Chapter 24 - Paraśurāma’s penance (c): his acquisition of the knowledge of Astras

Vasiṣṭha said:

1. On being told thus by him, O Protector of the Earth, Rāma, the most excellent one among intelligent persons, scrutinized and pondered over him and inquired of him in surprise.

Rāma enquired:

2. “Who are You, O extremely fortunate one, tell me. You are indeed no barbarous person. Your body appears to be equipped, as it were, with the grandeur and majesty of Indra.

3. Your speech sounds to be very charming as though it were that of the omniscient Lord. It is enriched, by words of diverse meaning having the qualities of lucidity, clarity and depth and majesty of the highest class.

4. Are You Indra, Vahni (the fire-god), Yama, Dhātṛ (the Creator), Varuṇa, Kubera the lord of wealth, Īśāna, Tapana (the Sun), Brahmā, Vāyu (the Wind god), Soma (the Moon-god), Guru (Jupiter) or Guha (Lord Skanda)?

5. Due to your grandeur and majesty, you deserve to be almost one of these. But your caste (low birth) causes doubt in my heart.

6. Lord Viṣṇu, the most excellent among all persons, is reputed to be a Māyāvī (one who wields illusive powers). Who are you that have come here with such a body aṣ this? Please do tell me.

7-8. Or you deserve to be Lord Śiva, the omniscent Lord of the worlds, the supreme lord, the supreme soul, born of the Ātman, the eternal Ātmārāma (one that rejoices in one’s own soul), the lord who moves about as he pleases, and is identical with the entire Universe who has equipped himself with this body (of a hunter).

9. In this world, a body equipped with such potentiality and influence cannot belong to any one else. Your speech is endued with elegance, aptness and a sense of very high order. It is full of depth of meaning, lucidity and clarity.

10. I believe that out of feelings of endearment towards his devotee, lord Hara has become visible with this body. There is no doubt that he has come to test me.

11. You are not a mere hunter. Those hunters will not have such a shapely figure as yours. Hence, obeisance to you. So reveal your real excellent form.

12. Be pleased to reveal a body befitting your greatness whereby my mental doubts of diverse kinds can be got rid of.

13. Be pleased now and destroy the delusion, of my intellect in every respect, by assuming your original form.

14. O highly fortunate one, I pray unto you, bowing down my head several times. Who are you please? Reveal yourself. Here I have joined my palms in reverence to you”.

15. After saying this to that highly exalted one and being desirous of comprehending him, the scion of the family of Bhṛgu sat on the ground and began to meditate with great concentration.

16. He seated himself in the lotus pose. He became silent. He controlled his speech, body and mind. He restrained the movement of the vita) airs. Thus the sage of high intellect meditated for a long time.

17. After restraining the group of his sense-organs, after keeping the mind withdrawn within the heart, he meditated and contemplated upon the lord of the Devas, the preceptor of the Universe.

18. By means of his inner eye in combination with the soul, he beheld the lord of the universe who had assumed the form of a hunter of deer and who confers blessings upon his devotees.

19. Thereafter Rāma, the descendant of Bhṛgu, got up quickly and opened his eyes. He saw the lord standing in front of him in the self-same physical body.

20-21. On seeing the lord who endears himself to his devotees, and who is the refuge unto all come in front of him for blessing him, O great king, Rāma was thrilled. His hairs all over his body stood on end. His eyes welled up with tears of delight. The sage of great intellect fell at his feet with great devotion.

22. With words choking his throat and faltering due to excitement, O king, he uttered several times “O śarva, O Śaṅkara, be refuge upto me.”

23. Then lord Śambhu who assumed his form on being-satisfied at his devotion, lifted up Rāma who had bowed down in obeisance on the ground.

24. Raised up by the creator of the universe himself with his own hands, the scion of the family of Bhṛgu eulogised the lord of the chiefs of the Devas, standing in front of him with palms joined in reverence.

Rāma prayed:

25. Obeisance to you the lord of the Devas, to Śaṅkara of primordial form. Obeisance to Śarva, the quiescent one, obeisance, obeisance to the eternal one.

26. Hail to you the blue-throated Lord, one in the form of Nīlalohita (the bluish-red god). Obeisance to you the lord of the living beings. Bow to you, the abode of all living beings.

27. Obeisance, obeisance to the great lord of manifest and unmanifest form. Obeisance to the most bountiful, to Śiva of many forms. Obeisance to the three-eyed God.

