Shri Vadiraja Yati Virachita Dashavatara Stuti – 9

धैर्यांबुधे परशुचर्याधिकृतखल वर्यावनीश्वर महा
शौर्याभिभूतकृत वीर्यात्मजातभुज वीर्यावलेपनिकर ।
भार्यापराधकुपितार्याज्ञयागलितनार्यात्म सूगल तरो
कार्याsपराधमविचार्यार्य मौघजयि वीर्यामिता मयि दया ॥ ११ ॥

dhairyāṃbudhe paraśucaryādhikṛtakhala varyāvanīśvara mahā
śauryābhibhūtakṛta vīryātmajātabhuja vīryāvalepanikara ।
bhāryāparādhakupitāryājñayāgalitanāryātma sūgala taro
kāryāsparādhamavicāryārya maughajayi vīryāmitā mayi dayā ॥ 11 ॥

Padachcheda: dhairya aṃbudhe paraśu carya adhikṛta khala varya avani īśvara । mahā । śaurya abhibhūta kṛtavīrya atmajāta bhuja vīrya avalepa nikara । bhāryā aparādha kupita ārya ājñayā galita nāri ātmasu gala taruh । kārya aparādham avicāryārya aryama ogha jayi vīrya amitā mayi dayā ||

Anvaya: dhairya aṃbudhe paraśu carya adhikṛta khala varya avani īśvara mahāśaurya kṛtavīrya atmajāta bhuja vīrya avalepa nikara abhibhūta bhāryā aparādha kupita ārya ājñayā aparādham avicāryārya galita nāri ātmasu gala taruh aryama ऒgha jayi vīrya mayi amitā dayā kārya ॥

Word-by-word meaning : dhairya = courage, ambhudhe = ocean, parashu = axe, charya = action (swinging), adhikR^itta = cut off, khala = wicked or vile, varya = chief, avanIshvara = king (avani = Earth, Ishvara = Lord), mahA = great, shaurya = valor, kR^itavIryAtmajAta = kArtivIryArjuna (kR^itavIrya’s AtmajAta = son), bhuja vIryA = strength and valor of shoulders, avalepam = pride, nikara = cluster, abhibhUta = defeated or destroyed, bhAryA = wife, aparAdha = mistake, kupita = enraged, Arya = father (Jamadagni), AGYayA = orders, aparAdham = sin or mistake, avichArya = not examining or evaluating, galita = deprived of or loosing, nAri = woman, AtmasU = own mother, gala = neck, taruH = tree, aryama = an epithet of Sun, ogha = cluster or group, jayi = defeating, vIryA = heroism, mayi = myself, amitA = endless, daya = compassion, kArya = worthy of doing.

Translation : Sri Vadiraja is praying to Lord Parashurama. : You are an ocean of courage. Using your axe, you cut off (the heads) of vile kings (who were tormenting and harassing the people of the world). KritavIrya’s son KartivIryArjuna had become very arrogant because of the enormous strength and prowess of his shoulders. You easily defeated him. Angered by his wife’s sin, your father ordered you to cut off her head. You cut off her head like one cuts a tree, without considering that she was a woman and your mother. Your courage shines brighter than a group of suns. You need to show me your endless compassion.

Notes: The verse refers to in an incident that happened in the course of the ParashurAma incarnation. His mother Renuka used to bring water from the riverside. The power of her chastity was such that she could make a pot out of sand and collect water in it! One day she saw a Gandharva couple in a romantic situation and started daydreaming. As soon as she returned to the Ashrama, her husband Jamadagni realized what had happened and became furious. He ordered his first son to punish Renuka by cutting her head off. He refused, and was cursed by his father. The same happened to the second son too. Finally, Jamadagni turned to his last son ParashurAma and gave him the same command. ParashurAma immediately obeyed the order and cut off his mother’s head without hesitation. This act of obedience pleased Jamadagni very much and he directed ParashurAma to ask for whatever he wanted. ParashurAma immediately seized this chance and asked Jamadagni to restore his mother and brothers back to life. This was done and the whole incident ended happily without any loss of life.

