UNTOLD TALES FROM THE MAHABHARATA by Uday shankar

Author:Uday shankar
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt. Ltd.

11

An Axe to Grind – Parashuram

Brahmins in Indian history were the repositories of intellectual knowledge. They graced kings’ courts and counselled royal families on important decisions. Brahmins were never known to wield weapons.

They were known to lead austere lives with the sole aim of serving mankind through the dissemination of knowledge. Right from fixing auspicious moments to performing yagnas and other rituals, Brahmins were consulted and their word was final. No wonder they were held in high esteem and for all practical purposes irreplaceable.

However, there was one Brahmin who stood apart from the rest. He was a fighter to the core who wouldn’t think twice before bringing his axe down on the neck of his enemies. With matted hair and anger writ large on his face, he is a lone warrior Brahmin known to erupt at the very mention of the Kshatriyas. He is Parashuram, one of Lord Vishnu’s avatars who came to earth with a purpose – to check the excesses committed by the seemingly unstoppable and ambitious Kshatriyas bent upon bloodshed and wresting power from each other.

The story dates back several thousand years. His name is Ruchika and he is the son of Maharshi Bhrigu. One day, Ruchika is passing through a kingdom Kanyakubj situated on the banks of the river Ganga, ruled by Gadhi who belongs to the Chandravanshi dynasty. Gadhi has a beautiful daughter by the name of Satyavati, and princes from far and near want to marry her. Ruchika is no exception and is charmed by her beauty. He meets the king and asks his daughter’s hand in marriage. The king is somewhat surprised but doesn’t reject the proposal outright. Very rarely you come across a Brahmin wanting to marry a Kshatriya girl. He looks at Ruchika and says, ‘O Sage. As has been the practice in my family, whoever desires to marry my daughter has to fulfil a requirement. The prospective groom should give me a thousand white horses and each horse should have a black ear.’

Ruchika agrees to the king’s demand. Using his spiritual powers, he reaches the abode of Varuna, the rain god and prays to him to give him the horses. Varuna, who is considered a large-hearted deity and worshipped by childless couples to beget children, is pleased with Ruchika’s devotion and grants him the thousand horses to be given to Gadhi in the form of dowry.

‘O Varuna! I am forever thankful to you for your gift of the horses. But how shall I take them to the king?’

‘You don’t have to worry about that, Ruchika. I will ensure that the horses are transported through a channel and will reach Kanyakubj on the banks of the Ganges. When you go back, the horses will emerge one by one from the river.’

Ruchika returns to Kanyakubj and sure enough, the steeds are waiting. He gifts the horses to Gadhi and marries Satyavati.

Satyavati leaves the palace and adjusts well to life in the hermitage. The couple enjoys marital bliss in serene surroundings, away from the pomp and splendour of the royal palace.

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