SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 9

(1) The son of Vyâsadeva said: 'By Purûravâ were there from Urvas'î's womb six sons, o ruler of man: Âyu, S'rutâyu, Satyâyu, Raya, Vijaya and Jaya. (2-3) S'rutâyu had a son Vasumân, Satyâyu also had one called S'rutañjaya, of Raya there was a son called Eka and of Jaya there was a son called Amita. Bhîma was the son of Vijaya and next came Kâñcana as Bhîma's son. From Hotraka, Kâñcana's son, there was the son Jahnu who drank the water of the Ganges in one sip. (4) Of Jahnu was indeed Puru [see 1.12: 15 & 3.8: 1] born and from him appeared next Balâka and his son Ajaka. Kus'a followed and of Kus'a next then came the four sons Kus'âmbu, Tanaya, Vasu and Kus'anâbha after whom Gâdhi came as the son of Kus'âmbu. (5-6) Of Gâdhi there was the daughter Satyavatî who by the brahmin Ricîka was requested to be his wife, but not considering him fit replied King Gâdhi that son of Bhrigu: 'Please deliver me as a dowry to this daughter of the Kus'a dynasty we belong to, one thousand horses as brilliant as the light of the moon with each one black ear. (7) Thus requested understood the sage the point he made and went he to where Varuna was from where he brought and delivered those horses. Thereafter he married the beautiful daughter. (8) He as a seer was by his wife and his mother-in-law wishing for a son [for each of them] requested to cook a preparation, which he with mantras offered to them both [to his wife with a brâhmana mantra and to his mother-in-law with a kshatriya mantra]. Then the muni went out for a bath. (9) In the meantime was Satyavatî by her mother asked to give the oblation that was meant for her, because she thought it was the better of the two. She handed it over to her while she herself ate her mothers oblation.

(10) Learning about this said the sage to his wife: 'That is a most regrettable thing you did, your son will be a fierce punitive personality while your brother will be a learned scholar of spirituality!'

(11) Satyavatî beseeched him that it would not be so, and thus said that son of Bhrigu: 'If not, then will his son become that!', and next was Jamadagni born.

(12-13) She [Satyavatî] became as great and sacred as the Kaus'ikî [a river] which purifies all the world. Jamadagni so married Renukâ, the daughter of Renu, who from the seer of Bhrigu indeed gave birth to many sons of whom Vasumân was the eldest and the widely famed Paras'urâma [also known as Râma] was the youngest son. (14) Of him [Paras'urâma] who twenty-one times acted as the annihilator of the Haihaya-dynasty, do all speak as an [ams'a] incarnation of Vâsudeva; he rid the earth of all its kshatriyas. (15) He wiped off the planet the burden of the arrogant governing class that, covered by passion and ignorance void of respect for the brahminical rule, was killed by him despite of the fact that it had committed no great offense [see also 1.11: 34].'

(16) The honorable king said: 'What was of those degraded nobles out of control the offense committed unto the Supreme Lord, because of which time and again the dynasty was annihilated?'

(17-19) The son of Vyâsa said: 'The king of the Haihayas, Kârtavîryârjuna, the best of the kshatriyas, had, being of full-duty worship with Dattâtreya - who is a plenary portion of Nârâyana -, received thereafter a thousand arms and was, most difficult to conquer, invincible in the midst of enemies, of the strongest sense, of beauty, of influence, power, fame and physical strength. With the opulence of yogic control wherein the perfections like animâ [see siddhi] etc. are found, went he all over the world like the indefatigable wind. (20) Surrounded by beautiful women enjoying [once] in the water of the Revâ [the Narmadâ], stopped he, overly proud of being decorated with the garland of victory, the flow of the river with his arms. (21) The conceited hero Ten-head [Râvana] could not bear that influence because the water going upstream because of him had inundated his camp. (22) Having insulted him [the king] in the presence of the women was he without much difficulty arrested and held in custody in [their capital] Mâhishmatî and then released again as if it concerned a monkey.

