Sankarśanaya namah

Maharishi Śuka continued, “Lord Datta’s grace ensured that Kartavirya was blessed with a thousand arms. Victory over enemies, absolute sense-control, wealth, radiance, power, renown and strength were obtained by him by the Lord’s grace. He became the master of Yoga. He obtained Anima and other supernatural powers.

Like the wind, he could travel without any obstructions through all the planes as per his will. His boons and his spiritual accomplishments resulted in his arrogance. One day he was playing in the waters of Narmada together with beautiful women. Wearing the Vyjayanti garland around his neck, this king playfully stopped the waters of Narmada from flowing.

At a short distance from there, the 10-headed Ravana was resting in a tent. The waters of Narmada which could no longer flow forward began to flow backwards and they completely submerged the tent of the 10-headed Ravana. The fact that Kārtavirya had playfully stopped the waters of Narmada was unbearable to Ravana who was self-conceited due to his valour.

Filled with jealousy he behaved arrogantly with Kārtavirya. In the presence of all the women-folk, Kartavirya captured the 10-headed Ravana, just as playfully as one catches a monkey and took him to his capital city Mahismatipuram. He arrested Ravana and thereafter casually freed him.

This valiant king once went hunting into the forests. Accidently he stumbled into the hermitage of Maharishi Jamadagni. It could be said that it was an act of providence. Maharishi Jamadagni is a repository of penance. With the blessings of his dearest cow Kāmadhenu, the great saint provided unsurpassed hospitality to the king, his ministers, his army as well as his hordes of attendants.

King Kārtavirya, who was accompanied by a large army of the Haihaya kingdom, felt that the riches in this hermitage far surpassed the collective riches of his kingdom. Instead of being pleased with the hospitality offered by the great saint, he was afflicted with the desire to own Kāmadhenu, the magical cow which was responsible for all these riches.

Puffed up with pride, he ordered his soldiers bring Kāmadhenu to him. The soldiers forcibly dragged Kāmadhenu, along with its calf, all the way to the capital Mahismatipuram. Arrogantly he left the hermitage.

Meanwhile Paraśurama returned to his father’s hermitage. When he heard about this despicable deed of Kārtavīrya, he turned ferocious like a python which has been trodden upon. Just as an unbeatable lion chases an elephant, Paraśurama, holding his razor-sharp axe, shield, bow and quiver in his hands ran speedily chasing the king.

King Kārtavīrya who was about to enter his capital noticed Paraśurama, the best among the Bhrigu lineage, chasing him. Paraśurama was wearing deer skin. He was holding the bow, quiver, and axe in his hands. With his matted locks he glowed like the Sun.

Kārtavīrya dispatched his army, which consisted of 17 akṣohinis (an akṣohini consists of 21,870 chariots, 21870 elephants, 109,350 infantry and 65,610 horses). With maces, swords, knives, bows, arrows, spears, iron rods with spokes, and other weapons held in their hands these soldiers appeared intimidating.

Single-handedly Paraśurama flattened this entire army of Kārtavīrya. With the speed of mind and wind, Paraśurama attacked all the enemies with his axe. All the territories that he stepped into were strewn with chopped heads, hands, legs, thighs. All the powerful warriors, the charioteers, the elephants and the horses were all killed. A huge river of blood flowed from the battlefield dirtying the place completely.

The shields, flags and bows were all shattered due to Paraśurama’s mighty axe and arrows. Seeing his entire army collapse, Kārtavīrya was infuriated. At great speeds he rushed towards Paraśurama challenging him for battle.

Taking up 500 bows at one time, Kārtavīrya, who had thousand hands, released many arrows upon Paraśurama. Paraśurama, the best among warriors, had only one bow in his hand. Nevertheless, he released an equal number of powerful arrows, which collided with Kārtavīrya’s arrows and shred them into pieces.

Angered with this, Kārtavīrya now uprooted mountains and huge trees. Holding them he began to run swiftly towards Paraśurama. Nevertheless, the mighty Paraśurama, chopped off the hands of Kārtavīrya using his razor-sharp axe. Without stopping with this, he even chopped the king’s head with his axe.

The ten thousand sons of Kārtavīrya, who witnessed this event, shivered and dispersed quickly from there. Rama, who was grieving that Kamadhenu had been stolen and that his father had been insulted, routed his enemy completely. He then took Kāmadhenu along with its calf and returned them to his father.

He narrated everything to his father and to his brothers. Maharishi Jamadagni said, “O Rama, you are supremely valiant. Isn’t the king an embodiment of all Devatas? Having killed a king you have accumulated plenty of sin. My dear son, we Brahmins should inculcate the trait of forgiveness. The quality of forgiveness makes us venerable. Lord Brahma could obtain the position as creator only due to his trait of forgiveness. He could obtain the ultimate plane known as Satya-loka.

kṣamayā rocate lakṣmīr brāhmī saurī yathā prabhā

kṣamiṇām āśu bhagavāṁs tuṣyate harir īśvaraḥ

The radiance of Vedic scholars is further illuminated with the quality of forgiveness, which glows like the Sun. The Supreme Lord Srihari is easily pleased with those who have the trait of forgiveness in them.

The sin of killing a king, is far more dreadful than that of killing a Brahmin. My dear son, hence fix your mind solely upon Lord Srihari. Go on pilgrimages and serve the Lord there. Wash away your sins.”

With this the fifteenth chapter of the ninth canto comes to an end.

Narayana.