Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9: “Liberation”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Fifteen
Parasurama, the Lord’s Warrior Incarnation
SB9.15Summary
This chapter describes the history of Gadhi in the dynasty of Aila.
From the womb of Urvasi came six sons, named Ayu, Srutayu, Satyayu, Raya, Jaya and Vijaya. The son of Srutayu was Vasuman, the son of Satyayu was Srutanjaya, the son of Raya was Eka, the son of Jaya was Amita, and the son of Vijaya was Bhima. Bhima’s son was named Kancana, the son of Kancana was Hotraka, and the son of Hotraka was Jahnu, who was celebrated for having drunk all the water of the Ganges in one sip. The descendants of Jahnu, one after another, were Puru, Balaka, Ajaka and Kusa. The sons of Kusa were Kusambu, Tanaya, Vasu and Kusanabha. From Kusambu came Gadhi, who had a daughter named Satyavati. Satyavati married Rcika Muni after the muni contributed a substantial dowry, and from the womb of Satyavati by Rcika Muni, Jamadagni was born. The son of Jamadagni was Rama, or Parasurama. When a king named Kartaviryarjuna stole Jamadagni’s desire cow, Parasurama, who is ascertained by learned experts to be a saktyavesa incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, killed Kartaviryarjuna. Later, he annihilated the ksatriya dynasty twenty-one times. After Parasurama killed Kartaviryarjuna, Jamadagni told him that killing a king is sinful and that as a brahmana he should have tolerated the offense. Therefore Jamadagni advised Parasurama to atone for his sin by traveling to various holy places. SB9.15.1 TEXT 1 sri-badarayanir uvaca ailasya corvasi-garbhat sad asann atmaja nrpa ayuh srutayuh satyayu rayo ’tha vijayo jayah SYNONYMS sri-badarayanih uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; ailasya—of Pururava; ca—also; urvasi-garbhat—from the womb of Urvasi; sat—six; asan—there were; atmajah—sons; nrpa—O King Pariksit; ayuh—Ayu; srutayuh—Srutayu; satyayuh—Satyayu; rayah—Raya; atha—as well as; vijayah—Vijaya; jayah—Jaya. TRANSLATION Sukadeva Gosvami continued: O King Pariksit, from the womb of Urvasi, six sons were generated by Pururava. Their names were Ayu, Srutayu, Satyayu, Raya, Vijaya and Jaya. SB9.15.2-3 TEXTS 2–3 srutayor vasuman putrah satyayos ca srutanjayah rayasya suta ekas ca jayasya tanayo ’mitah bhimas tu vijayasyatha kancano hotrakas tatah tasya jahnuh suto gangam gandusi-krtya yo ’pibat SYNONYMS srutayoh—of Srutayu; vasuman—Vasuman; putrah—a son; satyayoh—of Satyayu; ca—also; srutanjayah—a son named Srutanjaya; rayasya—of Raya; sutah—a son; ekah—by the name Eka; ca—and; jayasya—of Jaya; tanayah—the son; amitah—by the name Amita; bhimah—by the name Bhima; tu—indeed; vijayasya—of Vijaya; atha—thereafter; kancanah—Kancana, the son of Bhima; hotrakah—Hotraka, the son of Kancana; tatah—then; tasya—of Hotraka; jahnuh—by the name Jahnu; sutah—a son; gangam—all the water of the Ganges; gandusi-krtya—by one sip; yah—he who (Jahnu); apibat—drank. TRANSLATION The son of Srutayu was Vasuman; the son of Satyayu, Srutanjaya; the son of Raya, Eka; the son of Jaya, Amita; and the son of Vijaya, Bhima. The son of Bhima was Kancana; the son of Kancana was Hotraka; and the son of Hotraka was Jahnu, who drank all the water of the Ganges in one sip. SB9.15.4 TEXT 4 jahnos tu purus tasyatha balakas catmajo ’jakah tatah kusah kusasyapi kusambus tanayo vasuh kusanabhas ca catvaro gadhir asit kusambujah SYNONYMS jahnoh—of Jahnu; tu—indeed; puruh—a son named Puru; tasya—of Puru; atha—thereafter; balakah—a son named Balaka; ca—and; atmajah—Balaka’s son; ajakah—of the name Ajaka; tatah—thereafter; kusah—Kusa; kusasya—of Kusa; api—then; kusambuh—Kusambu; tanayah—Tanaya; vasuh—Vasu; kusanabhah—Kusanabha; ca—and; catvarah—four (sons); gadhih—Gadhi; asit—there was; kusambujah—the son of Kusambu. TRANSLATION The son of Jahnu was Puru, the son of Puru was Balaka, the son of Balaka was Ajaka, and the son of Ajaka was Kusa. Kusa had four sons, named Kusambu, Tanaya, Vasu and Kusanabha. The son of Kusambu was Gadhi. SB9.15.5-6 TEXTS 5–6 tasya satyavatim kanyam rciko ’yacata dvijah varam visadrsam matva gadhir bhargavam abravit ekatah syama-karnanam hayanam candra-varcasam sahasram diyatam sulkam kanyayah kusika vayam SYNONYMS tasya—of Gadhi; satyavatim—Satyavati; kanyam—the