(23) One time during a hunt wandering undirected alone in the forest, ran he [Kârtavîryârjuna] into the âs'rama where Jamadagni muni had his shelter. (24) Unto him, that god of men together with his soldiers, ministers and the rest of his retinue, could the great sage as the triumph of austerity from his cow of plenty [kâmadhenu] offer everything that was needed. (25) He [the king] seeing what source of wealth greater than his own personal opulence it in fact was, could not appreciate it really and became with his Haihayas desirous after that cow of the fire sacrifice. (26) In his conceitedness encouraged he his men to steal the sage his cow of plenty that by them was taken to Mâhishmatî with the calf crying of the violence. (27) After the king was gone became Paras'urâma, upon returning to the âs'rama [of his father], as furious as a snake trampled upon when he heard of that nefarious act. (28) Taking up a ghastly chopper, a quiver, a bow and a shield went he, the One Ever more Angry, after them like a lion attacking an elephant. (29) With him, the best of the Bhrigu's coming after him in fury carrying a bow, arrows and a chopper for his weapons saw he him, entering the capital with his black deerskin covering his body and his matted locks, radiating like sunshine. (30) He sent seventeen akshauhinîs [*] to fight him with elephants, chariots, horses and infantry, with swords, arrows, lances, slings and weapons of fire but Paras'urâma, the Supreme Master, most fierce killed them all by himself. (31) Wherever, whomever was by him as an expert with the chopper as fast as the wind and as speedy as the mind slashed; with all the force of the killer of the false order lay scattered here and there the cut off arms and legs and shoulders of the drivers of the elephants and horses that slain had fallen on the field. (32) Seeing his soldiers by the axe of Râma in mud and blood on the field with all arrows, shields, flags and bows and dead bodies scattered, rushed Haihaya [Kârtavîryârjuna] infuriated over there. (33) Kârtavîryârjuna then fixed with five hundred of his arms simultaneously as many arrows on as many bows to kill Râma but he as the best with all the weapons cut with one bow only all of them to pieces. (34) Again attacked he with by himself uprooted hills and trees in the field, but by Paras'urâma's razor-sharp axe were with great force on the spot all the arms of him who was rushing in cut off like they were the hoods of snakes. (35-36) Rid of his arms was the mountain peak that was his head severed and fled all the ten-thousand sons away in fear when their father was killed. Fetching the cow and calf of the fire sacrifice that had suffered badly, returned the Killer of False Heroism to his fathers hermitage to hand them over to him. (37) After recounting to his father and brothers all that he had done, spoke Jamadagni after listening to that as follows:

(38) O Râma Râma, o great and mighty one, you have committed a sin unnecessarily killing that master of man, who embodies all the godly. (39) We indeed are brahmins, my dear, who with their forgiveness have achieved a position of respect; it is this quality by which the god that is the spiritual master of the universe [Lord Brahmâ] has achieved his position as the supreme authority. (40) Simply forgiving becomes the Goddess of Fortune pleasing and will she relate to the brahminical as the light of the sun-god; with the merciful will the Supreme Lord Hari, our Controller, quickly be pleased. (41) To kill the king famed as an emperor is a thing worse than killing a brahmin, and so wash out that sin, my best, worshiping the holy places in the consciousness of the Infallible One.'

The son of Vyâsadeva said: 'By Purûravâ were there from Urvas'î's womb six sons, o ruler of man: Âyu, S'rutâyu, Satyâyu, Raya, Vijaya and Jaya.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: O King Parîkshit, from the womb of Urvas'î, six sons were generated by Pururava. Their names were Âyu, S'rutâyu, Satyâyu, Raya, Vijaya and Jaya. (Vedabase)

Text 2-3:

S'rutâyu had a son Vasumân, Satyâyu also had one called S'rutañjaya, of Raya there was a son called Eka and of Jaya there was a son called Amita. Bhîma was the son of Vijaya and next came Kâñcana as Bhîma's son. From Hotraka, Kâñcana's son, there was the son Jahnu who drank the water of the Ganges in one sip.

