It was Shiva who granted Kartavirya his thousand arms
It was Shiva who granted Kartavirya his thousand arms

Who did Parashuram actually kill?

According to scriptures, Parashuram killed a king named Kartavirya Arjuna, who ruled Mahishmati on the banks of the river Narmada.
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Images of Parashuram are appearing across India, depicted always with Shiva-like hair, wearing a Brahmin thread across his chest, and brandishing an axe. It’s a fierce image like that of a folk hero, a vira, found in many rural communities. But these images are gigantic and have appeared in the last two-three decades. Parashuram is being presented as a great hero who drove away the enemy, with suggestions that he expelled cow-killing invaders from the land. But is this really true?

For those who believe mythology is history, Parashuram is said to have lived before Ram. He is considered an immortal being, born centuries before the events of the Ramayana, allegedly before 7000 BCE. Even though this claim is not supported by any material evidence, it is a strongly held belief in political circles. Yet, these politicians and their historians rarely clarify who Parashuram actually killed.

According to scriptures, Parashuram killed a king named Kartavirya Arjuna, who ruled Mahishmati on the banks of the river Narmada. Kartavirya belonged to the Haihaya clan, a branch of the Yadu clan. Many Indian kings, particularly those from Central India in the Malwa region, even today, trace their descent to this lineage.

As per the scriptures, Kartavirya was a great and virtuous king, a follower of Atreya Rishi’s son, Datta, who is considered a form of Shiva. It was Shiva who granted Kartavirya his thousand arms, and it was also Shiva who gave Parashuram his axe. Thus, the conflict between Parashuram and Kartavirya was essentially a battle between two followers of Shiva.

Kartavirya’s father, Kritavirya, gave many cows to the Brahmins, especially to Jamadagni of the Bhargava clan. However, the prince sought to reclaim these cows on realising their magical ability to produce unlimited food. When Parashuram’s father refused to give what was given as a gift, Kartavirya used force. This led to a spiral of violence between Bharagava Brahmins and Haihaiya Kshatriyas, on the banks of the Narmada.

Interestingly, Parashuram’s uncle, Kaushika Vishvamitra, was involved in a similar dispute with Vasishta over ownership of a magical cow. In that instance, the conflict ended differently, as Kaushika was spared and later became an expert in Vedic knowledge, a rival even to Vasishta. Parashuram’s story, therefore, reflects a time when Kshatriyas and Brahmins were locked in battles over the ownership of cows.

Parashuram’s mother, Renuka, once saw the reflection of Kartavirya (or a gandharva) on the waters of the Narmada and, for a brief moment, was attracted to him. For this perceived crime, her husband, Jamadagni, ordered his sons to behead her. The eldest four sons refused. The youngest named Ram took up the axe and performed the deed so came to be renamed Parashuram, Ram-of-the-axe, to distinguish him from Raghav Ram (Ram of Raghu clan) and Yadava Ram (Krishna’s brother Balaram). In folklore found in Karnataka, Parashuram also castrated his disobedient brothers. Later, his mother was restored to life. She was worshipped as a goddess and her eunuch sons became her transgender priests.

Kartavirya was also accused of burning Vasishta’s hermitage, for which his wife cursed him, stating that he would be killed by a Brahmin. Other stories connect Kartavirya to Ravana. According to these tales, Kartavirya blocked the river Narmada with his thousand arms to impress his wives, thereby disturbing Ravana’s penance.

Enraged, Ravana challenged Kartavirya to a duel, but was defeated. Ravana, in retaliation, travelled to Mahishmati, attempted to ravish Kartavirya’s wife, and drove her to commit jauhar (self-immolation). Heartbroken, Kartavirya sought death at Parashuram’s hands, hoping that his spirit would be reborn and find a way to kill Ravana. This version of the tale originates from faraway Indonesia, with whom India had trade links.

While saving his father’s cows, Parashuram hacked the thousand-armed Kartavriya to pieces. The king’s sons killed Parashuram’s father to avenge the death of their father. In retaliation, Pararshuram killed them all and many other Kshatriya clans that supported them. He filled five lakes with their blood. ‘Samanta Panchaka’ or the five lakes of Parashuram marked the spot later known as Kurukshetra.

A few Kshatriyas survived by swearing to give up weapons and take up trade instead. This is the caste origin story of the Khatri community of Punjab. Though traders, they identify themselves as Kshatriya. Many Sikh gurus were Khatri.

Because of Parashuram’s wrath, no kings were left in Aryavarta and this created anarchy. The other Brahmins were furious and told Parashuram to leave Aryavarta. One Kshatriya had survived by hiding in the women’s chamber. Some say he was unborn. Named Narikavacha (protected by women), he gave rise to a new crop of Kshatriyas.

Parashuram, meanwhile, threw his blood-soaked axe in the sea which recoiled to reveal the western coast of India. Today it is full of communities that trace their roots to Parashuram. It is said, as per Kerala folklore, he resurrected corpses burning on the beach, and created a new band of warrior-Brahmins. He gave them land. He also secured Shudras from neighbouring regions to till the land. Many Brahmins of Maharashtra, right up to the 19th century, argued that no king in India, other than Rajputs, was a true Kshatriya, because of what Parashuram had done.

Clearly, Kartavirya Arjuna of the Haihaya clan had nothing to do with invaders, outsiders, or cow-killers. This was an internal Hindu battle, between kings and priests, which is now being reimagined and repurposed by Sanatani nationalists.

Devdutt Pattanaik

Mythologist, Author, Speaker

Posts on X: @devduttmyth

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The New Indian Express
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