daughter; rcikah—the great sage Rcika; ayacata—requested; dvijah—the brahmana; varam—as her husband; visadrsam—not equal or fit; matva—thinking like that; gadhih—King Gadhi; bhargavam—unto Rcika; abravit—replied; ekatah—by one; syama-karnanam—whose ear is black; hayanam—horses; candra-varcasam—as brilliant as the moonshine; sahasram—one thousand; diyatam—please deliver; sulkam—as a dowry; kanyayah—to my daughter; kusikah—in the family of Kusa; vayam—we (are). TRANSLATION King Gadhi had a daughter named Satyavati, whom a brahmana sage named Rcika requested from the King to be his wife. King Gadhi, however, regarded Rcika as an unfit husband for his daughter, and therefore he told the brahmana, “My dear sir, I belong to the dynasty of Kusa. Because we are aristocratic ksatriyas, 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.” PURPORT The son of King Gadhi was Visvamitra, who was said to be a brahmana and ksatriya combined. Visvamitra attained the status of a brahmarsi, as explained later. From the marriage of Satyavati with Rcika Muni would come a son with the spirit of a ksatriya. King Gadhi demanded that an uncommon request be fulfilled before the brahmana Rcika could marry his daughter. SB9.15.7 TEXT 7 ity uktas tan-matam jnatva gatah sa varunantikam aniya dattva tan asvan upayeme varananam SYNONYMS iti—thus; uktah—having been requested; tat-matam—his mind; jnatva—(the sage) could understand; gatah—went; sah—he; varuna-antikam—to the place of Varuna; aniya—having brought; dattva—and after delivering; tan—those; asvan—horses; upayeme—married; vara-ananam—the beautiful daughter of King Gadhi. TRANSLATION When King Gadhi made this demand, the great sage Rcika could understand the King’s mind. Therefore he went to the demigod Varuna and brought from him the one thousand horses that Gadhi had demanded. After delivering these horses, the sage married the King’s beautiful daughter. SB9.15.8 TEXT 8 sa rsih prarthitah patnya svasrva capatya-kamyaya srapayitvobhayair mantrais carum snatum gato munih SYNONYMS sah—he (Rcika); rsih—the great saint; prarthitah—being requested; patnya—by his wife; svasrva—by his mother-in-law; ca—also; apatya-kamyaya—desiring a son; srapayitva—after cooking; ubhayaih—both; mantraih—by chanting particular mantras; carum—a preparation for offering in a sacrifice; snatum—to bathe; gatah—went out; munih—the great sage. TRANSLATION Thereafter, Rcika Muni’s wife and mother-in-law, each desiring a son, requested the Muni to prepare an oblation. Thus Rcika Muni prepared one oblation for his wife with a brahmana mantra and another for his mother-in-law with a ksatriya mantra. Then he went out to bathe. SB9.15.9 TEXT 9 tavat satyavati matra sva-carum yacita sati srestham matva tayayacchan matre matur adat svayam SYNONYMS tavat—in the meantime; satyavati—Satyavati, the wife of Rcika; matra—by her mother; sva-carum—the oblation meant for herself (Satyavati); yacita—asked to give; sati—being; srestham—better; matva—thinking; taya—by her; ayacchat—delivered; matre—to her mother; matuh—of the mother; adat—ate; svayam—personally. TRANSLATION Meanwhile, because Satyavati’s mother thought that the oblation prepared for her daughter, Rcika’s wife, must be better, she asked her daughter for that oblation. Satyavati therefore gave her own oblation to her mother and ate her mother’s oblation herself. PURPORT A husband naturally has some affection for his wife. Therefore Satyavati’s mother thought that the oblation prepared for Satyavati by the sage Rcika must have been better than her own oblation. In Rcika’s absence, the mother took the better oblation from Satyavati and ate it. SB9.15.10 TEXT 10 tad viditva munih praha patnim kastam akarasih ghoro danda-dharah putro bhrata te brahma-vittamah SYNONYMS tat—this fact; viditva—having learned; munih—the great sage; praha—said; patnim—unto his wife; kastam—very regrettable; akarasih—you have done; ghorah—fierce; danda-dharah—a great personality who can punish others; putrah—such a son; bhrata—brother; te—your; brahma-vittamah—a learned scholar in spiritual science. TRANSLATION When the great sage Rcika returned home after bathing and understood what had happened in his absence, he said to his wife, Satyavati, “You have done a great wrong. Your son will be a fierce ksatriya, able to punish