SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 9

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'O son of the Kuru dynasty, Paras'urâma by his father thus advised said: 'So be it!', and traveled for a year all the holy places to return to the âs'rama thereafter. (2) When once Renukâ (his mother) went to the bank of the Ganges, saw she the king of the Gandharvas [see also 9.14: 31] garlanded with lotus flowers sporting with the girls of heaven, the Apsaras. (3) Looking at his affairs as she went to the river for some water forgot she, slightly drawn to Citraratha, the time of the fire-sacrifice. (4) Seeing the time wasted stood she, returning, afraid to be cursed by the sage, with folded hands before him having put the waterpot in front of him. (5) The sage understood she had yielded to temptation and became angry with his wife saying: 'Kill her my sons, she's full of sin', but the sons did not carry out his order. (6) By his meditation and austerity fully aware of the prowess of the sage did Râma on the encouragement by his father immediately kill his mother and all his brothers. (7) By the pleased Jamadagni asked for any benediction that he would like he said: 'Let the dead today of this Râma return to life and have no remembrance of having been killed by me!' (8) And soon they rose happily alive like awaking from deep sleep for Râma had executed the killing of his kin in the awareness of this power of austerity of his father.

(9) They who were the sons of Kârtavîryârjuna [9.15: 17], o King, never found any happiness always remembering how their father had been overcome by the superior power of Paras'urâma. (10) So once when Râma with his brothers was away from the âs'rama in the forest, took they the opportunity to approach their residence seeking revenge. (11) When they at the fireplace found the muni sitting fully absorbed in contemplation on the Supreme One Praised in the Verses, did they, determined to sin, kill him. (12) Most cruel with the poor and unprotected mother of Râma begging for the life of her husband, took they, those 'kshatriya' brothers, violently his head cutting it off. (13) Renukâ the chaste wife down in tears grieving stroke her body with her hands and cried loudly: 'O Râma, o Râma, my dear son!' (14) Hearing that most sad outcry 'oh Râma' however far they were away, hastened they [Râma and his brothers] themselves back to the âs'rama and saw they that the father had been killed. (15) Bewildered by the force of being hurt, they all aggrieved angrily, depressed and indignified cried out: 'O father, o saint, now have you, such an example of the dharma, left us gone for heaven!' (16) Lamenting like this over their father entrusted Paras'urâma the body to his brothers and took he in person up the ax with the determination to put an end to the kshatriyas. (17) Because a brahmin had been killed went Paras'urâma to Mâhishmatî [the capital] to the doom of them: he severed all their heads, o King, and made in the middle of the town a great pile of

them. (18-19) Their river of blood was a terror causing fear to all kings in defiance of the brahminical. His having to accept the murder of his father had been the cause that led to the twenty-one times over wiping off of the earth of all the royal class whenever they acted badly; as a Master of war he thus at Samanta-pañcaka created nine lakes filled with blood instead of water [see also B.G. 4: 7].

(20) Joining his father's head with the body keeping it on kus'a grass, worshiped he with sacrifices the Omnipresent Godhead Pervading All Divinity. (21-22) The hotâ priest he gave as a gift the eastern direction, the brahmâ priest he gave the southern direction, the adhvaryu he gave the western side and the udgâtâ received the north indeed [compare 9.11: 2]. The others and Kas'yapa Muni he donated the different corners and the middle Âryâvarta portion [*] he gave to the upadrashthâ priest supervising the mantras; the assisting sadasya priests got whatever remained. (23) When he thereafter took a bath was he on the bank of the major stream that was the Sarasvatî cleansed of the endless reactions to the sin and appeared he like a cloudless sun [see also B.G. 3: 9]. (24) Because of the worship of Paras'urâma regained Jamadagni his own body with all the symptoms of life, knowledge and remembrance of the great seers and became he the seventh star in a constellation of seven [the seven sages, see 8.13: 5, linked to the saptarshi-mandala stars around the polestar]. (25) The son of Jamadagni, Paras'urâma, that is also the Supreme Lord with the lotus-petal eyes, will in the coming period of Manu, o King, be a propounder of the vedic knowledge [as one of the seven sages, see 8.13: 15-16]. (26) He, having given up the clout in peace with the intelligence, is still around today in the hills of Mahendra and is worshiped and revered for his character and activities by all the perfected, singers of heaven and venerable ones. (27) This way has, appearing as an incarnation in the Bhrigu dynasty and killing the rulers of man many times, the Soul of the Universe, the Supreme Lord Hari, the Controller, relieved the earth of its great burden.

