It wasn't exactly a pleasant sight. And it wasn't too far away from his eyes either. It was not a sight new to a warrior, yet, entering a Graveyard wasn't exactly a welcoming sight or situation to any living person.
He took a glance around and checked to make sure his archers were in place. Sure enough, they had surrounded the entire Graveyard, which by itself was many many acres of land. He knew his force was one of the best in the world and he knew how tough the Previous Rulers of this Land were as they had defied his attacks for quite a while now. So the recent events had left this King of one of the Neighbouring kingdoms in some state between an Unexpected Shock and a Welcome Surprise and when he found out that the reason for his easy entry into this Land was because of a person who had shut himself from the World and was seated with his eyes shut in the middle of the Graveyard among actively smoking embers of burnt bodies, this King had gathered all his army as fast as possible and decided to have a talk with this "Person".
And walk he did - for the distance was a bit of a stretch. The stench of burnt skin, flesh, hair was unmistakably fresh and enough to cause even the most seasoned warriors to retch on the spot. But this King held it on, his dignity as the Warrior class on fresh display, as it was on always, when the situation demanded it. He finally came upon the person he was seeking and was... surprised, for sure, but he couldn't exactly describe the feeling that was building up inside him.
This "person" was seated in a four pillared small altar, right in the middle, but a "Barbarian" would've been a more apt word to describe the scene this King faced. Shoulder to chest length hair hung uncared, on what could only be assumed to be shoulders of a Human and not the flat peaks of a Plateau; This "Person" was seated on the ground, cross footed, hands stretched and palms on the knees without the hint of a bend in the elbows. Calling them tree trunks rather than arms might be more closer, this King thought, as they were unnatural, nothing like what this World had ever seen before. He might have been even more shocked if he had a look at the chest but the long, thick & dirty beard & moustache were blocking the King's vision and all that he could see was the Torso, tight, taut, thick and totally indescribable. The King walked around, to confirm his suspicions and was not surprised when the back looked even more spectacular - the Latissmus Dorsi were too unbearably thick to even make sense that they belonged to a Human Being in the first place and he came back to facing this eyes closed seated Strongman, finally looking intently at his face.
Most of the Hair falling from the head, his moustache and beard hid his facial features. However, the Large Forehead, decked in resplendent white ash was unmistakeable in showing the equally large lotus shaped closed eyelids and the sharp nose that separated his face into two. All of this Strongman's visible body was white with smeared ash and the King was not sure if this Ash was from the Graveyard or not.
He had enough info to understand that this Strongman was the one responsible for recent events. Yet, he wanted to find out the full story. Ever the avid historian, he always took any opportunity to present himself in history's books as the Golden Boy of all times, so, he was all in eager to find out what had happened so that he could make the best of this story as well.
"Salutations, Oo Peaceful one. I request an audience with you." said the King in a smooth, soft voice that was sharp & clear enough, over the chitter chatter of the burning crisps of wood and layered fat of the burning bodies to carry towards the Strongman seated on the ground.
The Strongman very slowly opened his eyes, and it took a while. It was as if he was walking back into this Dimension from another through the gateway of his eyes, thought the King amused, but was alert once he recognized that he had the full attention of the Strongman who was now, looking at him, unblinkingly with those big black round eyes boring into him. This Strongman, while looking at him, quickly surveyed his surroundings and then resumed looking at this King, no change in his expression. Even if there was a thought going on behind that facade, the King could make no sense of it and Seasoned Warrior of the ages that he was, he found it a little bit humbling. He smiled acknowledging this.
"Yes... My Apologies... The Archers are more for my protection. I have no idea what I was walking into, yet I want to take a chance at meeting the rumoured person responsible for all of.... 'this'." he said. The Strongman continued staring, unblinking.
The King indicated his intention to sit before him and when he received no answer or change of stare, he sat down too, cross legged before him. Protocol would've dictated that he be seated higher than this Strongman as the King was of Royalty but he had to confirm a few things. For now, the ground was the only entity keeping them both on the same level.