everyone, and your brother will be a learned scholar in spiritual science.” PURPORT A brahmana is highly qualified when he can control his senses and mind, when he is a learned scholar in spiritual science and when he is tolerant and forgiving. A ksatriya, however, is highly qualified when he is fierce in giving punishment to wrongdoers. These qualities are stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.42–43). Because Satyavati, instead of eating her own oblation, had eaten that which was meant for her mother, she would give birth to a son imbued with the ksatriya spirit. This was undesirable. The son of a brahmana is generally expected to become a brahmana, but if such a son becomes fierce like a ksatriya, he is designated according to the description of the four varnas in Bhagavad-gita (catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]). If the son of a brahmana does not become like a brahmana, he may be called a ksatriya, vaisya or sudra, according to his qualifications. The basic principle for dividing society is not a person’s birth but his qualities and actions. SB9.15.11 TEXT 11 prasaditah satyavatya maivam bhur iti bhargavah atha tarhi bhavet pautro jamadagnis tato ’bhavat SYNONYMS prasaditah—pacified; satyavatya—by Satyavati; ma—not; evam—thus; bhuh—let it be; iti—thus; bhargavah—the great sage; atha—if your son should not become like that; tarhi—then; bhavet—should become like that; pautrah—the grandson; jamadagnih—Jamadagni; tatah—thereafter; abhavat—was born. TRANSLATION Satyavati, however, pacified Rcika Muni with peaceful words and requested that her son not be like a fierce ksatriya. Rcika Muni replied, “Then your grandson will be of a ksatriya spirit.” Thus Jamadagni was born as the son of Satyavati. PURPORT The great sage Rcika was very angry, but somehow or other Satyavati pacified him, and at her request he changed his mind. It is indicated here that the son of Jamadagni would be born as Parasurama. SB9.15.12-13 TEXTS 12–13 sa cabhut sumahat-punya kausiki loka-pavani renoh sutam renukam vai jamadagnir uvaha yam tasyam vai bhargava-rseh suta vasumad-adayah yaviyan jajna etesam rama ity abhivisrutah SYNONYMS sa—she (Satyavati); ca—also; abhut—became; sumahat-punya—very great and sacred; kausiki—the river by the name Kausiki; loka-pavani—purifying the whole world; renoh—of Renu; sutam—the daughter; renukam—by the name Renuka; vai—indeed; jamadagnih—Satyavati’s son, Jamadagni; uvaha—married; yam—whom; tasyam—in the womb of Renuka; vai—indeed; bhargava-rseh—by the semen of Jamadagni; sutah—sons; vasumat-adayah—many, headed by Vasuman; yaviyan—the youngest; jajne—was born; etesam—among them; ramah—Parasurama; iti—thus; abhivisrutah—was known everywhere. TRANSLATION Satyavati later became the sacred river Kausiki to purify the entire world, and her son, Jamadagni, married Renuka, the daughter of Renu. By the semen of Jamadagni, many sons, headed by Vasuman, were born from the womb of Renuka. The youngest of them was named Rama, or Parasurama. SB9.15.14 TEXT 14 yam ahur vasudevamsam haihayanam kulantakam trih-sapta-krtvo ya imam cakre nihksatriyam mahim SYNONYMS yam—whom (Parasurama); ahuh—all the learned scholars say; vasudeva-amsam—an incarnation of Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; haihayanam—of the Haihayas; kula-antakam—the annihilator of the dynasty; trih-sapta-krtvah—twenty-one times; yah—who (Parasurama); imam—this; cakre—made; nihksatriyam—devoid of ksatriyas; mahim—the earth. TRANSLATION Learned scholars accept this Parasurama as the celebrated incarnation of Vasudeva who annihilated the dynasty of Kartavirya. Parasurama killed all the ksatriyas on earth twenty-one times. SB9.15.15 TEXT 15 drptam ksatram bhuvo bharam abrahmanyam aninasat rajas-tamo-vrtam ahan phalguny api krte ’mhasi SYNONYMS drptam—very proud; ksatram—the ksatriyas, the ruling class; bhuvah—of the earth; bharam—burden; abrahmanyam—sinful, not caring for the religious principles enunciated by the brahmanas; aninasat—drove away or annihilated; rajah-tamah—by the qualities of passion and ignorance; vrtam—covered; ahan—he killed; phalguni—not very great; api—although; krte—had been committed; amhasi—an offense. TRANSLATION 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, Parasurama killed them. Although their