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Rama joins both hands and speaks to the sage. Just before, Janaka, afraid, had said hush, and the men and women of the city had trembled. The sage’s body had burned with anger while his strength drained. He had spared Lakshmana, considering him Rama’s younger brother, and said he was like a golden pot filled with the juice of poison. Lakshmana had laughed again. Rama had given him a sidelong look. Abashed, Lakshmana had gone to the guru’s side. Twice in that exchange the sage had set his axe right. Now Rama speaks for Lakshmana, and the first thing he asks is that the sage not give ear to a child’s words.
What follows in this episode of the Ramcharitmanas is told speech by speech. Rama takes the offense on himself and asks the sage to say how the anger may go. The sage answers that his hand will not move and anger burns his breast. The Creator has turned contrary and his nature has turned. Today mercy makes him bear an unbearable pain. Lakshmana laughs, bows his head, and says that as the sage speaks it is as if flowers were falling. The sage asks Janaka why he does not put the boy out of his sight. Then he speaks to Rama with great wrath in his heart. He says that Rama makes a deceitful humility with joined hands, and tells him to fight or else give up being called Rama. Rama offers his head before the axe and tells how the boy’s slip came about. He sets his small name beside the great one with the axe in it, and counts one virtue against nine. The sage tells his battles as a sacrifice, with the bow for a ladle and kings for the beasts. Rama answers that those of Raghu’s line fear not even Death on the field. And that such is the majesty of the brahmin line that one who fears the sage becomes fearless. At that the veils over the sage’s wit open. He asks Rama to take the bow in hand and draw it, and as he gives it, it goes to Rama of itself. He knows Rama’s power, joins his hands, hails him, asks both brothers for pardon, and leaves for the forest. The episode ends with the gods’ kettledrums and flowers, and the men and women of the city rejoicing, their pain gone.
Parashurama, the two brothers, and Janaka
The main figures in this episode
- Rama who speaks for his younger brother with joined hands. He calls himself the offender and asks to be shown grace or rage, killed or bound, as a servant. He smiles in his mind when the sage raves and offers his head before the axe. He tells how the boy, seeing the sage bearing axe, arrows, and bow, grew angry, taking him for a warrior, and asks forgiveness for the slip. He sets his small name beside the great name with the axe in it, and counts his one virtue against the sage’s nine. He answers the charge that he slights the sage, mistaking him for a brahmin, by saying what those of Raghu’s line are on the field. And what the majesty of the brahmin line is. The sage asks him to take the bow in hand and draw it. To him, as the sage gives it, the bow goes of itself.
- Lakshmana Rama’s younger brother, at the guru’s side since the sidelong look. He, the sage says, even now looks askance. He laughs and bows his head when the sage speaks of mercy, and says that as the sage speaks it is as if flowers were falling. And that if grace burns the sage’s limbs, the Creator will keep his body when wrath comes. He laughs and says in his mind that with eyes shut there is no one anywhere. Of him the sage asks Janaka why he is not quickly put out of sight. His bitter words the sage says have Rama’s consent. He threatens to kill him with his brother. He is one of the two brothers the sage asks for pardon at the end.
- Parashurama the sage with the axe, of the line of Bhrigu. His hand will not move and his breast anger burns. He says the Creator has turned contrary and his nature has turned, and that today mercy makes him bear an unbearable pain. He charges Rama with a deceitful humility made with joined hands, and tells him to fight or else give up being called Rama. He raves with the axe raised, and tells his battles as a sacrifice. The veils over his wit open at Rama’s soft words with a hidden meaning. He asks Rama to take the bow in hand and draw it. In his mind wonder rises when, as he gives it, it goes of itself. He knows Rama’s power, joins his hands, hails him, asks both brothers for pardon, and goes to the forest to do tapas.
- Janaka the host. To him the sage says that this dull child stubbornly wants to make his home in Yama’s city. He asks him why he does not quickly put the boy out of sight. He says no word in this episode.
Joined hands, and an offense taken on himself
Rama joined both hands and spoke in a very humble, soft, and cool voice. “Listen, master: you are wise by nature. Do not give ear to a child’s words. A wasp and a child share one nature. The saints never find fault with these. He has spoiled nothing. I am your offender, master.”
He went on. “Grace, rage, killing, or binding, master: do it to me as to a servant. Say quickly the way by which the anger goes, chief of sages, and that is the means I will take.”
The sage, whom the commentary names Parashurama, answered him. “Rama, how can the anger go? Even now your younger brother looks askance. If I have not set the axe to his throat, what have I done by raging? The wives of kings miscarry at hearing the terrible doings of the axe. While the axe remains I see an enemy, a young prince, alive.”
The hand will not move, and the anger stays
Parashurama went on. “The hand will not move. Anger burns my breast. The axe, killer of kings, has gone blunt. The Creator has turned contrary and my nature has turned. When was there ever grace in my heart? Today mercy makes me bear an unbearable pain.”
Hearing it, Lakshmana laughed and bowed his head. As the commentary marks it, he said: “The wind of your grace suits your image. As you speak, it is as if flowers were falling. If your limbs burn from grace, sage, then when wrath comes the Creator will keep your body.”
Parashurama said to Janaka: “Look, Janaka: this dull child stubbornly wants to make his home in Yama’s city. Why do you not quickly put him out of my sight? The king’s lad looks small and is wicked.” Lakshmana laughed, and said in his mind: “With eyes shut there is no one anywhere.”