28. Be my shelter and refuge, O Śarva I am your devotee, O lord of the Universe. Mostly, you alone are the greatest and ultimate resort of those who have no other support.

29. Unknowingly, O lord, I have misbehaved towards you. O Śaṅkara, I have uttered evil words. O lord, it behoves-you to forgive it.

30. O lord of all, your form is incomprehensible to others. Which person other than you, is capable of knowing-well, your existence?

31. Hence, O Śaṅkara, be pleased with me in every respect. I have no other goal to reach. Obeisance to you. My repeated obeisance, bows unto you again and again.”

Vasiṣṭha said:

32. On being eulogised thus, Lord Śiva who was delighted in his mind and who has permeated the Universe said to Rāma who was standing in front of him with palms joined in reverence.

The Lord said:

33. “I am pleased with you, O dear one. O the most excellent one among the descendants of Bhṛgu, I am delighted with this penance as well as your devotion that has no blemish whatsoever.

34. I shall give you everything you desire and everything solicited by you. You are the greatest devotee of mine. There is no [?] [?]t in this respect at all.

35. Whatever is lingering in your heart has been understood by me Hence, carry out unhesitatingly what I am going-to tell you.

36. There is no adequate power in you today, dear one, in grasping the terrible miraculous weapons. Hence, perform still more severe penance.

37. After traversing the entire earth and purifying your body by taking holy baths in all the holy centres in the due order, you will acquire all the miraculous weapons.”

38. After saying thus, even as Rāma was watching, O king, the omnipresent lord, the dispenser of the destiny of the universe, vanished with the self-same body, within a moment.

39. When the lord of the universe disappeared, Rāma bowed down to Śaṅkara and decided to perform holy baths in. sacred places, after roaming all over the Earth.

40. Thereafter, he traversed all over the earth in due order. Self-possessed that he was, he took holy baths in all the sacred places in accordance with the injunction.

41. In all the holy centres, in all the important shrines and sacred temples, he untiringly propitiated the Pitṛs and Devas duly.

42. Duly performing such holy rites as fast, penance, homas, japas, holy baths etc. in the holy centres he travelled all over the earth.

43. By performing holy dips in the sacred centres in due order, and slowly circumambulating the earth, O king, he became purified in his body.

44. Having traversed thus all over the earth at the behest of god Śambhu, the descendant of Bhṛgu went again to that land where he had been living before for penance.

45. After going there, O ting, and staying there itself, he devoutly worshipped lord Umāpati (the spouse of Umā) by means of austerities and holy observances.

46. It was in the meantime, O king, that a long-drawn war took place between, the Devas and the Asuras causing horripilation.

47. Thereupon, the excessively powerful Asuras defeated the gods and acquired the glory and riches of the Devas. They had nothing to fear from anywhere.

48. The Devas who had been defeated in the war—Vāsava (Indra) and all the others whose assets and magnificent glory had been seized by their enemies—sought refuge in Śaṅkara.

49. After propitiating the lord of the universe by means of obeisances and eulogies about his victory, the Devas requested the Pināka-wielding lord (Śiva) to destroy the Asuras.

50. Thereupon, O king, Śambhu, the bestower of boons on the Devas, promised to them the slaughter of the Dānavas, and spoke thus to Mahodara.

51. “In the southern sector of Himālayas, a sage’s son of great penance, named Rāma, is performing penance directed towards me. He is very brilliant.

52. Go there now itself, O Mahodara and convey my behest to him. Even as he is performing penance, let him be brought here without delay”.

53. On being ordered thus, Mahoḍara bowed down to the lord after saying “So be it”, and went with the velocity of the Wind to the place where Rāma was settled down.

54. After reaching that spot and seeing Rāma the great sage performing penance, he humbly spoke these words.

55. “O excellent one among the descendants of Bhṛgu lord Śambhu wishes to see you. I have come here at his behest. Hence, come to the presence of his lotus-like feet”.

56. On hearing his words, Bhārgava got up quickly, received his behest approvingly with his head (bowed down), and replied—“So be it”.

57. Thereupon, Mahodara with great speed led Rāma immediately to a place by the side of Śambhu on the Kailāsa, the excellent mountain.

58. The most excellent scion of the family of Bhṛgu saw śaṅkara who endears himself to his devotees, accompanied by the goblins as well as Indra and other immortal beings (i.e. gods).

