srimadbhagavatham-skandha9

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Chapter 13 and 14 Chandravamsa

 

After narrating the vamsa of Nimi, another son of Ikshvaku, whose

son was Vaidheha janaka, the one who constructed the city of Mithila, in whose

vamsa the father of Seetha , Seeradhvaja Janaka originated, Suka,startedt o

trace the clan of the Moon.Athri was the son of Braham born from his mind and Moon

was born from his tears of joy and was made of nectar. He was made the master

of medicinal herbs and other plants and

the stars. Budha was the son of Moon who married Ila th estory of whom was

narrated earlier. Pururavas was the son of Budha and Ila who married

Urvasi.Ayus was born to him and also five other sons, one of whom, Vijaya, was

the forefather of the Visvamithra. Nahusha was the son of Ayus and yayathi was

his son, and the yadhuvamsa originated from one of his sons Yadhu.

 

The story of Yayathi is narrated in a later chapter.

 

Chapter 15 to 16- Story of Parasurama

 

Vijaya, the son of Pururavas was the forefather of Jhahnu, who

became a sage and drank the water of Ganges

when Bhageeratha was bringing her to earth and she flooded his hermitage and on

being requested by Bhageeratha sent her out from his ear, from which the river got

the name Jaahnavee. GaaDhi, the father of Visvamithra was his descendent.

 

GaaDhi had a daughter Sathyavati and a brahmin Rcheeka asked GaaDhi

for her in marriage. GaaDhi demanded a thousand horses with black ears and

white body as kanya sulka. Rcheeka got them from Varuna and married her.Satyavati

and her mother approached Rcheeka and asked him to bless them so that they will get sons. Rcheeka

prepared two charus (a prepration with rice, barley and pulses) with manthras

and gave them each one. Sathyavathi's mother thinking that Rcheeka would have

given his wife the one for the best son

asked her for it and she agreed. Hence they exchanged the charus and ate them.

 

When Rcheeka came to know this he told his wife that she had

committed a mistake and a s a result she would get a son with Kshathriya

trairts and will punish others while her mother would get a son who would

become a brhamrshi. Sathyavathi prayed to him that it should not be so and he

said that not her son but her grandson would be fierce and would punish the

wrongdoers. Thus Satyavati got Jamadhagni, whose son was parasurama while her

mother got Visvamithra as her son, who became a brahmrshi.

 

Suka then told parikshith the story of Parasurama.Kaarthveeryarjuna,

the king of Hehaya, who had thousand arms

as a result of worshipping Dhatthathreya, came to the hermitage of jamadhagni while Parasurama was away doing

penance, and Jamadhagni showed his hospitality fit for a king with the power of Sabala , the daughter of

kamadhenu. Seeing that Kaarthveerya took away the cow along with her calf to

his capital. When Parasurama returned, he was furious and went to mahishmathi,

the capital of Kaarthaveerya and

brought the cow back after killing him. But

his father who was a true brahmin chided him for that and told him to go and do

theerthyathra to atone the sin.

 

On another occasion renuka , wife of Jamadagni, went to fetch

water from the river Ganges and saw a gandharva

playing with his wives there and as attracted by his beauty and forgot to take

the water in time for the homa of her husband. Realising that she had tarried

past the required time returned to the hermitage and stood there with fear. Jamadhagni,

knowing what happened ordered her sons to cut her head but they refused. Parasurama

when commanded by his father did so and also cut the heads of his brothers under the command of

his father. When his pleased father told him to ask for a boon, he prayed that

his mother and his brothers should come back to life and that thet should forget

what happened. Jamadagni granted the boon.

 

Once when Parasurama and his brothers were away the sons of Kaarthaveerya , who were waiting for an opportunity came and killed Jamadhagni.

Renuka cried loud calling his name and hearing that Parasuram rushed there and

finding what happened became furious and marched with his axe and bow and arrow

and killed all the kshathriyas for 21 times and made the earth bereft of

kshathriyas. Then he fixed the head of his fathe rto his trunk and prayed to

the Lord . Jamadhagni came to life and ascended to heaven.