It was a grand wedding, and it had to be. While Ram had won Sita’s hand on the snapping of Lord Shiva’s ancient bow at the svayamvara, Raja Janak was too glad to marry off his nieces Urmila, Mandavi and Shrutkirti to Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan, respectively. The three princesses were daughters of Janak’s younger brother, Kushdhwaj, the raja of Sankashya. But the event was nearly wrecked by an unexpected development – the arrival of Muni Parshuram. Balmiki devotes all of three cantos of Balkand (Cantos 74-76) to this incident.
On the morning following the wedding, Brahmrishi Vishvamitra went back to his ashram in the Himalayas. Raja Dashrath was also preparing to leave for Ayodhya along with his newly married sons and their brides. It was at that time that Parshuram appeared on the scene. The visitation of the redoubtable Brahmin fighter was no ordinary incident (ibid, Canto 74, verses xii-xiv). Raja Dashrath was talking to his guru Muni Vashisht about the good and bad omens he had observed a while ago when they were interrupted by a violent dust storm. Earth shook and trees feel on the ground. The Sun was obscured by darkness. Everyone present there got disoriented. The whole army became almost senseless in the rising dust.
Sant Tulsidas, however, renders a different account of Parshuram’s arrival. According to him, the warrior-saint came just after Ram had broken the bow and before the marriage ceremony of the four brothers could be performed. According to him, Raja Dashrath had yet to arrive at Mithila with the other two sons of his and relatives such as Bharat’s maternal uncle, Prince Yudhajit, courtiers as also the army. Nonetheless, both of the poets dwell on Parshuram’s bad temper, which Tulsidas aptly sums up in a doha:
Saant beshu karni kathin barni na jaee saroop/
Dhari munitanu janu beer rasu aayau jehn sab bhoop//
His aspect is calm, but deeds are very harsh; his appearance is beyond description – it is as if the essence of bravery itself had arrived amidst the rajas in the form of a man.
(Ramcharitmanas, Balkand, 268)
Brahmin Parshuram was furious because Ram, a Kshatriya, had broken a bow that was bestowed on the Mithila rajas by Lord Shiv himself. “This here is the big and fearsome bow of Jamdagni’s son, Parshuram,” speaking in the third person, he challenged Ram, “Shoot from it. On seeing your mettle, I will have a duel with you that you eagerly desire.”
Dashrath, standing close by, was alarmed. A duel with Parshuram meant a sure death. This was the person who had killed Kshatriyas many times over to avenge his father’s death. The raja tried to calm him down: “Revered Brahmin, you have renounced all weapons and now you live serenely in your hermitage located on the Mount Mahendra. Kindly grant safe conduct to my child-like sons.”
Ignoring altogether Raja Dashrath’s interjection, Parshuram went on to relate to Ram the story of the broken bow and the one that he was carrying himself. “Both the bows were crafted by the divine maker, Vishvakarma,” he said. “The one you have broken was presented by the devas to Lord Shiv to fight the mighty rakshas, Tripur. The other bow, that I hold in my hand, was once devas’ gift to Lord Vishnu.
“Once the devas asked which of the deities was stronger of the two – Lord Shiv or Lord Vishnu? Lord Brahma, being eternally committed to truthfulness, created a rift between Shiv and Vishnu so as to find an answer. A terrible battle ensued between them to establish supremacy. Vishnu bellowed at Shiv with such energy that the latter was stunned and the bow that He wielded also went slack.
“The devas had got their answer. They hastened to pacify the all-powerful deities. Lord Shiv, still annoyed at His diminished stature in relation to Lord Vishnu, gave away his bow, along with arrows, to the royal sage of Videha, an ancestor of Raja Janak. Lord Vishnu also bestowed his bow as a keepsake to my grandfather, Richik Muni, who gave it to my father, Jamdagni.
“My revered father was deep in meditation when Arjun, son of Kritvirya, moved by his uncultivated mind, killed him. In revenge, I slaughtered Kshatriyas many times over. O Ram, then I brought the whole of Earth under my control, but donated it to Muni Kashyap. Then, to gain power by ascetic practices, I moved to Mount Mahendra and have stayed there in my ashram ever since. I came here only when I heard the news about Shiv-ji’s bow. Now, hurry up. Let me see if you have the strength to shoot an arrow with my bow. If you are successful, I will give you a chance to fight a duel with me.”
Ram gave Parshuram a patient hearing and accepted Vishnu’s bow from his hand. Loading an arrow on it, he told him that he won’t shoot him; yet he would deprive him of his divine powers which had made him so arrogant. It was Vishnu’s bow, not be drawn in vain, Ram added. Parshuram, deprived of superhuman powers, realized his folly and seeking Ram’s indulgence, returned to Mount Mahendra. Thus was averted a dreadful end to a happy event. Unlike Tulsidas, who presents Parshuram as a grumpy old man who is at the receiving end of Lakshman’s biting sarcasm (see Balkand, 272-279), Balmiki gives this aggressive sage the dignity that the warrior-hermit deserves.
Raja Dashrath was still in a dazed condition, fearing for the life of his entire clan because of the confrontation with firebrand Brahmin. However, Ram told him that Parshuram had left the place peacefully. He advised him that they should leave for Ayodhya, with his father at the head of his ‘chaturangini sena’ – the mighty army comprising cavalry, elephantry, infantry and chariots. Dashrath hugged his eldest son in ecstasy. The raja gave orders for the army to march towards Ayodhya. It did not take the bridal procession long to reach Ayodhya, which was tastefully decorated to welcome the newly-weds. Raja Dashrath happily entered his palace along with his glorious sons and graceful daighters-in-law. Queens Kaushalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi got busy to receive the brides. The princesses were taken to the temples to offer prayers. In sum, it was a gala time in Ayodhya. After some days, Raja Dashrath allowed Bharat to leave with Prince Yudhajit to meet his maternal grandfather. Shatrughan also accompanied Bharat. Gradually, the things were falling back to the normal routine.
The Raghus were moving on to meet their destiny, gently but irrevocably.
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