Ramayana Simplified: Part 24: Parashurama gifts Vaishnava Chapa to Rama
As we have seen in the previous chapters, Parashurama blocked the way while King Dasharatha, Rama, Sita, and others were traveling from Mithila to Ayodhya. Parashurama was standing there with a lot of fury. King Dasharatha and Rama stood humbly before the Maharishi (Parashurama) and bowed in front of him. Rama said pranams to the maharishi in a very polite tone.
Parashurama got calm for a moment but started talking to Rama in a despising tone: “So you are the one who killed Thadaka and snapped the Shaiva Chapa”. Rama replied very humbly that everything went on successfully in god’s grace. Parashurama further challenged Rama to snap the Vaishnava Chapa which he (Parashurama) had. King Dasharatha started getting tensed on seeing this. The king said that Rama was still a novice and requested not to challenge him. The king also requested to shower his (Parashurama’s) blessings on Rama.
Parashurama was not ready to go back from his challenge. He gave two options: Either Rama had to lift the Vaishnava Chapa and string it or he had to go for a war with Parashurama and beat him. Parashurama further said that he would clear the way only if Rama is able to accept and win the challenge. Rama said that he would go for the first option as he was not ready to go for a war with a respected maharishi like Parashurama.
Rama, with a smile, asked for the chapa. Parashurama handed over the chapa to Rama with a contemptuous look. Rama thus took the chapa, strung it, and left an arrow from the chapa. Rama asked if anything else was to be done. Parashurama was very surprised to see how easily Rama managed to string the Vaishnava Chapa. Rama was able to observe how Parashurama’s expression was changing. Parashurama hugged him and said that he had all the blessings of Vaikunda vasa (Lord Vishnu) as he was able to string the bow very easily which was not at all easy for an ordinary person. Parashurama also gifted the Vaishnava Chapa to Rama, showered blessings on everyone there, and left to Mahendragiri for his tapas.
Rama thus sat with the Vaishnava Chapa near Sita. Sita was dumbstruck to see the skills which her husband was portraying at such a young age.
Everyone reached Ayodhya. The capital city celebrated the arrival of its princes with their beautiful princesses. King Dasharatha also was very happy. He felt very proud of his four sons. He also felt how good it was to leave Rama and Lakshmana along with Maharishi Vishwamitra which enabled his sons to get a very good exposure.
Rama slowly started getting engaged in the administrative matters of the kingdom and thus everyone already started regarding him as ‘Yuvaraja’ or the next king.
Kaikeyi’s brother Yudhajith had also come for the marriage. He wanted to take Bharatha and his wife to Kekaya (the name of the kingdom). Thus Bharatha and Shatrughna went along with him to Kekaya with their wives. Kaikeyi started feeling very lonely when her son left. Unnecessary thoughts started haunting her due to the loneliness.
Few Insights…
Note the way in which Rama is treating Parashurama even though he (Parashurama) was filled with fury. King Dasharatha’s humbleness is also to be noted. We have seen how much respect the kings had towards maharishis. Often, when we get furious with the other person in front of us, the situation goes out of hand and creates problems. In a family, when a husband or wife gets angry, if the other person handles it through soothing words in a calm way, the situation can be brought to control very quickly, but when both the husband and wives turn equally furious, the family atmosphere becomes entirely polluted.
Towards the end of the Bala Kanda, we see how Kaikeyi felt lonely which gave rise to unnecessary thoughts in her mind. Thus our ancestors have always advised avoiding situations where we become lonely. By any chance, if we are staying lonely, it is always advised to keep on doing good to society to keep ourselves positive. If we entertain negative thoughts while we are lonely, it may bring trouble. It is also important for us to be associated with good people always.