The humility charged with deceit
Then Parashurama, with great wrath in his heart, spoke to Rama. “Fool, having broken Shiva’s bow, you teach me. Your brother speaks bitter words with your consent, and you, with joined hands, make a deceitful humility. Satisfy me in combat, or else give up being called Rama. Giving up deceit, do battle, foe of Shiva, or I kill you with your brother.” He raved with the axe raised, and Rama, head bowed, smiled in his mind.
In his mind, by the commentary’s marking, Rama thought: “The guilt is Lakshmana’s, and the fury is on me. Sometimes in straightness too there is great fault. Knowing one crooked, everyone bows to him. Rahu does not swallow the curved moon.” An eclipse is Rahu swallowing the moon.
Rama said: “Give up anger, lord of sages. The axe is in your hand, and here is this head before it. Do that by which the anger goes, master. Know me for your follower. What is a fight between a lord and his servant? Best of brahmins, give up your fury. Seeing your appearance, the child said something. There is no fault in the child either.” The commentary reads the appearance as a warrior’s.
The appearance, a small name, and nine holy virtues
Rama went on. “Seeing you bearing axe, arrows, and bow, the boy grew angry, taking you for a warrior. He knew the name, yet did not recognize you. By the nature of his line he gave answer. If you had come like a sage, master, the little one would have set the dust of your feet on his head. Forgive a slip made unknowing. A brahmin’s heart should hold abundant grace.”
“What likeness is there between us and you, master? Say, where are the feet and where the head? Mine is only Rama, a small name. Yours, with the axe in it, is a great name. Lord, we have one virtue, the bow. You have nine, most holy. In every way we are beaten by you. Brahmin, forgive our offenses.” The commentary names the nine: calm, self-control, tapas, purity, forgiveness, simplicity, knowledge, its realization, and faith.
Again and again Rama called him sage and best of brahmins. Parashurama laughed with fury and said: “You too are contrary, like your brother.”
Parashurama’s sacrifice of battle
Parashurama said: “You take me for a mere brahmin. What kind of brahmin I am, I tell you. Know the bow as the ladle, the arrows as the oblation, and my rage as a most terrible fire. The fourfold army is the handsome fuel. Great kings came and became the beasts. With this axe I cut them and gave them in offering. And tens of millions of sacrifices of battle, with their chants, I have performed.” The commentary explains the chants. As an oblation is given with the chanting of mantras, so he gave the kings in offering, calling out again and again.
He went on. “My power is unknown to you. You speak slighting me, mistaking me for a brahmin. You broke the bow, and the boast has grown great. The conceit is as if you stood having conquered the world.”
The fearlessness inside the humility
Rama said: “Sage, speak after you have thought. The anger is very great, and our slip is small. The old bow broke at a touch. For what reason should I take pride? If we slight you, calling you a brahmin, hear the truth, lord of the Bhrigus. Then who in the world is such a warrior that we would bow our heads to him out of fear? Gods, danavas, kings, and warriors of many kinds, equal in strength or stronger: if anyone challenges us on the field, we fight him gladly, even if it be Death. One who, having taken a kshatriya’s body, shrinks from battle, that wretch has put a blot on the line. I say it from my nature and in no praise of the line: those of Raghu’s line fear not even Death on the field. Such is the majesty of the brahmin line, that one who fears you becomes fearless.” The commentary also reads the last line the other way: even the fearless fear you.
At Rama’s soft words with their hidden meaning, the veils over Parashurama’s wit opened.
As he gives the bow, it goes of itself
Parashurama said: “Rama, Lakshmi’s lord, take the bow in hand and draw it. Let my doubt be gone.” The commentary also reads the words as the bow of Lakshmi’s lord, Vishnu. As he gave the bow, it went to Rama of itself, and wonder rose in Parashurama’s mind.
Then he knew Rama’s power. His limbs thrilled and were in bloom. He joined his hands and spoke, with a love in his heart past holding.
Praise for the humility he had doubted
Parashurama cried victory to Rama: to the sun of the lotus-grove of Raghu’s line and the fire that burns the dense forest of the danava clans. To the friend of gods, brahmins, and cows. To the remover of arrogance, delusion, wrath, and confusion. To an ocean of humility, good nature, compassion, and virtue, most accomplished in the making of words. To the giver of happiness to his servants, handsome in every limb, with the beauty of ten million Kamadevas in his body.
“What praise can I make with one mouth? Victory to the swan of the Manas lake of Shiva’s mind. In ignorance I said many improper things. Forgive it, temples of forgiveness, both brothers.” The commentary names the lake the Manasarovar.
The departure to the forest, and the city’s joy
Saying, “Victory, victory, victory to the banner of Raghu’s line,” Parashurama went to the forest for tapas. The crooked kings were afraid with a fear of their own making, and the cowards slipped away quietly, here and there. The commentary gives the thought behind that fear: even Parashurama had lost to Rama. They had insulted Rama, and now he might take his revenge.
The gods sounded kettledrums and rained flowers on the Lord. All the men and women of the city rejoiced. Their pain, made of delusion, was gone.
Pardon asked from both sides
Rama asks the sage to forgive twice in this episode, first a slip made unknowing and then their offenses. At the end the sage asks to be forgiven for the many improper things he said in ignorance. He asks it of both brothers, calling them temples of forgiveness.
The next episode opens on instruments sounding very loudly, everyone in festive dress, and troops of women singing sweetly in cuckoo voices. Janaka’s happiness is past telling, as if a born pauper had found a treasure. Sita’s fear is gone, and she is happy, as if she were a chakora’s daughter at the rising of the moon.
The same story, elsewhere: Valmiki’s Ramayana, chapter 5: Parashurama, and the Return to Ayodhya.
Source: the Gita Press edition of Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, Balkand, doha 279 to 285, read with Hanuman Prasad Poddar’s Hindi commentary.