(28) From Gâdhi [see 9.15: 4-5] was born the most powerful one [Vis'vâmitra] who as flaming as a fire by his austerities had given up the position of a kshatriya and had achieved the quality of a brahmin [see 7.11: 35 and footnote at 9.7: 7]. (29) With Vis'vâmitra one could also count on sons: one hundred-and-one in number indeed, o ruler, who because of the middle one being called Madhucchandâ as a group were celebrated as the Madhucchandâs. (30) He accepted as his son S'unahs'epha, who as Devarâta ['saved by the godly'], in the Bhrigu-dynasty came forward as the son of Ajîgarta; he ordered his own sons to accept him as the eldest. (31) He indeed was for the yajña of Haris'candra sold [to Rohita] as the man-animal of sacrifice. By his offering prayers to the godly headed by Lord Brahmâ was he released from being bound like an animal [see 9.7: 20]. (32) He, protected in the arena of the godly, managed by dint of those god-fearing people in the dynasty of Gâdhi to advance in spirituality and was thus in the line of Bhrigu celebrated as well as Devarâta as S'unas'epha. (33) Those of the Madhucchandâs who were the [fifty] eldest could not wholeheartedly accept that [of him as their eldest brother] and were all cursed by the muni being angry with them saying: 'May all of you bad sons become mlecchas [**]!' (34) It was Madhucchandâ indeed who with the second fifty then said: 'We'll abide by whatever to your pleasure would be ours, o father!' (35) The eldest they accepted as a seer of mantras saying to him: 'You we have agreed to follow and so for true we surely will'. Vis'vâmitra told the sons: 'You all will become fathers of sons to my honor for you have accepted me as a father of worthy sons. (36) This one Devarâta is, just like you are, my son, o Kus'ikas [***], just obey him', and many other sons followed: Ashthaka, Hârîta, Jaya, Kratumân and more. (37) This is how the dynasty of Kaus'ika originated from the sons of Vis'vâmitra from whose different positions they as such had taken, as a consequence thus different types could be ascertained.

S'rî S'uka said: 'O son of the Kuru dynasty, Paras'urâma by his father thus advised said: 'So be it!', and traveled for a year all the holy places to return to the âs'rama thereafter.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: My dear Mahârâja Parîkshit, son of the Kuru dynasty, when Lord Paras'urâma was given this order by his father, he immediately agreed, saying, "Let it be so." For one complete year he traveled to holy places. Then he returned to his father's residence. (Vedabase)

Text 2

When once Renukâ (his mother) went to the bank of the Ganges, saw she the king of the Gandharvas [see also 9.14: 31] garlanded with lotus flowers sporting with the girls of heaven, the Apsaras.

Once when Renukâ, the wife of Jamadagni, went to the bank of the Ganges to get water, she saw the King of the Gandharvas, decorated with a garland of lotuses and sporting in the Ganges with celestial women [Apsaras]. (Vedabase)

Text 3

Looking at his affairs as she went to the river for some water forgot she, slightly drawn to Citraratha, the time of the fire-sacrifice.

She had gone to bring water from the Ganges, but when she saw Citraratha, the King of the Gandharvas, sporting with the celestial girls, she was somewhat inclined toward him and failed to remember that the time for the fire sacrifice was passing. (Vedab a se)

Text 4

Seeing the time wasted stood she, returning, afraid to be cursed by the sage with folded hands in front of him having put the waterpot in front of him.

Later, understanding that the time for offering the sacrifice had passed, Renukâ feared a curse from her husband. Therefore when she returned she simply put the waterpot before him and stood there with folded hands. (Vedabase)

Text 5

The sage understood she had yielded to temptation and became angry with his wife saying: 'Kill her my sons, she's full of sin', but the sons did not carry out his order.

The great sage Jamadagni understood the adultery in the mind of his wife. Therefore he was very angry and told his sons, "My dear sons, kill this sinful woman!" But the sons did not carry out his order. (Vedabase)

Text 6

By his meditation and austerity fully aware of the prowess of the sage did Râma on the encouragement by his father immediately kill his mother and all his brothers.

Jamadagni then ordered his youngest son, Paras'urâma, to kill his brothers, who had disobeyed this order, and his mother, who had mentally committed adultery. Lord Paras'urâma, knowing the power of his father, who was practiced in meditation and austerity, killed his mother and brothers immediately. (Vedabase)

Text 7

By the pleased Jamadagni asked for any benediction that he would like he said: 'Let the dead today of this Râma return to life and have no remembrance of having been killed by me!'