offense was not very severe, he killed them to lessen the burden of the world. PURPORT The ksatriyas, or the ruling class, must govern the world in accordance with the rules and regulations enacted by great brahmanas and saintly persons. As soon as the ruling class becomes irresponsible in regard to the religious principles, it becomes a burden on the earth. As stated here, rajas-tamo-vrtam, bharam abrahmanyam: when the ruling class is influenced by the lower modes of nature, namely ignorance and passion, it becomes a burden to the world and must then be annihilated by superior power. We actually see from modern history that monarchies have been abolished by various revolutions, but unfortunately the monarchies have been abolished to establish the supremacy of third-class and fourth-class men. Although monarchies overpowered by the modes of passion and ignorance have been abolished in the world, the inhabitants of the world are still unhappy, for although the qualities of the former monarchs were degraded by taints of ignorance, these monarchs have been replaced by men of the mercantile and worker classes whose qualities are even more degraded. When the government is actually guided by brahmanas, or God conscious men, then there can be real happiness for the people. Therefore in previous times, when the ruling class was degraded to the modes of passion and ignorance, the brahmanas, headed by such a ksatriya-spirited brahmana as Parasurama, killed them twenty-one consecutive times. In Kali-yuga, as stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.13), dasyu-prayesu rajasu: the ruling class (rajanya) will be no better than plunderers (dasyus) because the third-class and fourth-class men will monopolize the affairs of the government. Ignoring the religious principles and brahminical rules and regulations, they will certainly try to plunder the riches of the citizens without consideration. As stated elsewhere in Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.1.40): asamskrtah kriya-hina Being unpurified, neglecting to discharge human duties properly, and being influenced by the modes of passion (rajas) and ignorance (tamas), unclean people (mlecchas), posing as members of the government (rajanya-rupinah), will swallow the citizens (prajas te bhaksayisyanti). And in still another place, Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.2.7–8) says: evam prajabhir dustabhir praja hi lubdhai rajanyair Human society is naturally grouped into four divisions, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]). But if this system is neglected and the qualities and divisions of society are not considered, the result will be brahma-vit-ksatra-sudranam yo bali bhavita nrpah: the so-called caste system of brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra will be meaningless. As a result, whoever somehow or other becomes powerful will be the king or president, and thus the prajas, or citizens, will be so harassed that they will give up hearth and home and will go to the forest (yasyanti giri-kananam) to escape harassment by government officials who have no mercy and are addicted to the ways of plunderers. Therefore the prajas, or the people in general, must take to the Krsna consciousness movement, the Hare Krsna movement, which is the sound incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kali-kale nama-rupe krsna-avatara: Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has now appeared as an incarnation by His holy name. Therefore, when the prajas become Krsna conscious, they can then expect a good government and good society, a perfect life, and liberation from the bondage of material existence. SB9.15.16 TEXT 16 sri-rajovaca kim tad amho bhagavato rajanyair ajitatmabhih krtam yena kulam nastam ksatriyanam abhiksnasah SYNONYMS sri-raja uvaca—Maharaja Pariksit inquired; kim—what; tat amhah—that offense; bhagavatah—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rajanyaih—by the royal family; ajita-atmabhih—who could not control their senses and thus were degraded; krtam—which had been done; yena—by which; kulam—the dynasty; nastam—was annihilated; ksatriyanam—of the royal family; abhiksnasah—again and again. TRANSLATION King Pariksit inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami: What was the