Doha 276

Said Lakṣmaṇa, “Is there anyone, O good sage, who is not aware of your gentle disposition, so well-known throughout the world? You have fully paid the debt you owed to your parents;* the only debt which now remains to be paid by you is the one you owe to your Guru, and that has been vexing your mind not a little. (1) * There is a sarcastic allusion here to two notable incidents in Paraśurāma’s life. We are told in the Purāṇas how Paraśurāma killed his own mother at the bidding of his father, Jamadagni, who had got incensed at her returning from a river rather late. Pleased with his obedience Jamadagni insisted on his asking for a boon. At this Paraśurāma prayed for the restoration of his mother’s life and his prayer was immediately granted. His mother was brought to life again and did not even remember the cruel act of her son. On another occasion, Paraśurāma’s father Jamadagni was slain by the followers of king Sahasrabāhu in order to avenge themselves of their leader’s death at Paraśurāma’s hands and the latter retaliated by extirpating not only the descendants of Sahasrabāhu but the whole Kṣatriya race over a period of time. “It looks as if you have accounted the debt to ourselves; and since a considerable time has now elapsed, a heavy interest must have accumulated thereon. Now you get the creditor here and I will at once repay him from my own purse.” (2) Hearing these sarcastic remarks Paraśurāma grasped his axe and the whole assembly cried “Alas! Alas!!” “O chief of Bhṛgus, you are still threatening me with your axe; but I am sparing you only because I hold you to be a Brāhmaṇa, O enemy of Kings. (3) “You have never met heroes staunch in fight; You are great in your own little home, O holy Brāhmaṇa.” Everyone exclaimed, “This is wholly undesirable!”. Śrī Raghunātha becked Lakṣmaṇa to stop. (4)

Perceiving the flames of Paraśurāma’s passion rising with the pouring of oblation in the form of Lakṣmaṇa’s rejoinder, Śrī Raghunātha spoke soothing words like water. (276)