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Parashurama is one of seven immortals whose life spans countless generations.
Of Vishnu's 10 main avatars, Parashurama is the only one that has lived side by
side with other avatars. In the chronology of avatars, Parashurama is the
sixth avatara, born of sage Jamadagni and Renuka. Parashurama was born to
humble oppressive and tyrannical rulers of India. 21 major wars, with countless
battles, resulted in the warrior caste being almost reduced to extinction.
Next avatar of Vishnu was as a warrior prince Rama. Parashurama tried to
intervene, but was politely rebuffed and told to butt out and let the current
avatar carry out the task at hand.
During the time of the 8th avatar, Shri Krushna, Parashurama plays the role of
"teacher" to 3 generals in the great battle of Mahabharata. Curiously, all
three generals he taught were on the losing side - Bhishma, Drona and Karna.
Parashurama was well known for teaching his battle skills only to Brahmins. He seems to have made an exception
and taught Bhishma, scion of the Bharata dynasty. When princess Amba
of Kashi was rejected by her suitor, abductor and intended husband, she turned
Parashurama to force Bhishma to marry her.
Despite a long dual, Parashurama, who had previously demolished countless
armies, was unable to assail Bhishma. It's important to know when to use your
power but it's also crucial to know when to resign these powers gracefully.
Countless businessmen and politicians of over ripe age hold on
to power long beyond their useful period.
Amba blamed Bhishma for ruining her life and performed terrible taap to please
Shiva. When asked to seek a boon worthy of her taap, Amba asked to be revenged
on Bhishma and be the cause of his death ! What a waste of a boon from Shiva !
Reborn as a transgender princess Shikhandi, Amba became one of the generals on
the Pandava side and helped shield Arjun as he battled to defeat his grand uncle
Bhishma.
Parashurama taught Drona all his skills in warfare and weapons - divine and
mundane. Drona taught these skills to the Kuru princes. Pandavas and Kauravas
used this knowledge to terrible effect in the Mahabharata battle, causing rivers
of blood to flow in the same region where Parashurama had filled 5 pools of
blood several generations ago ! Parashurama's students resurrected memories of
those terrible, bloody massacres of the past.
Parashurama also taught Karna, who had come to him to learn the art of war under
pretext of being a Brahmin. When outed as a Suta, Prashurama cursed Karna for
having deceived him. Parashuram's curse made it difficult for Karna to remember
the correct mantra under the stress of the battle. Having lost his ability to counter
Arjun's ceaseless bombardment of missiles, Karna succumbed to his injuries and
died when an arrow took off his head.
According to various regional legends, Parashurama has reclaimed the coastal
lands beyond the Sayehadri range of the Western Ghat mountains. Parashurama is also credited for
having founded several pilgrimage sites and installed deities in several temples
including the famous Kanya Kumari
at the Southern most tip of India - Cape Kaumarin.
One of the chief lessons of Parashurama tale is knowing when to act, when to
cease and when to resign gracefully. Not resigning at the right time can lead
to embarrassment for you and others around you. Not resigning voluntarily and
instead being forced to resign can also taint your fame.
Parashurama was partial in his teachings. He taught very specific group of
students (Brahmins), shutting out other able and talented students from rest of
society. Sorry tale of his students show that education should be given
according to merit and not according to birth.
A more logical reason for Parashurama’s presence through various reigns of kings could be more mundane. It is possible that the original Parashurama set up an institution to strengthen the hand of Brahmins and make sure they do not forget persecution and penury visited upon them in the past. After him, all those who took over the running of the “Parashuram institute” were given the title of Parashurama. This could explain the reason for “Parashurama” having taught various great warriors through the ages.
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