The son of S'rutâyu was Vasumân; the son of Satyâyu, S'rutañjaya; the son of Raya, Eka; the son of Jaya, Amita; and the son of Vijaya, Bhîma. The son of Bhima was Kâñcana; the son of Kâñcanawas Hotraka; and the son of Hotraka was Jahnu, who drank all the water of the Ganges in one sip. (Vedabase)

Text 4

Of Jahnu was indeed Puru [see 1.12: 15 & 3.8: 1] born and from him appeared next Balâka and his son Ajaka. Kus'a followed and of Kus'a next then came the four sons Kus'âmbu, Tanaya, Vasu and Kus'anâbha after whom Gâdhi came as the son of Kus'âmbu.

The son of Jahnu was Puru, the son of Puru was Balâka, the son of Balâka was Ajaka, and the son of Ajaka was Kus'a. Kus'a had four sons, named Kus'âmbu, Tanaya, Vasu and Kus'anâbha. The son of Kus'âmbu was Gâdhi. (Vedabase)

Text 5-6:

Of Gâdhi there was the daughter Satyavatî who by the brahmin Ricîka was requested to be his wife, but not considering him fit replied King Gâdhi that son of Bhrigu: 'Please deliver me as a dowry to this daughter of the Kus'a dynasty we belong to, one thousand horses as brilliant as the light of the moon with each one black ear.

King Gâdhi had a daughter named Satyavatî, whom a brâhmana sage named Ricîka requested from the King to be his wife. King Gâdhi, however, regarded Ricîka as an unfit husband for his daughter, and therefore he told the brâhmana, "My dear sir, I belong to the dynasty of Kus'a. Because we are aristocratic kshatriyas, you have to give some dowry for my daughter. Therefore, bring at least one thousand horses, each as brilliant as moonshine and each having one black ear, whether right or left." (Vedabase)

Text 7

Thus requested understood the sage the point he made and went he to where Varuna was from where he brought and delivered those horses. Thereafter he married the beautiful daughter.

When King Gâdhi made this demand, the great sage Ricîka could understand the King's mind. Therefore he went to the demigod Varuna and brought from him the one thousand horses that Gâdhi had demanded. After delivering these horses, the sage married the King's beautiful daughter. (Vedabase)

Text 8

He as a seer was by his wife and his mother-in-law wishing for a son [for each of them] requested to cook a preparation, which he with mantras offered to them both [to his wife with a brâhmana mantra and to his mother-in-law with a kshatriya mantra]. Then the muni went out for a bath.

Thereafter, Ricîka Muni's wife and mother-in-law, each desiring a son, requested the Muni to prepare an oblation. Thus Ricîka Muni prepared one oblation for his wife with a brâhmana mantra and another for his mother-in-law with a kshatriya mantra. Then he went out to bathe. (Vedabase)

Text 9

In the meantime was Satyavatî by her mother asked to give the oblation that was meant for her, because she thought it was the better of the two. She handed it over to her while she herself ate her mothers oblation.

Meanwhile, because Satyavatî's mother thought that the oblation prepared for her daughter, Ricîka's wife, must be better, she asked her daughter for that oblation. Satyavatî therefore gave her own oblation to her mother and ate her mother's oblation herself. (Vedabase)

Text 10

Learning about this said the sage to his wife: 'That is a most regrettable thing you did, your son will be a fierce punitive personality while your brother will be a learned scholar of spirituality!'

When the great sage Ricîka returned home after bathing and understood what had happened in his absence, he said to his wife, Satyavatî, "You have done a great wrong. Your son will be a fierce kshatriya, able to punish everyone, and your brother will be a learned scholar in spiritual science." (Vedabase)

Text 11

Satyavatî beseeched him that it would not be so, and thus said that son of Bhrigu: 'If not, then will his son become that!', and next was Jamadagni born.

Satyavatî, however, pacified Ricîka Muni with peaceful words and requested that her son not be like a fierce kshatriya. Ricîka Muni replied, "Then your grandson will be of a kshatriya spirit." Thus Jamadagni was born as the son of Satyavatî. (Vedabase)

Text 12-13

She [Satyavatî] became as great and sacred as the Kaus'ikî [a river] which purifies all the world. Jamadagni so married Renukâ, the daughter of Renu, who from the seer of Bhrigu indeed gave birth to many sons of whom Vasumân was the eldest and the widely famed Paras'urâma [also known as Râma] was the youngest son.