And some good it did. The King did not like what he saw when he sat down. His head was at most coming at level with this Strongman's Throat when seated on level ground, so he repressed the small shudder he got when he imagined what this Strongman would be like, when he would stand. And that Shudder turned to an inward grin that made him relax his grip on his sheathed sword, ready to swing into action if it so needed. He always prided himself as an extremely swift warrior who had felled many a giant. This Strongman might not even be a Human, in which case, this would be too good a chance to let slip to test his battle prowess. His attention was aroused. He had to get his answers before he went ahead with his plan.
"Would you care to fill me in on what has befallen this land, the Rulers of this Land? And how come You, are here, shunning all society?" asked the King.
Silence and an Unblinking look were the only response he got.
"There is this Huge, Magnificient Axe, just embedded in the Throne, in the Royal Hall, which none of my men could even move, let alone remove. Do you happen to know how it came there?"
More Silence.
"Was there, some sort of a revolt or a revolution in the Kingdom? It looked like the People had been sufferring for a while now? However, there are no guards to ask as I've been told that all Royalty are either slaughtered or have run away, into the wilderness, away from this place." said the King, poking for more answers but the silence continued. However, the King had met his share of silent brooders. He knew how to coax information out of them for his benefit. It was only a matter of time before anyone showed what triggered their response. It was the same here as well.
And so the questions continued. There were gaps but the questions sure came and none of them evoked a response.
"Who are you? Where did you come from? Where's your family? What's your profession?"
"Who did all this?"
"The people here, are stricken with fear. What has happened?"
"I think that the Royal Dungeons were filled with prisoners till late as they show signs of being occupied till recently and there is an almost eerie silence about the place."
"Are you even Human? I have seen many Warriors, none as burly as you are."
"I heard this Land's King had 21 sons. Surprising I found not even one of them!? Do you know where they are?"
"I have heard that the King of this land had a lot of wives. I would like to ensure that they remain unharmed. Can you help me?"
"Are the farms of this land fit for farming? All I see are barren lands for the last few decades if I am not wrong?"
"I wonder how in the world did you grow this big and huge if there was no food in the land?"
"What kind of announcement to the people do you think would make them step out of their homes? All of the households have bolted their doors thrice and they refuse to step out even if multiple calls and requests are made."
"Is there a Royal Heir that can be installed on the throne?"
"Why?"
The torrent of questions from the King came to a sudden stop. It was a response to his constant questions and finally, somewhere, inside his heart, there was a small eruption of joy, which, however was eclipsed by the reply itself and the voice which carried it.
One would have a difficulty placing this voice to the "barbarian-like" person seated in the front of this King. What clarity! Sonorous, deep, reassuring, resounding, at the same time, carrying forward a deep unknown unkind fear that he could never explain even if he pondered on it for a lifetime. He had listened to enough of the Resounding Vedas even if he didn't care about them to understand that the one who was seated in front of him clearly was knowledegeable of them. That one word carried with it the essence of the Vedas.
"You... are no barb-" started the King.
"You didn't answer my question." came the curt, crisp, sharp, laconic, unyielding, unkind, immovable reply that shook the King a bit. Here was seated this 'Barbarian' he thought who hadn't bothered to answer even one question of his and the only reply he managed to evoke was one, a question and the next, a force of nature that was not leaving him with any choice other than responding to this person's earlier question.
"Oh... well, there is supposed to be order in the Kingdom, should it not?" said the King.
Silence. Then,
"Order... Who would decide that?" asked the Strongman, with a pause. Then, with a small smile, added, "You?"
Was that an insult? The King decided to feign ignorance.
"If that's in my fate yes." answered the king with a slight smile of his own.
Silence. Then,
"My apologies. I am not even aware of your name. May I know your name please?"
Pause. Then, "Bhargavarama, Son of Rishi Jamadagni." came back the calm, deep strong voice that seemed to hide pride in his introduction, but the King seemed to wonder it was more to do with something else. But he got lost in thought immediately, for those words brought back a lot of information his spies had reported to him over some time now.
"Jamadagni...Bhargava... Rama...?" he thought and without his knowledge, the word came out by itself, a name.