offense that the ksatriyas who could not control their senses committed before Lord Parasurama, the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for which the Lord annihilated the ksatriya dynasty again and again? SB9.15.17-19 TEXTS 17–19 sri-badarayanir uvaca haihayanam adhipatir arjunah ksatriyarsabhah dattam narayanamsamsam aradhya parikarmabhih bahun dasa-satam lebhe durdharsatvam aratisu avyahatendriyaujah sri- tejo-virya-yaso-balam yogesvaratvam aisvaryam guna yatranimadayah cacaravyahata-gatir lokesu pavano yatha SYNONYMS sri-badarayanih uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami replied; haihayanam adhipatih—the King of the Haihayas; arjunah—by the name Kartaviryarjuna; ksatriya-rsabhah—the best of the ksatriyas; dattam—unto Dattatreya; narayana-amsa-amsam—the plenary portion of the plenary portion of Narayana; aradhya—after worshiping; parikarmabhih—by worship according to the regulative principles; bahun—arms; dasa-satam—one thousand (ten times one hundred); lebhe—achieved; durdharsatvam—the quality of being very difficult to conquer; aratisu—in the midst of enemies; avyahata—undefeatable; indriya-ojah—strength of the senses; sri—beauty; tejah—influence; virya—power; yasah—fame; balam—bodily strength; yoga-isvaratvam—controlling power gained by the practice of mystic yoga; aisvaryam—opulence; gunah—qualities; yatra—wherein; anima-adayah—eight kinds of yogic perfection (anima, laghima, etc.); cacara—he went; avyahata-gatih—whose progress was indefatigable; lokesu—all over the world or universe; pavanah—the wind; yatha—like. TRANSLATION Sukadeva Gosvami said: The best of the ksatriyas, Kartaviryarjuna, 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 anima and laghima. Thus having become fully opulent, he roamed all over the universe without opposition, just like the wind. SB9.15.20 TEXT 20 stri-ratnair avrtah kridan revambhasi madotkatah vaijayantim srajam bibhrad rurodha saritam bhujaih SYNONYMS stri-ratnaih—by beautiful women; avrtah—surrounded; kridan—enjoying; reva-ambhasi—in the water of the River Reva, or Narmada; mada-utkatah—too puffed up because of opulence; vaijayantim srajam—the garland of victory; bibhrat—being decorated with; rurodha—stopped the flow; saritam—of the river; bhujaih—with his arms. TRANSLATION Once while enjoying in the water of the River Narmada, the puffed-up Kartaviryarjuna, surrounded by beautiful women and garlanded with a garland of victory, stopped the flow of the water with his arms. SB9.15.21 TEXT 21 viplavitam sva-sibiram pratisrotah-sarij-jalaih namrsyat tasya tad viryam viramani dasananah SYNONYMS viplavitam—having been inundated; sva-sibiram—his own camp; pratisrotah—which was flowing in the opposite direction; sarit-jalaih—by the water of the river; na—not; amrsyat—could tolerate; tasya—of Kartaviryarjuna; tat viryam—that influence; viramani—considering himself very heroic; dasa-ananah—the ten-headed Ravana. TRANSLATION Because Kartaviryarjuna made the water flow in the opposite direction, the camp of Ravana, which was set up on the bank of the Narmada near the city of Mahismati, was inundated. This was unbearable to the ten-headed Ravana, who considered himself a great hero and could not tolerate Kartaviryarjuna’s power. PURPORT Ravana was out touring to gain victory over all other countries (dig-vijaya), and he had camped on the bank of the Narmada River near the city of Mahismati. SB9.15.22 TEXT 22 grhito lilaya strinam samaksam krta-kilbisah mahismatyam sanniruddho mukto yena kapir yatha SYNONYMS grhitah—was arrested by force; lilaya—very easily; strinam—of the women; samaksam—in the presence; krta-kilbisah—thus becoming an offender; mahismatyam—in the city known as Mahismati; sanniruddhah—was arrested; muktah—released; yena—by whom (Kartaviryarjuna); kapih yatha—exactly as done to a monkey. TRANSLATION When Ravana attempted to insult Kartaviryarjuna in the presence of the women and thus offended him, Kartaviryarjuna easily arrested Ravana and put him in custody in the city of Mahismati, just as one captures a monkey, and then released him neglectfully.
rajasa tamasavrtah
prajas te bhaksayisyanti
mleccha rajanya-rupinah
akirne ksiti-mandale
brahma-vit-ksatra-sudranam
yo bali bhavita nrpah
nirghrnair dasyu-dharmabhih
acchinna-dara-dravina
yasyanti giri-kananam