Jamadagni, the son of Satyavatî, was very much pleased with Paras'urâma and asked him to take any benediction he liked. Lord Paras'urâma replied, "Let my mother and brothers live again and not remember having been killed by me. This is the benediction I ask." (Vedabase)

Text 8

And soon they rose happily alive like awaking from deep sleep for Râma had executed the killing of his kin in the awareness of this power of austerity of his father.

Thereafter, by the benediction of Jamadagni, Lord Paras'urâma's mother and brothers immediately came alive and were very happy, as if awakened from sound sleep. Lord Paras'urâma had killed his relatives in accordance with his father's order because he was fully aware of his father's power, austerity and learning. (Vedabase)

Text 9

They who were the sons of Kârtavîryârjuna [9.15: 17], o King, never found any happiness always remembering how their father had been overcome by the superior power of Paras'urâma.

My dear King Parîkshit, the sons of Kârtavîryârjuna, who were defeated by the superior strength of Paras'urâma, never achieved happiness, for they always remembered the killing of their father. (Vedabase)

Text 10

So once when Râma with his brothers was away from the âs'rama in the forest, took they the opportunity to approach their residence seeking revenge.

Once when Paras'urâma left the âs'rama for the forest with Vasumân and his other brothers, the sons of Kârtavîryârjuna took the opportunity to approach Jamadagni's residence to seek vengeance for their grudge. (Vedabase)

Text 11

When they at the fireplace found the muni sitting fully absorbed in contemplation on the Supreme One Praised in the Verses, did they, determined to sin, kill him.

The sons of Kârtavîryârjuna were determined to commit sinful deeds. Therefore when they saw Jamadagni sitting by the side of the fire to perform yajña and meditating upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is praised by the best of selected prayers, they took the opportunity to kill him. (Vedabase)

Text 12

Most cruel with the poor and unprotected mother of Râma begging for the life of her husband, took they, those 'kshatriya' brothers, violently his head cutting it off.

With pitiable prayers, Renukâ, the mother of Paras'urâma and wife of Jamadagni, begged for the life of her husband. But the sons of Kârtavîryârjuna, being devoid of the qualities of kshatriyas, were so cruel that despite her prayers they forcibly cut off his head and took it away. (Vedabase)

Text 13

Renukâ the chaste wife down in tears grieving stroke her body with her hands and cried loudly: 'O Râma, o Râma, my dear son!'

Lamenting in grief for the death of her husband, the most chaste Renukâ struck her own body with her hands and cried very loudly, "O Râma, my dear son Râma!" (Vedabase)

Text 14

Hearing that most sad outcry 'oh Râma' however far they were away, hastened they [Râma and his brothers] themselves back to the âs'rama and saw they that the father had been killed.

Although the sons of Jamadagni, including Lord Paras'urâma, were a long distance from home, as soon as they heard Renukâ loudly calling "O Râma, O my son," they hastily returned to the âs'rama, where they saw their father already killed. (Vedabase)

Text 15

Bewildered by the force of being hurt, they all aggrieved angrily, depressed and indignified cried out: 'O father, o saint, now have you, such an example of the dharma, left us gone for heaven!'

Virtually bewildered by grief, anger, indignation, affliction and lamentation, the sons of Jamadagni cried, "O father, most religious, saintly person, you have left us and gone to the heavenly planets!" (Vedabase)

Text 16

Lamenting like this over their father entrusted Paras'urâma the body to his brothers and took he in person up his ax with the determination to put an end to the kshatriyas.

Thus lamenting, Lord Paras'urâma entrusted his father's dead body to his brothers and personally took up his ax, having decided to put an end to all the kshatriyas on the surface of the world. (Vedabase)

Text 17

Because a brahmin had been killed went Râma to Mâhishmatî [the capital] to the doom of them: he severed all their heads, o King, and made in the middle of the town a great pile of them.

O King, Lord Paras'urâma then went to Mâhishmatî, which was already doomed by the sinful killing of a brâhmana. In the midst of that city he made a mountain of heads, severed from the bodies of the sons of Kârtavîryârjuna. (Vedabase)

Text 18-19:

Their river of blood was a terror causing fear to all kings in defiance of the brahminical. His having to accept the murder of his father had been the cause that led to the twenty-one times over wiping off of the earth of all the royal class whenever they acted badly; as a Master of war he thus at Samanta-pañcaka created nine lakes filled with blood instead of water [see also B.G. 4: 7].