"Parasurama...?" said the King out aloud. "YOU are Parasurama...? THE Parasurama???" said the King in complete and utter surprise which somehow immediately turned into some kind of something that started searing deep inside him, slowly spreading to all corners of his body.
"That... that's your Axe...? Embedded in the Throne?" asked the King and now the King really understood what was searing through him. It was Fear.
A very long bout of silence. The King collected himself together.
"Were you responsible for all this?" asked the King, softly.
"For all of what?" asked Parasurama.
"Of... of all this?" asked the King, a little surprised, waving one hand around.
"Of the countless events that are happening or have happened, which event are you talking or asking about?" continued Parasurama, unrelenting, continuing his train of thought, as if uninterrupted. The King, on the other hand, stopped asking further questions for not only was he surprised but he was also a bit irritated with disbelief as to how to approach this person in conversation.
"There are many uncountable, parallel events, happenning at this point of time, have happened before or are bound to happen, unseeable in nature, or too big to be viewed, too fast to understand or too slow to follow, being made and unmade at the same time. You'll have to be a little bit more specific if you want an exact answer to your question though you must know that no question is permanent and no question will have no one answer, nothing that lasts over time, apart from the Truth." spoke Bhargavarama, slowly but very lucidly. The King thought he was being played at but the plain nature of the voice made it clear that this Parasurama never really joked about anything in his life.
"Alright. The event where the Royalty of this Kingdom was wiped out, having to do with the Axe that's embedded in the Throne." asked the King.
"Hmmm... two separate events... Which must be answered first?"
"Is that axe really yours?" asked the King, abandoning his earlier question. Parasurama looked on calmly at the surronding confusion of the King's questions, order in disorder.
"Yes."
"The handle alone is the size of a full grown man and its completely embedded into the ground so I cannot make out its axe-head. It also seems to be made of some unknown kind of alloy which seems to be glowing from within. Its a really marvelous piece of weaponry! How did you get it?"
"Hmm... I found it." answered Bhargavrama.
"Found it??? Where?" asked the King, shockingly surprised at the ease at which Parasurama answered, as if he came across a blade of grass in a grassland.
"At my home actually... In the inner room." answered Bhargava, but he seemed a bit lost in thought.
"Your home?" continued the King, nonplussed.
"It was gifted to me actually." said Parasurama, now actually looking into the distance, as if trying to give words to an unclear memory that seems distant.
"What?"
"I think it had been around for a while, even before I got it... and I think it will be around for ages to come." answered Bhargavarama, now completely lost in thought. The King thought this man was talking crazy, but then pulled himself together.
"I know you're a Brahmin. You're the son of a Rishi, aren't you? Jamadagni's your father is he not and he is a Rishi." continued the King, trying to pull the conversation back into something that made sense to him.
"Was."
"Pardon?"
"He 'was' a Rishi. He is not alive anymore. But we'll retrospect on that. You say I am a Brahmin because my Respected Father was a Brahmin. But my Respected Mother, Renuka was a Kshatriya, by birth. Is that not taken into consideration?" asked Parasurama. The King remained silent, not sure what to answer.
"A person's Varna is decided by the work they do, by the values they embellish, by their purpose they uphold through action. Birth has nothing to do with it. Why do you link my Birth to what Varna I might belong to? And what has Varna got to do with any of the disjoint questions you have asked so far?" asked Parasurama and the King this time felt as if the sharp edge of the Parasu axe pass from his side, as if it swooshed by his side, missing him but making a dramatic enough effect to make him thankful that he was alive and that no such thing has actually happened.
"My question has nothing to do with the Philosophies of our society, but everything to do with your physical appearance. Your monstrous size, your banana leaf size palms, your tree trunk like Legs and those muscles - you seem more like a Barbarian than a Brahmin versed in the Vedas. How did you even become this big?"
Silence. Then-
"Amusing." said Parasurama, actually smiling a bit.
"What is?"
"Your lack of knowledge."
"Excuse me?"
"Any knowledgeable person, who knows exactly what to eat and what physical activity to do, will be able to obtain the physical prowess they desire, through discipline, focus, effort and sheer will power. Their Birth or their Varna has nothing to do with it. Its this knowledge that you seem to be lacking... which I find to be amusing."