Satyavatî later became the sacred river Kaus'ikî to purify the entire world, and her son, Jamadagni, married Renukâ, the daughter of Renu. By the semen of Jamadagni, many sons, headed by Vasumân, were born from the womb of Renukâ. The youngest of them was named Râma, or Paras'urâma. (Vedabase)

Text 14

Of him [Paras'urâma] who twenty-one times acted as the annihilator of the Haihaya-dynasty, do all speak as an [ams'a] incarnation of Vâsudeva; he rid the earth of all its kshatriyas.

Learned scholars accept this Paras'urâma as the celebrated incarnation of Vasudeva who annihilated the dynasty of Kartavirya. Paras'urâma killed all the kshatriyas on earth twenty-one times. (Vedabase)

Text 15

He wiped off the planet the burden of the arrogant governing class that, covered by passion and ignorance void of respect for the brahminical rule, was killed by him despite of the fact that it had committed no great offense [see also 1.11: 34].'

When the royal dynasty, being excessively proud because of the material modes of passion and ignorance, became irreligious and ceased to care for the laws enacted by the brahmanas, Paras'urâma killed them. Although their offense was not very severe, he killed them to lessen the burden of the world. (Vedabase)

Text 16

The honorable king said: 'What was of those degraded nobles out of control the offense committed unto the Supreme Lord, because of which time and again the dynasty was annihilated?

King Parîkshit inquired from S'ukadeva Gosvâmî: What was the offense that the kshatriyas who could not control their senses committed before Lord Paras'urâma, the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for which the Lord annihilated the kshatriya dynasty again and again? (Vedabase)

Text 17-19:

The son of Vyâsa said: 'The king of the Haihayas, Kârtavîryârjuna, the best of the kshatriyas, had, being of full-duty worship with Dattâtreya - who is a plenary portion of Nârâyana -, received thereafter a thousand arms and was, most difficult to conquer, invincible in the midst of enemies, of the strongest sense, of beauty, of influence, power, fame and physical strength. With the opulence of yogic control wherein the perfections like animâ [see siddhi] etc. are found, went he all over the world like the indefatigable wind.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: The best of the kshatriyas, Kârtavîryârjuna, the King of the Haihayas, received one thousand arms by worshiping Dattatreya, the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana. He also became undefeatable by enemies and received unobstructed sensory power, beauty, influence, strength, fame and the mystic power by which to achieve all the perfections of yoga, such as animâ and laghimâ. Thus having become fully opulent, he roamed all over the universe without opposition, just like the wind. (Vedabase)

Text 20:

Surrounded by beautiful women enjoying [once] in the water of the Revâ [the Narmadâ], stopped he, overly proud of being decorated with the garland of victory, the flow of the river with his arms.

Once while enjoying in the water of the River Narmada, the puffed-up Kârtavîryârjuna, surrounded by beautiful women and garlanded with a garland of victory, stopped the flow of the water with his arms. (Vedabase)

Text 21:

The conceited hero Ten-head [Râvana] could not bear that influence because the water going upstream because of him had inundated his camp.

Because Kârtavîryârjuna made the water flow in the opposite direction, the camp of Râvana, which was set up on the bank of the Narmada near the city of Mâhishmatî, was inundated. This was unbearable to the ten-headed Râvana, who considered himself a great hero and could not tolerate Kârtavîryârjuna's power. (Vedabase)

Text 22:

Having insulted him [the king] in the presence of the women was he without much difficulty arrested and held in custody in [their capital] Mâhishmatî and then released again as if it concerned a monkey.

When Râvana attempted to insult Kârtavîryârjuna in the presence of the women and thus offended him, Kârtavîryârjuna easily arrested Râvana and put him in custody in the city of Mâhishmatî, just as one captures a monkey, and then released him neglectfully. (Vedabase)

Text 23:

One time during a hunt wandering undirected alone in the forest, ran he [Kârtavîryârjuna] into the âs'rama where Jamadagni muni had his shelter.

