other weapons, the Lord delighted within himself, said to Rama even as the Devas stood listening. 

75. “Due to my grace, O gentle one, may there be sufficient power in you enabling you to kill all the enemies of the Devas, and be unassailable to all your enemies. 

76. Go ahead with this weapon alone and fight with your enemies. You yourself will duly come to know and possess the skill in war."

 Vasishtha said: 

77. On being instructed thus by Shambhu, Rama bowed down to him, and accepted the axe pertaining to Shiva, and was bent upon the slaughter of the enemies of the Devas. 

78. Thereupon, Råma who was born of a part of splendour of Vişhņu and who was equipped with devotion to Rudra, shone like the splendour of the sun accompanied by his brilliance. 

79. Permitted by the three-eyed lord and accompanied by all the Devas he went ahead to slay the Asuras. He resolved to fight with them till the end. 

80. Thereupon, once again there broke out the war of the Devas with the Asuras, O king. They were endeavouring to conquer the three worlds. Hence the war was extremely terrible. 

81. Then Råma of mighty arms became infuriated in that excessively terrifying battle. He killed the great Asuras with his axe. 

82. Killing the Daityas in thousands by means of strokes resembling the thunderbolt, the infuriated Råma moved about in the battlefield like another god of Death. 

83. After killing all the Daityas in a trice, Rama the most excellent one among those who strike (with a weapon) exterminated them and gratified all the Devas. 

84. Everyone among the Daityas and the Dånavas was being struck at by Rāma. Those who survived the slaughter saw Rama everywhere and became frightened. 

85. When the entire hosts of the Asuras were either killed or routed, the Devas took leave of Rāma and went again to the Heaven. 

86. After killing the sons of Diti and bidding farewell to the Devas, Råma resorted to his hermitage with his mind attached to the activities of penance. 

87-88. That sage of great intellect made the image of a hunter of deer representing Shambhu and devoutly worshipped it in his hermitage, with perfect self-control. He duly propitiated him with fragrant incense, beautiful flowers, food offerings, obeisances and eulogies.