"Well... I for one find it neither amusing nor surprising. Lots of knowledge out there, is not known. You might be hoarding secrets passed on through generations. You haven't answered a single question that I've asked so far and yet here you are, amused at my lack of knwledge, knowledge that clearly you have no intention of sharing. Its because of people like you that there's all thie Distrust floating around-"
"That's ENOUGH!" roared Parasurama and for an instant, everything around him became silent.
The King stayed silent for a minute, evaluating his options. The revelation that this Strongman in front of him was Parasurama sure startled him. He had never believed the legend, always believing it to be one of those tales spun out of pure fantasy and for the fun of it and hence, never expected to face to face with this Strongman who was able to eradicate everyone of the royalty of this land, who looked like he could bring down a mountain with his barehands if he so thought about it. But over the last few minutes, he was able to make the Strongman talk more and get more and more excited and it finally looked like he had hit that sweet juicy spot which would supply him with the required information. And it was this realization that brought back his focus and his calmness. The tight grip on his sword hilt relaxed and he became the ice cool royalty that he was. His mind started thinking fast and the fuming mountain in front of him, though seated, looked like it could explode and jump into the air at any possible moment. Those big black - now wide - eyes were slowly reddening and the King could sense the unmistakeable anger building up inside him.
"A Warrior must always remain cool, calm and collected. Foremore, you are a Brahmin - whether by birth or by action, I dont really care. Anger never suits a Brahmin." spoke the King slowly. This only seemed to incense the Owner of the Parasu axe even more.
"And who are you to tell me when to be angry or when not to? I've been to your Kingdom. Infact, we - my family - had travelled to every kingdom for a while now, just looking for a place to stay, ever since..." said Parasurama, but then he stopped speaking suddenly. Silence. Then,
"Every Land was the same, Every Kingdom, the same story, repeating over and over. It was as if you Kings were rulers of Adharma. And you... your place was no different. Your subjects tortured for speaking the truth, the Divyaastraas you procured by invoking the gods are used to threaten and consume your neighbouring Kingdoms, sullying its very purpose of usage, which was for the establishment of Dharma. You, Oo King, who have no inkling of what it means to rule, you, who are No King in any honourable way, care to Lecture ME on WHEN I SHOULD GET ANGRY OR NOT?"
The voice was thundering. Gone was the gentle deep hum with which his voice reverberated earlier. Now, it was plain simple fury, like a white hot piece of never ending iron pouring down in torrents. Parasurama was still seated but for some reason, the King got up in a hurry and walked backwards some distance, sensing some unknown danger, his instincts on high alert. He had not yet given the signal to fire though, so even though half the archers were sweating profusely and perhaps a few of them went a bit more ahead along the path of fear, none of them dared to disobey their king. They knew what happened to those who disobeyed even the slightest of orders. Gone were the days of Selflessness when the Subjects of the King would commit no mistake out of a pure sense of duty. These were the days where mistakes were not committed because of the fear of repraisal, threats, tortures, sometimes, even death that followed in the most nastiest way imaginable.
It would be impossible to imagine that this was called the Age of the Truth, the age of Dharma. What was happenning here was far from. Some of these archers dared not even look at their wet pants for some of them understood who their King was talking to and the sudden roar sounded like a Thousand Thunders whiplashing right in front of them one after the other and the shockwaves were powerful enough to separate their Atmas from their bodies. Their King had been in even worse situations before them - that would explain why he had a steady grip on his weapon in spite of the fear that had started spreading back into his body like poison.
"Yes... we had passed through your kingdom a while back... I had to control my impulse to retrieve the Parasu, but my Father ordered me to be calm... My Father, the very personification of Dharma, who would have cursed You in an instance for just stepping into your kingdom, if it weren't for the word he gave to me... even he bade we just get out of your kingdom and on to the next... till it didn't matter anymore."
Silence. The King stayed lest he aggravate this warrior sage even more and it already looked like he was ready to burst.
