परशुः [paraśuḥ] [परं-शृणाति, शॄ-कु डिच्च; cf.
[Uṇ.1.34.] ]
An axe, a hatchet, a battle-axe; तर्जितः परशुधारया मम
[R.11.78.] A weapon in general.
A thunderbolt.
Comp. धरः an epithet of Paraśurāma.
of Gaṇeśa.
a soldier armed with an axe.
-मुद्रा a kind of pose in Tantraśāstra.
-रामः 'Rāma with the axe', N. of a celebrated Brāhmaṇa warrior, son of Jamadagni and the sixth incarnation of Viṣṇu. [While young he cut off with his axe the head of his mother Reṇukā at the command of his father when none of his other brothers was willing to do so; (see जमदग्नि). Some time after this, king Kārtavīrya went to the hermitage of his father, and carried off his cow. But Paraśurāma, when he returned home, fought with the king and killed him. When his sons heard this they became very angry, and repaired to the hermitage, and on finding Jamadagni alone, they shot him dead. When Paraśurāma, who was not then also at home, returned, he became very much exasperated, and made the dreadful vow of exterminating the whole Kṣatriya race. He succeeded in fulfilling this vow, and is said to have 'rid the earth thrice seven times of the royal race'. He was afterwards, destroyer of the Kśatriyas as he was, defeated by Rāma, son of Daśaratha, though quite a boy of sixteen (see
[R.11.68] - 91). He is said to have at one time pierced through the Krauñcha mountain, being jealous of the might of Kārtikeya; cf.
[Me.57.] He is one of the seven chirajivins and is believed to be still practising penance on the Mahendra mountain; cf.
[Gīt 1.] : क्षत्रियरुधिरमये जगदपगतपापं स्नपयसि पयसि शामतभवतापम् । केशव धृतभृगुपतिरूप जय जगदीश हरे ।].
-वनम् N. N. of a certain part of hell.