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Thread: The (short) Story of Jamadagni Rishi - Both Awesome and Terrifying!

  1. #1
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    The (short) Story of Jamadagni Rishi - Both Awesome and Terrifying!

    As of late, I've been jumping between Yoga VasiSTa and Srimad Bhagavatam as well as reading some tidbits on various Puranic accounts.

    The one that really caught my attention was the story of Jamadagni Rishi.

    Now, to those who haven't read about Jamadagni, one of the Saptarishis (7 sages) and born in the lineage of Prajapati Bhrigu, here's a little summary:

    Jamadagni had a wife named Renuka who was very chaste and devout (as all women should be towards their husbands -wink wink nudge nudge- ). She fetches water for him from a river nearby their hermitage and she is attracted to a Gandharva that appears nearby (naughty naughty). While Jamadagni is waiting, he sees all that happens through his Yogic powers and asks his sons to execute her (he has five sons and the fifth is ParaSurAmA, the 6th Avatar of ViSnU). The first four refuse but ParaSurAmA, being obedient, goes to the river and slices her head off! Jamadagni in the meantime turns his other four sons into stones (talk about blockheads!).

    Since ParaSurAmA does what his father commands him to, he is awarded two boons and they are both used to restore the 4 brothers/sons and the mother to life and into the family again!

    I suppose no more Gandharvas came around that area again (?).

    Anyway, there are many stories like this in the Puranas and here are my candid thoughts on them:

    These would be some incredible video games/movies if/when they are made into them.

    On a more serious note, since I don't understand the real purport of this and other such stories, they make me feel like either all these events really happened (some eons ago in some other Yuga) or they are merely allegorical stories told to children to imbibe them with life lessons (although I'm not sure what life lesson this particular story would yield?).

    What do others who have read this story or others like this feel? Do you think they are simply allegorical or are you open to thinking that they may have occurred in some distant past in some other planet even?

    Frankly, this story is a bit shocking because apart from ParaSurAmA's fame of obliterating the kSatriyA race 23 times, this is the first time I've seen such blatant "violence" and that too towards his own mother! Of course, I'm missing something here but a cursory reading of these stories in my HONEST opinion will only lead to confusion; this has been my personal experience thus far.

    Of course, there are many Hindus who try to whitewash these stories and say they are all allegorical and only "village" people believe them or some such nonsense. I believe everything is there for a reason. That reason is what I'm searching for.

  2. #2
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    Re: The (short) Story of Jamadagni Rishi - Both Awesome and Terrifying!

    Namaste,

    I have read these stories as a novel from Kanaiyalal Munshi. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanaiyalal_Maneklal_Munshi
    That was may be 15 years back.

    Rishi Jamadgni was stab 21 times by Kshatriya that's why Parshuram vows to kill Kshatriya 21 times ( 21 or 23).

    There is one more character Lopamudra. She was also very much beautiful but now I can't remember everything in detail after 15 years. all to gather out of touch.

    Time frame may be Dashniranjya war ( spelled incorrectly).


    Life span of Parshuram was too long, He was there in Ramayana as well he is there in Mahabharata also. May he is one of the Chiranjive.
    Namaskar,

    AmIHindu ?

    यज्ञानां जपयज्ञोऽस्मि ।

    नाम्नोऽस्ति यावती शक्तिः पापनिर्हरणे हरेः । श्र्वपचोऽपि नरः कतुँ क्षमस्तावन्नकिल्विषम् ।।

  3. #3

    Re: The (short) Story of Jamadagni Rishi - Both Awesome and Terrifying!

    delete
    Last edited by Sudas Paijavana; 17 January 2014 at 06:02 PM.

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