"If there's anyway that I can make amends, all that you have to do is just tell me where I am going wrong, Oo sage." said the King softly, lying through his teeth as if it was second habit, next to breathing.
"Then surrender your Divyaastraas. Place them here, right in front of me." said Bhargavarama, pointing to the ground in front of him with one thick stubby finger. The King stared at him emptily, as his bluff had been called.
"You think you are a ruler but you are nothing than a dog on the throne, just guarding your territory. You are no different than the colour changing chamaleon but to compare you to an Animal would be an insult to the Animal itself. You have the honour of being born as a Human being but the way you all carry yourself is through deceit, treachery and fear. You all are unworthy of being born as a Kshatriya in the first place, you demean the great Ikshwaku, the greatest Kshatriyas who laid the foundation for what it means to follow Dharma as a Kshatriya. But it looks like everyone here needed their ears to be cleaned."
"Even Kaartavirya Arjuna or his sons? What did they do to deserve your wrath?" said the King and immediately regretted even bringing up that name.
Rage filled the eyes of the owner of the Parasu axe and in the blink of an eye, he was on his feet, walking slowly towards the King, tying some of his hair into a bun on his head while leaving the rest of it behind his large ears, and not a single strand of the hair was blocking his vision. He walked slowly towards the King, who, for some reason got down on one knee and was looking at Parasurama, terror in his eyes.
It was in this single moment that the King really understood why Parasurama was so feared and why even the common people of the kingdom refused to come out of their homes. He had tortured quite a few households to obtain the precious information which he had beforehand but nothing had prepared him for this walking mountain of Terror that was quite literally a bit too much to behold. They had told him about the constant sounds of battle, rallying of the commanders and the agonizing cries of all those who tried to battle him but ended up being chopped, beheaded or delimbed in some way or another. It was a blood bath and there was a legend that his axe was so bloodstained, that it refused to leave his axe even when cleansed in a river's water.
"Never. Take. His. Name. Before. Me."
"Alr-"
"NEVER! DO YOU HEAR ME? NEVER!!!"
The very stones on the ground seemed to reverberate. Even the sword seemed to be humming slightly. This man's anger seemed to be in tune with the frequencies of nature itself and right now, this tune was at it's destructuve best to put it as such. Now that Parasurama was standing a few feet from him, The King could see that he barely was at level with his shoulder. No, actually he was at his Chest level. The legs hidden till now, once revealed showed an extra foot of height difference between them and this put the King in some state of a confirmation where he took it as a lesson for life that just because certain people belong to a Varna, it doesn't mean that they can defy expectations.
Of course, provided he got out of here, alive. This giantman was in the way of that happening though.
"He came into our garden, uninvited, with his army! When he invited him and fed him and all his entourage, he stole our only Cow, our only source of livelihood! As if this shameless act was not enough, his sons killed my Father when I was away as they never had the guts or the courage to face me in Battle! If I hadn't made my father promise to give up his anger, he would have burnt them to ash at a mere sight but he chose to part with his life rather than give up his word. What followed... was this." thundered the son of Jamadagni. That of course didn't stop the King who was greedily drinking in this new information. He was not aware of all this.
"My mother.. she couldn't bear separation from my father... With," and now the Huge ash smeared Parasurama's eyes were brimming with tears that were not leaking out yet; they were being controlled by great difficulty it so seemed to the King, as he continued to speak, thunder rather, "... with my father's head in her hands, her head bowed... she too burnt on the same pyre as He."
Silence. Then Parasurama continued, turning sideways, his long beard and hair swaying as a strong wind blew, which only seemed to kindle the flames higher.
"It was only natural. This flow of blood, is to be expected. I never expected any one to even stand their ground because this ground has been tainted with the blood of an Innocent Person who had devoted his life to Dharma and nothing else. There will be rains here, no crops here, no life here, till that blood has been repaid in kind... with the blood of those who have wronged, who have been having their way so far."
The King now did some very quick thinking. Was this quenching of blood thirst to continue? If yes, who was next? This Brahmin-Barbarian, thought the King, had mentioned his kingdom and the 'injustice' that was done there, so was he in line? His grip on his weapon tightened and the question he got just now was almost on the tip of his tongue, but he controlled at the last instant. He still needed some more information.