59-62a. The lord was being eulogised by Nārada and other ascetics whose wealth was penance. He was being attended upon by the Gandharvas who were singing, and by the groups of Apsaras who were dancing. The lord of the Devas had the hide of an elephant for his garment and had smeared the entire body with the holy ashes. The three-eyed moon-crested lord had the tawny-matted hair over his head. He had adorned himself with serpents serving the purpose of ornaments. His lips and arms were long. He was gentle. His lotus-like face appeared delighted. O king, he was seated on a golden slap in the midst of the assembly of the Devas.

62b-65a. The most excellent one among the descendants of Bhṭgu, approached the lord of the Devas with palms joined in reverence. His entire body had hairs standing on end as a result of his vision of Śrīkaṇṭha. He went near Hara with his body drenched in tears of joy. He was excited due to delight, he uttered the words, “Obeisance to you, O lord of the Devas” several times. Finally he fell down at the feet of the enemy of the three Puras (i.e. god Śiva).

65b-66. Amidst the groups of the Devas who were looking on, the delighted lord Śiva lifted up the most excellent scion of the family of Bhṛgu. With an enthusiastic smile and eagerness he spoke these sweet words to Rāma whose lotus-like face appeared pleasant.

67. “These Gīrvāṇas (Devas) have been attacked by the hosts of Daityas. They were dislodged from their abodes. Unable to kill them they have approached me.

68. Hence, at my behest as well as with a desire to do something pleasing to the Devas, O Rāma, kill the entire hosts of Daityas. You are considered capable of it by me”.

69. Then Rāma bowed down to Śarva. Even as all the Devas stood listening, Rāma spoke these words very humbly, with palms joined in reverence.

70. “O lord, you are omniscient. You are the immanent soul of everyone. Hence, is not (what I am going to say) known to you (already)? Still, listen to the words I submit.

71. If it is impossible for Śaṅkara and other Devas to kill the asuras how can they be killed by me singlehandedly?

72. I am ignorant of miraculous missiles, O lord of the Devas. ī am not an expert in warfare. How can I kill all the enemies of the Devas without any weapon whatsoever?”

73. On being told by him thus, the lord of the Devas transferred to that noble-souled Rāma white lustrous splendour of Śiva, full of miraculous missiles, as brilliant as the fire of Death.

74. After handing over his own axe chat could overpower all other weapons, the Lord delighted within himself, said to Rāma even as the Devas stood listening.

75. “Due to my grace, O gentle one, may there be sufficient power in you enabling you to kill all the enemies of the Devas, and be unassailable to all your enemies.

76. Go ahead with this weapon alone and fight with your enemies. You yourself will duly come to know and possess the skill in war.”

Vasiṣṭha said:

77. On being instructed thus by Śambhu, Rāma bowed down to him, and accepted the axe pertaining to Śiva, and was hent upon the slaughter of the enemies of the Devas.

78. Thereupon, Rāma who was born of a part of splendour of Viṣṇu and who was equipped with devotion to Rudra, shone like the splendour of the sun accompanied by his brilliance.

79. Permitted by the three-eyed lord and accompanied by all the Devas he went ahead to slay the Asuras. He: resolved to fight with them till the end.

80. Thereupon, once again there broke out the war of the Devas with the Asuras, O king. They were endeavouring to conquer the three worlds. Hence the war was extremely terrible.

81. Then Rāma of mighty arms became infuriated in that excessively terrifying battle. He killed the great Asuras with his axe.

82. Killing the Daityas in thousands by means of strokes resembling the thunderbolt, the infuriated Rāma moved about in the battlefield like another god of Death.

83. After killing all the Daityas in a trice, Rāma the most excellent one among those who strike (with a weapon) exterminated them and gratified all the Devas.

84. Everyone among the Daityas and the Dānavas was being struck at by Rāma. Those who survived the slaughter saw Rāma everywhere and became frightened.

85. When the entire hosts of the Asuras were either killed or routed, the Devas took leave of Rāma and went again, to the Heaven.

86. After killing the sons of Diti and bidding farewell to the Devas, Rāma resorted to his hermitage with his mind attached to the activities of penance.

87-88. That sage of great intellect made the image of a hunter of deer representing Śambhu and devoutly worshipped it in his hermitage, with perfect self-control. He duly propitiated him with fragrant incense, beautiful flowers, food offerings, obeisances and eulogies.