A haridAsa explains the rationale for the Lord’s action. By fantasizing about the gandharva couple, Renuka had committed a very grave sin. Death and a subsequent rebirth was the only way she could have continued to live with Jamadagni. The Lord arranged for this to happen. The other point to note is that in discharging His duty, He did not let emotion cloud His judgement. He carried out his father’s orders with detachment, thus practicing what he would later preach (as Krishna).

In practical terms, the word ‘dhairyAmbhudhe’ is very appropriate. It took a lot of courage for an individual, that too a brahmin, to take on mighty kings and emperors. Yes, other ascetics had humbled kings and emperors, but it was through their spiritual powers (through shApas or curses) and not through physical acts. ParashurAma was different. He took them on in the battlefield and defeated them, fair and square, at their own game. He did this 21 times.

In the language of the upanishads, the word ‘dhairyAmbhudhe’ takes on a totally different meaning. Here the Lord is an ocean of ‘dhi’ (pure sentience) and ‘ra’ (unsullied bliss). In short, the Lord is an ocean of sadguNAs (good qualities), devoid of all blemishes and defects. Another point is that an ocean has a beginning and an end, whereas the sadguNAs in the Lord are infinite in number and magnitude. Incidentally, in common parlance ‘dhIra’ means courageous, whereas in Upanishads and other classical texts it is used to denote wise and judicious thinkers.
One unique aspect about the ParashurAma incarnation is that the Lord did not conclude it like He did the Rama, Krishna and other incarnations,. In the Mahabharata Tatrparya Nirnaya, Acharya Madhva says that ParashurAma still has a lot to do in the coming manvantaras.

Most people do not realize the contribution of ParashurAma to the kurukshetra war. He was the guru of Bhishma, Drona and Karna; in turn, Drona was the guru for the Pandavas, Kauravas and quite a few other princes. So, in effect, ParashurAma was the source for all the martial skills and knowhow used in the war. Thus, in a manner of speaking, the Krishna and Parashurama incarnations acted in tandem to annihilate the 18 Akoshinis.

The phrase ‘avichArya’ also points to a lakshaNa (unique trait) of the Lord. He is the only entity in all of creation whose knowledge is complete, constant and comprehensive even without any specific contemplation. Even Lakshmi, who matches Him in terms of spread over time and space, is supposed to be constantly ruminating about Him and discovering new traits (“bagebageya nUtanava kANuta” Hari-kathAmruta-sAra 1.2). In the PramaNa lakshana while describing the knowledge of Riju Yogis, Acharya Madhava says “Alochane sarvviShayam …” (meaning that Riju Yogis like Brahma & Vayu have knowledge of all objects other than the Lord and Lakshmi by merely contemplating on them). Thus the Lord is the only one whose actions can be described as “avichArya”. This is true for all His actions in all incarnations, and in the mUla rupa.

In many ways, VadirAja echoes the sentiments expressed by Acharya Madhva in the dvAdasha stotra. The Acharya calls the Lord “sUrjitadIpte” (one whose brilliance exceeds that of the Sun), Vadiraja translates this as “aryama ogha jayi”. The Acharya’s “avijitakunR^ipatisamitivikhanDana” becomes “adhikR^itta khala varya avanIshvara”. Please note that both phrases clearly identify the type of Kshatriyas the Lord killed as evil or vile. In fact, the Acharya adds the word “vIrapa” to make it very clear that the Lord protected good heroic persons like BhIshma (in spite of the fact that they were Kshathriyas). He also adds another epithet ‘shambhu-vareNya’ to dispel all notions that ParashurAma worshipped Shiva.

The plea for ‘amita daya’ is also very well justified. We have to remember the incident in the mahabhArata when amba approaches ParashurAma and requests him to order Bhishma to marry her. Parashurama promises to unite her with Bhishma. When Bhishma refuses to marry her, because of this oath to his father, the Lord enacts the charade of staging a battle with BhIshma and appearing to lose. He did this only because He wanted BhIshmA’s oath of bachelorhood to remain intact. Isn’t this true compassion towards a devotee? Which other god would set aside His ego and publicly accept defeat from his devotee? This underscores the appropriateness of the epithet ‘vIrapa’ used by the Acharya. Yet, the wonder is that ParashurAma did not default on His promise to unite amba with BhIshma. After their deaths, they became united because in their moola-roopas, amba and Bhishma were indeed husband and wife!

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