"My sincere apologies, Bhargavarama, for all the wrongs that befelled upon you." said the King softly, sounding truthfully kind.
"Are you also sorry for all the subjects of this Kingdom, for the Bhoomaatha who has bearing this nonsense for some time now?" asked Parasurama with a sideways glace of those large lotus shaped eyes and the King was actually offended now. He had been nothing more than kind to this 'Brahmin' but he seemed to be nothing more than rude so far. That was because he knew not who was before him. No one did. It was a secret that would only be made aware in the generations that followed to whom Bhargavarama, the Parasurama was a Legend to Behold and a Protector of the times to come, Teacher of Students to come, even till the end of times. But... that was another time. Right now though, the King was pondering on his next question.
"But... Oo Sage... I thought Kaartaveerya Arjuna was invincible."
"Not anymore."
"But... didn't he have a thousand hands?"
"Did he?"
"But... he had preposterous amount of Strength! He even held a River dry using just his hands just so that his queens could bathe in the waters! He had defeated the invincible Ravana who had conquered even the Swarga! How did you defeat him? Did he really have a thousand hands? What weapons did he use?"
"My axe did the chopping. I didn't count."
"But... his Army was the largest there ever was! You are but one sage! I am not even sure if you have training! Please, I beg you, this story has to be remembered for the ages to come, as a lesson to anyone who defies the Great Parasurama! Please, I request to grant me audience, to bequeath me information so that I may be humbled." said the King in the sweetest voice that he could employ.
Parasurama stood there, for a long time, looking hard and then finally smiled and it was not a kind one.
"My my... Am I that underestimated?" said Parasurama, his smile now literally wicked.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You'll have a lot of begging to do. I know your intention. You wish to gather knowledge on what has happened? The archers surrounding this place are to ensure that only you leave alive, is that not?" spoke Parasurama, ignoring the sounds of interruption the King was making and still continued his monologue, refusing to be stopped.
"And what you said was wrong. If anyone were to remember this story, it is not to fear me. It is to fear what happens when Dharma is not followed. If I am a force of Nature, if I am victorious so far, it is because I have Dharma on my side. Whatever be the situation, whatever be the consequences, as long as you follow Dharma, you need not fear the outcome. I do not. You do. That speaks volumes.
"The very environment is crying out in agony. Yajnas are disrupted. Vedas are polluted. The way of life is disputed and greed is all over the place. When did you all forget your duty, forget your place in this society? This land is never yours, this place, this palace, this Treasury, never yours! It always belonged to the Society and the People are what make the Society! You are, after all, just a representative to this Society! You Rulers, have forgotten your place for a while now and as a result, the entire Earth and her populace have been sufferring...
"No More."
Silence. The King was not sure what to say but the events unfolding before his eyes were NOT to his liking.
"I was too immersed in my own seeking of knowledge in my services to my Father to recognize the cries of Bhoomaatha and the populace. My Father's death opened my eyes to the Reality of the current situation. Even in Death, he was teaching me something, teaching me to look beyond my own suffering.
"This is not about me anymore, it never has been. My experiences were just a Catalyst that result in the current situation. The burning embers of the battlefield are only the beginning of what is to unfold."
"Now, wait. Wait a minute." uttered the King. Parasurama was amused but didn't speak.
"You are a Brahmin. You forget your place in this society! Your place is with scriptures, with Knowledge! Killing of others is a Sin that you will not be able to wash even if you undertake a thousand lifetimes! Think about what you are doing, what you are saying! Put this pathetic course of action aside and repent for your sins! I am willing to consider a lesser punishment for your actions!" he said, hurriedly, in case Parasurama acted beforehand.
"BWAHA HA HAA HAA HAHAHAH AHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!" roared Parasurama in laughter. It sent chills down the spine of the King. After lasting for a few minutes, Parasurama seemed to cool down enough to relax into a monologue yet again.
"Interesting points. Let me answer them all.