Once while Kârtavîryârjuna was wandering unengaged in a solitary forest and hunting, he approached the residence of Jamadagni. (Vedabase)

Text 24:

Unto him, that god of men together with his soldiers, ministers and the rest of his retinue, could the great sage as the triumph of austerity from his cow of plenty [kâmadhenu] offer everything that was needed.

The sage Jamadagni, who was engaged in great austerities in the forest, received the King very well, along with the King's soldiers, ministers and carriers. He supplied all the necessities to worship these guests, for he possessed a kamadhenu cow that was able to supply everything. (Vedabase)

Text 25:

He [the king] seeing what source of wealth greater than his own personal opulence it in fact was, could not appreciate it really and became with his Haihayas desirous after that cow of the fire sacrifice.

Kârtavîryârjuna thought that Jamadagni was more powerful and wealthy than himself because of possessing a jewel in the form of the kamadhenu. Therefore he and his own men, the Haihayas, were not very much appreciative of Jamadagni's reception. On the contrary, they wanted to possess that kamadhenu, which was useful for the execution of the agnihotra sacrifice. (Vedabase)

Text 26:

In his conceitedness encouraged he his men to steal the sage his cow of plenty that by them was taken to Mâhishmatî with the calf crying of the violence.

Being puffed up by material power, Kârtavîryârjuna encouraged his men to steal Jamadagni's kamadhenu. Thus the men forcibly took away the crying kamadhenu, along with her calf, to Mâhishmatî, Kârtavîryârjuna's capital. (Vedabase)

Text 27:

After the king was gone became Paras'urâma, upon returning to the âs'rama [of his father], as furious as a snake trampled upon when he heard of that nefarious act.

Thereafter, Kârtavîryârjuna having left with the kamadhenu, Paras'urâma returned to the asrama. When Paras'urâma, the youngest son of Jamadagni, heard about Kârtavîryârjuna's nefarious deed, he became as angry as a trampled snake. (Vedabase)

Text 28:

Taking up a ghastly chopper, a quiver, a bow and a shield went he, the One Ever more Angry, after them like a lion attacking an elephant.

Taking up his fierce chopper, his shield, his bow and a quiver of arrows, Lord Paras'urâma, exceedingly angry, chased Kârtavîryârjuna just as a lion chases an elephant. (Vedabase)

Text 29:

With him, the best of the Bhrigu's coming after him in fury carrying a bow, arrows and a chopper for his weapons saw he him, entering the capital with his black deerskin covering his body and his matted locks, radiating like sunshine.

As King Kârtavîryârjuna entered his capital, Mâhishmatî Puri, he saw Lord Paras'urâma, the best of the Bhrigu dynasty, coming after him, holding a chopper, shield, bow and arrows. Lord Paras'urâma was covered with a black deerskin, and his matted locks of hair appeared like the sunshine. (Vedabase)

Text 30:

He sent seventeen akshauhinîs [*] to fight him with elephants, chariots, horses and infantry, with swords, arrows, lances, slings and weapons of fire but Paras'urâma, the Supreme Master, most fierce killed them all by himself.

Upon seeing Paras'urâma, Kârtavîryârjuna immediately feared him and sent many elephants, chariots, horses and infantry soldiers equipped with clubs, swords, arrows, ristis, s'ataghnis, s'aktis, and many similar weapons to fight against him. Kârtavîryârjuna sent seventeen full akshauhinîs of soldiers to check Paras'urâma. But Lord Paras'urâma alone killed all of them. (Vedabase)

Text 31:

Wherever, whomever was by him as an expert with the chopper as fast as the wind and as speedy as the mind slashed; with all the force of the killer of the false order lay scattered here and there the cut off arms and legs and shoulders of the drivers of the elephants and horses that slain had fallen on the field.

