Parashuram : the ascetic warrior

Chapter 17 : Jamadagni's Death

Parashuraam seemed very elated,

But Jamadagni was disappointed.

He was grim, nodding his head,

"Don't know what trouble you bred.

A king is the last person to kill,

The raajya is run at his will.

Without him the kingdom is fateless,

So many people rendered stateless.

Now what has happened cannot be undone,

Anger of yours you better shun."

To begin hom Jamadagni went,

To forest Raam for woods he sent.

Today will require yagna greater

To pray for peace of the past dictator.

All night Raam was fighting,

Now after bathing he did some eating.

Then he followed his daily routine

Going to forest as always had been.

Meanwhile Aarjunis after hunting all day,

Taking rest at night to keep fatigue at bay,

Returned after dawn to the palace,

What they found was beyond their guess.

None was speaking, neither cheering,

Heads-eyes otherwise, solemn atmosphere to bring.

Princes looked, nobody looked back,

Harsh cries of crows black

Tore through air paining their ears,

Why the heart is filling with fears?

Ministers crowded, head downed.

Pushing them aside, they horribly found

Their king-father lying in a pool of blood,

The marble floor was all in flood.

A ghastly scene, all hands cut off,

Disjoined head, face rough.

Eyes wide, looking nowhere,

The morbid picture was difficult to bear.

The crown ruling the whole world,

Blood-stained, on floor lies hurled.

"It is Parashuraam, none other,

He killed our great father."

At once they set on chariots.

Ordered ministers they, furious,

To keep the army at stand by,

Wherever they are, at palace high.

But Parashuraam was out in forest.

Jamadagni decided to take a rest

By cooling off his mind in meditation,

To reduce day's happening tension.

Alas! Tension hasn't gone still,

Coming in greater waves, that's God's will.

At bordering jungle Jamadagni came,

To be for few hours in Brahma realm.

He sat on a favourite spot,

That occasionally peace brought,