"Firstly, you need to understand one thing. How one acts according to the situation determines how matured that person is. Ours is a Society where one always lived for the betterment of others. Service of Others is what drives our society and returning whatever we have earned back to Nature, back to all Living Beings is our Living Essence as a Human Being. As a Protector of this Knowledge, it is also my duty to enforce this.
"As protectors of this Knowledge, as Protectors of Empathy, as Protectors of Dharma, at this point, no one is more responsible than Me. Why you ask? Because wherever we went, we had to leave in search of a Better Land, a land where Dharma was followed. And we ended up nowhere, a Humble and Honourable Man ended up being stolen of his Life, His Dutiful wife had to climb the burning Pyre while alive and not uttering a single sound in the meantime. And while their bodies burnt, I became aware that their actions had nothing to with the fate that befelled them. They were the Victims of Adharma. They and everybody else... everybody except the rulers of these lands...
"I did penance for a while, to find an answer for this solution. I prayed for a Saviour to come and rescue us from this fate, to re-establish Dharma. I prayed to Lord Siva, for guidance.
"But he did not appear. Instead, his gift, the Parasu, appeared and stood before me, till I took it into my hands and I then remembered his words:
'As long as you use This Axe, you will always be able to enforce Dharma. Use this Axe for the Preservation & Upholding of Dharma. Become a Protector of Dharma!'
"And I haven't looked back ever since."
Silence. Huge Lengthy Silence. Parasurama however, continued.
"It has to be Me. I have to enforce Dharma. I am the only one with the means to do so. If it means that I have to use the axe to shed blood of those who are propagating Adharma, then this is the Mahaayajna that I am conducting, with the Concept of Dharma inside me as the Altar of Fire and the Blood of these Unjust Rulers as the Offerring, to pacify the Elements and Uphold Dharma. It is a selfless act." said Parasurama, softly.
"You are a monster!" uttered the King softly, his voice though, still steady.
"And... My place is with Knowledge, sure. The Art of Warfare, of Fighting, is Knowledge of which I am one of the Teachers. At this point of time, I do not believe there is anyone, of this Earth, who can either overcome me in Knowledge of Warfare, or in Pure Strength. My whole life was spent in the upholding of the Values my Father instilled in me and the Perfect Yoga of Body and Mind. As I stand, at this point of time, there is no one who can defeat me in battle - With or Without Rules, Fair or Unfair - No One."
Silence. Then,
"What do you plan to do now?" asked the King, able to keep his voice steady in spite of it being gripped by fear.
"Well... I don't plan of stopping now."
"What does that mean?"
"I will go around, from Kingdom to Kingdom. I'll enforce Dharma, since you Rulers seem incapable of doing so. Those who I know are trying to Uphold Dharma at their end, like Videha and Ayodhya, I might spare them. I know the descendants of Ikshvaku still uphold their values. But the others... hmmmm...." and he fell in thought.
"Well... as long as you steer clear of my Kingdom and this land, which I claim as my own, I believe we can part on friendly terms." said the King, making a movement to bow and then leave at the same time.
"Do we now?" said Parasurama, a smile lighting up his features. The wind started howling and the dying fires in the Graveyard were silenced; the land was engulfed in silence and darkness.
"FIRE!" came the order from the King and one couldn't make it but what little light was there was extinguished by the blanket of arrows that clouded the skies and descended upon the exact spot where Parasurama stood a moment ago.
And then, it all changed.
Suddenly, as if something had come alive, the spot where Parasurama stood a moment ago, erupted in flames and out of it, jumped a Mountain, rushing towards the King, holding something glowing in the Right hand, something that looked very very familiar, as he had seen it only a few hours back. But he barely had time to think about it as his face was caught by Parasurama's Left hand and then rammed into the ground. The King felt a crunching sound reverberate in his eardrums and for an instant, a pain which he had never felt in all his years as a warrior. The Helmet he had around his head was crushed along with his head and they both were probably a foot deep into the earth. Yet, after this instant of pain, he felt nothing and a calm nothing as his eyes gazed into darkness, oblivious to the blood oozing from his wounds and his flowing brain, oblivious to the screams of terror as the Parasu ripped apart the night into two and the Mountain like Strongman was moving with the deft swiftness of a Cat, upholding what he had said earlier, that there wasn't anyone Alive at this point of time, who could defeat him, in battle or otherwise.