Lord Paras'urâma, being expert in killing the military strength of the enemy, worked with the speed of the mind and the wind, slicing his enemies with his chopper [paras'u]. Wherever he went, the enemies fell, their legs, arms and shoulders being severed, their chariot drivers killed, and their carriers, the elephants and horses all annihilated. (Vedabase)

Text 32:

Seeing his soldiers by the axe of Râma in mud and blood on the field with all arrows, shields, flags and bows and dead bodies scattered, rushed Haihaya [Kârtavîryârjuna] infuriated over there.

By manipulating his axe and arrows, Lord Paras'urâma cut to pieces the shields, flags, bows and bodies of Kârtavîryârjuna's soldiers, who fell on the battlefield, muddying the ground with their blood. Seeing these reverses, Kârtavîryârjuna, infuriated, rushed to the battlefield. (Vedabase)

Text 33:

Kârtavîryârjuna then fixed with five hundred of his arms simultaneously as many arrows on as many bows to kill Râma but he as the best with all the weapons cut with one bow only all of them to pieces.

Then Kârtavîryârjuna, with his one thousand arms, simultaneously fixed arrows on five hundred bows to kill Lord Paras'urâma. But Lord Paras'urâma, the best of fighters, released enough arrows with only one bow to cut to pieces immediately all the arrows and bows in the hands of Kârtavîryârjuna. (Vedabase)

Text 34:

Again attacked he with by himself uprooted hills and trees in the field, but by Paras'urâma's razor-sharp axe were with great force on the spot all the arms of him who was rushing in cut off like they were snakehoods.

When his arrows were cut to pieces, Kârtavîryârjuna uprooted many trees and hills with his own hands and again rushed strongly toward Lord Paras'urâma to kill him. But Paras'urâma then used his axe with great force to cut off Kârtavîryârjuna's arms, just as one might lop off the hoods of a serpent. (Vedabase)

Text 35-36:

Rid of his arms was the mountain peak that was his head severed and fled all the ten-thousand sons away in fear when their father was killed. Fetching the cow and calf of the fire sacrifice that had suffered badly, returned the Killer of False Heroism to his fathers hermitage to hand them over to him

Thereafter, Paras'urâma cut off like a mountain peak the head of Kârtavîryârjuna, who had already lost his arms. When Kârtavîryârjuna's ten thousand sons saw their father killed, they all fled in fear. Then Paras'urâma, having killed the enemy, released the kamadhenu, which had undergone great suffering, and brought it back with its calf to his residence, where he gave it to his father, Jamadagni. (Vedabase)

Text 37:

After recounting to his father and brothers all that he had done, spoke Jamadagni after listening to that as follows:

Paras'urâma described to his father and brothers his activities in killing Kârtavîryârjuna. Upon hearing of these deeds, Jamadagni spoke to his son as follows. (Vedabase)

Text 38:

O Râma Râma, o great and mighty one, you have committed a sin unnecessarily killing that master of man, who embodies all the godly.

O great hero, my dear son Paras'urâma, you have unnecessarily killed the king, who is supposed to be the embodiment of all the demigods. Thus you have committed a sin. (Vedabase)

Text 39:

We indeed are brahmins, my dear, who with their forgiveness have achieved a position of respect; it is this quality by which the god that is the spiritual master of the universe [Lord Brahmâ] has achieved his position as the supreme authority.

My dear son, we are all brahmanas and have become worshipable for the people in general because of our quality of forgiveness. It is because of this quality that Lord Brahmâ, the supreme spiritual master of this universe, has achieved his post. (Vedabase)

Text 40:

Simply forgiving becomes the Goddess of Fortune pleasing and will she relate to the brahminical as the light of the sun-god; with the merciful will the Supreme Lord Hari, our Controller, quickly be pleased.

The duty of a brâhmana is to culture the quality of forgiveness, which is illuminating like the sun. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is pleased with those who are forgiving. (Vedabase)

Text 41:

To kill the king famed as an emperor is a thing worse than killing a brahmin, and so wash out that sin, my best, worshiping the holy places in the consciousness of the Infallible One.

My dear son, killing a king who is an emperor is more severely sinful than killing a brâhmana. But now, if you become Krishna conscious and worship the holy places, you can atone for this great sin. (Vedab a se)