With the blood of the bodies of these sons, Lord Paras'urâma created a ghastly river, which brought great fear to the kings who had no respect for brahminical culture. Because the kshatriyas, the men of power in government, were performing sinful activities, Lord Paras'urâma, on the plea of retaliating for the murder of his father, rid all the kshatriyas from the face of the earth twenty-one times. Indeed, in the place known as Samanta-pañcaka he created nine lakes filled with their blood. (Vedabase)

Text 20:

Joining his father's head with the body keeping it on kus'a grass, worshiped he with sacrifices the Omnipresent Godhead Pervading All Divinity.

Thereafter, Paras'urâma joined his father 's head to the dead body and placed the whole body and head upon kus'a grass. By offering sacrifices, he began to worship Lord Vâsudeva, who is the all-pervading Supersoul of all the demigods and of every living entity. (Vedabase)

Text 21-22:

The hotâ priest he gave as a gift the eastern direction, the brahmâ priest he gave the southern direction, the adhvaryu he gave the western side and the udgâtâ received the north indeed [compare 9.11: 2]. The others and Kas'yapa Muni he donated the different corners and the middle Âryâvarta portion [*] he gave to the upadrashthâ priest supervising the mantras; the assisting sadasya priests got whatever remained.

After completing the sacrifice, Lord Paras'urâma gave the eastern direction to the hotâ as a gift, the south to the brahmâ, the west to the adhvaryu, the north to the udgâtâ, and the four corners - northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest - to the other priests. He gave the middle to Kas'yapa and the place known as Âryâvarta to the upadrashthâ. Whatever remained he distributed among the sadasyas, the associate priests. (Vedabase)

Text 23:

When he thereafter took a bath was he on the bank of the major stream that was the Sarasvatî cleansed of the endless reactions to the sin and appeared he like a cloudless sun [see also B.G. 3: 9].

Thereafter, having completed the ritualistic sacrificial ceremonies, Lord Paras'urâma took the bath known as the avabhritha-snana. Standing on the bank of the great river Sarasvatî, cleared of all sins, Lord Paras'urâma appeared like the sun in a clear, cloudless sky. (Vedabase)

Text 24:

Because of the worship of Paras'urâma regained Jamadagni his own body with all the symptoms of life, knowledge and remembrance of the great seers and became he the seventh star in a constellation of seven [the seven sages, see 8.13: 5, linked to the saptarshi-mandala stars around the polestar].

Thus Jamadagni, being worshiped by Lord Paras'urâma, was brought back to life with full remembrance, and he became one of the seven sages in the group of seven stars. (Vedabase)

Text 25:

The son of Jamadagni, Paras'urâma, that is also the Supreme Lord with the lotus-petal eyes, will in the coming period of Manu, o King, be a propounder of the vedic knowledge [as one of the seven sages, see 8.13: 15-16].

My dear King Parîkshit, in the next manvantara the lotus-eyed Personality of Godhead Lord Paras'urâma, the son of Jamadagni, will be a great propounder of Vedic knowledge. In other words, he will be one of the seven sages. (Vedabase)

Text 26:

He, having given up the clout in peace with the intelligence, is still around today in the hills of Mahendra and is worshiped and revered for his character and activities by all the perfected, singers of heaven and venerable ones.

Lord Paras'urâma still lives as an intelligent brâhmana in the mountainous country known as Mahendra. Completely satisfied, having given up all the weapons of a kshatriya, he is always worshiped, adored and offered prayers for his exalted character and activities by such celestial beings as the Siddhas, Câranas and Gandharvas. (Vedabase)

Text 27:

This way has, appearing as an incarnation in the Bhrigu dynasty and killing the rulers of man many times, the Soul of the Universe, the Supreme Lord Hari, the Controller, relieved the earth of its great burden.

In this way the supreme soul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord and the supreme controller, descended as an incarnation in the Bhrigu dynasty and released the universe from the burden of undesirable kings by killing them many times. (Vedabase)

Text 28:

From Gâdhi [see 9.15: 4-5] was born the most powerful one [Vis'vâmitra] who as flaming as a fire by his austerities had given up the position of a kshatriya and had achieved the quality of a brahmin [see 7.11: 35 and footnote at 9.7: 7].

