PEDHE-PARASHURAMA

The marriage ceremonies were over. The great assemblage of emperors and kings, sages and rishis was fast breaking up. King Dasharath had taken his leave of Janaka and the huge marriage party bad started on its homeward journey. A large contingent of Ayodhya troops formed the advance guard of the party, numerous citizens and sages accompanied the royal family. For a while everything went fine. Then all of a sudden the King witnessed some evil omens. All around all kinds of birds started bellowing out strange sounds; and a number of animals were seen passing by his right. He immediately summoned Vasishtha to his presence and expressed his anxiety about what he had noticed.

The great sage though about it for a moment and then told his King that those two signs together suggest that a great danger was imminent but that it would pass off without any harm to anybody. At this juncture a violent gale burst out. Winds swept everything before them, clouds of dust covered everything, the sun was no longer visible. From this holocaust emerged a giant form. The man had a face brilliant as sunshine, his hair was tied in a knot over his head, in his right hand be wielded an outsize bow. The other hand held the famous battle-axe, parashu. The elders immediately recognised him as Parashurama, the son of Jamadagni.

Author - M.S.Mate

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