Lord Parashurama is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, known for his anger and feats of strength. Among the eight immortals, or Chiranjeevis, Parashurama is believed to still be alive. Despite having conquered the entire earth, he resides on Mount Mahendra. Why is this so? Let's explore...
The Purpose of Lord Parashurama's Incarnation
Lord Parashurama is regarded as the sixth avatar of Vishnu. His primary mission was to rid the earth of sin and establish truth, righteousness, and justice. To avenge his mother's grief and his father's murder, Parashurama decided to annihilate the entire Kshatriya race. After conquering the earth, he chose to leave it and reside on Mount Mahendra, donating the entire earth to his guru, Sage Kashyapa. To understand why, we must first learn about Sage Kashyapa.
Who Was Sage Kashyapa?
According to ancient scriptures, Sage Kashyapa is credited with the creation of the universe. He is counted among the seven great sages, or Saptarishis, in the Rigveda. Kashyapa is also the name of a prominent gotra (lineage). Those unaware of their gotra are often considered to belong to the Kashyapa gotra, as it is believed that all living beings descended from this lineage.
Mythology states that Brahma created several mind-born sons, one of whom was Marichi. Sage Kashyapa was Marichi's son, and his mother was the sister of Lord Kapil Dev. Kashyapa's descendants played a significant role in the development of the world. He had 17 wives, whose progeny contributed to the growth of creation.
The Deed of Parashurama and the Command of His Guru
Sage Kashyapa was also Parashurama's guru. After avenging his father's murder and alleviating his mother's grief by destroying the Kshatriya race, Parashurama performed the Ashwamedha Yagna. He spared only the descendants of Manu and Ikshvaku, slaughtering every other member of the Kshatriya class. He repeated this 21 times because his mother had beaten her chest in sorrow 21 times, and he vowed to cleanse the earth of Kshatriyas that many times.
After his final campaign, Parashurama donated the entire earth to his guru, Sage Kashyapa. Sage Kashyapa then commanded Parashurama to leave the earth. Obeying his guru's command, Parashurama decided to reside on Mount Mahendra. He moved southward to the ocean, where the sea facilitated his residence on Mahendra Mountain, where he is believed to dwell to this day.
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