Vis'vâmitra, the son of Mahârâja Gâdhi, was as powerful as the flames of fire. From the position of a kshatriya, he achieved the position of a powerful brâhmana by undergoing penances and austerities. (Vedabase)

Text 29:

With Vis'vâmitra one could also count on sons: one hundred-and-one in number indeed, o ruler, who because of the middle one being called Madhucchandâ as a group were celebrated as the Madhucchandâs.

O King Parîkshit, Vis'vâmitra had 101 sons, of whom the middle one was known as Madhucchandâ. In relation to him, all the other sons were celebrated as the Madhucchandâs. (Vedabase)

Text 30:

He accepted as his son S'unahs'epha, who as Devarâta ['saved by the godly'], in the Bhrigu-dynasty came forward as the son of Ajîgarta; he ordered his own sons to accept him as the eldest.

Vis'vâmitra accepted the son of Ajîgarta known as S'unahs'epha, who was born in the Bhrigu dynasty and was also known as Devarâta, as one of his own sons. Vis'vâmitra ordered his other sons to accept S'unahs'epha as their eldest brother. (Vedabase)

Text 31:

He indeed was for the yajña of Haris'candra sold [to Rohita] as the man-animal of sacrifice. By his offering prayers to the godly headed by Lord Brahmâ was he released from being bound like an animal [see 9.7: 20].

S'unahs'epha's father sold S'unahs'epha to be sacrificed as a man-animal in the yajña of King Haris'candra. When S'unahs'epha was brought into the sacrificial arena, he prayed to the demigods for release and was released by their mercy. (Vedabase)

Text 32:

He, protected in the arena of the godly, managed by dint of those god-fearing people in the dynasty of Gâdhi to advance in spirituality and was thus in the line of Bhrigu celebrated as well as Devarâta as S'unas'epha.

Although S'unahs'epha was born in the Bhârgava dynasty, he was greatly advanced in spiritual life, and therefore the demigods involved in the sacrifice protected him. Consequently he was also celebrated as the descendant of Gâdhi named Devarâta. (Vedabase)

Text 33:

Those of the Madhucchandâs who were the [fifty] eldest could not wholeheartedly accept that [of him as their eldest brother] and were all cursed by the muni being angry with them saying: 'May all of you bad sons become mlecchas [**]!'

When requested by their father to accept S'unahs'epha as the eldest son, the elder fifty of the Madhucchandâs, the sons of Vis'vâmitra, did not agree. Therefore Vis'vâmitra, being angry, cursed them. "May all of you bad sons become mlecchas," he said, "being opposed to the principles of Vedic culture." (Vedabase)

Text 34:

It was Madhucchandâ indeed who with the second fifty then said: 'We'll abide by whatever to your pleasure would be ours, o father!'

When the elder Madhucchandâs were cursed, the younger fifty, along with Madhucchandâ himself, approached their father and agreed to accept his proposal. "Dear father," they said, "we shall abide by whatever arrangement you like." (Vedabase)

Text 35:

The eldest they accepted as a seer of mantras saying to him: 'You we have agreed to follow and so for true we surely will'. Vis'vâmitra told the sons: 'You all will become fathers of sons to my honor for you have accepted me as a father of worthy sons.

Thus the younger Madhucchandâs accepted S'unahs'epha as their eldest brother and told him, "We shall follow your orders." Vis'vâmitra then said to his obedient sons, "Because you have accepted S'unahs'epha as your eldest brother, I am very satisfied. By accepting my order, you have made me a father of worthy sons, and therefore I bless all of you to become the fathers of sons also." (Vedabase)

Text 36:

This one Devarâta is, just like you are, my son, o Kus'ikas [***], just obey him', and many other sons followed: Ashthaka, Hârîta, Jaya, Kratumân and more.

Vis'vâmitra said, "O Kus'ikas [descendants of Kaus'ika], this Devarâta is my son and is one of you. Please obey his orders." O King Parîkshit, Vis'vâmitra had many other sons, such as Ashthaka, Hârîta, Jaya and Kratumân. (Vedabase)

Text 37:

This is how the dynasty of Kaus'ika originated from the sons of Vis'vâmitra from whose different positions they as such had taken, as a consequence thus different types could be ascertained.

Vis'vâmitra cursed some of his sons and blessed the others, and he also adopted a son. Thus there were varieties in the Kaus'ika dynasty, but among all the sons, Devarâta was considered the eldest. (Vedabase)