And after what felt like an eternity, the King felt himself being lifted from the ground. His eye sight was hazy, but it was Parasurama before him, holding the King by his head in his left hand, the king's feet about 2 feet above the ground, the grasp on his head and helmet, very, very tight.
"Ah... punctured ear drums... a pity you cannot hear my reasoning for the last point you put forth. About my accumulation of sin. Let me maybe say it close to you, in case you are still able to hear this."
The King's vision was blurring but he could make out the sight before him. Thousands of Lives worth Punya had perhaps prepared him for this sight, because, Lo, what a sight it was! Parasu Axe in the Right hand, glowing like the Fire, Reverberating with the Hym of the Vedas (the King heard it even though he was deaf), glowing with the Fire that came from the Wielder, Parasurama was not decked with ash anymore. Dark Skinned, three lines of Vibhuti Decked on his head, his entire body was decked in some kind of a Fiery Armour, that was burning like the Fire, blowing like the Wind, churning in waves like the Water; he seemed to be standing on something cotton white, as if the Clouds themselves had become his Chariot. And on his back and on his belt, there seemed to innuemerable weapons and he was not sure if there were thousands of hands as well. The Fire on his head was in the form of a Helmet, Crown, the King couldn't make it out, as, after taking in this full sight, his bleeding ears now started filling up with white noise, as the Great Parasurama - who seemed to the personification of the Narasimhaavataara his Mother described when he was a kid - seemed to bring his head closer to his.
"Yes... I will accumulate sin. Every Yajna is performed using materials procured with, or without the permission of those who own the Materials required for the conducting of said Yajna. No act is devoid of pain, caused willingly or unwillingly. So is Mine. If I do accumulate sin, then so be it. I will spend all of eternity, doing Tapasya for this act. But this Redefinition of Dharma, this Cleasing of Mother Earth's impurity, will be over, when I say its over.
"And I will not stop till then."
Saying which, Parasurama threw the lifeless body into the nearby pyre which blazed suddenly with the intent of consuming anything that it was offerred. Looking up and focussing on Lord Siva, he stood at the spot, feet and hands together, Parasu in hand and offerred his last rites to the recently deceased.
He walked out of the Graveyard and looked at what remained of the archers. As his vision stretched into the next item on his agenda, his lips quivered, his face was set, the expression not happy but not sad either, the big huge lively eyes expressing no desire to do anything that followed and yet they toughened up to execute his duty in spite of the Emotions he was quelling in his heart. He was not left with any choice. If choice was to exist later on, he had to quell his own choice. It was a selfless act.
He took in a huge draught of air and his lungs swelled. Reciting the Vedas which rhymed with the Hym of his Axe, he started walking forward, paving the way for what was to Follow.
"OM NAMAHA SIVAAYA!" he roared. Dharma followed.
He took a glance around and checked to make sure his archers were in place. Sure enough, they had surrounded the entire Graveyard, which by itself was many many acres of land. He knew his force was one of the best in the world and he knew how tough the Previous Rulers of this Land were as they had defied his attacks for quite a while now. So the recent events had left this King of one of the Neighbouring kingdoms in some state between an Unexpected Shock and a Welcome Surprise and when he found out that the reason for his easy entry into this Land was because of a person who had shut himself from the World and was seated with his eyes shut in the middle of the Graveyard among actively smoking embers of burnt bodies, this King had gathered all his army as fast as possible and decided to have a talk with this "Person".
And walk he did - for the distance was a bit of a stretch. The stench of burnt skin, flesh, hair was unmistakably fresh and enough to cause even the most seasoned warriors to retch on the spot. But this King held it on, his dignity as the Warrior class on fresh display, as it was on always, when the situation demanded it. He finally came upon the person he was seeking and was... surprised, for sure, but he couldn't exactly describe the feeling that was building up inside him.
This "person" was seated in a four pillared small altar, right in the middle, but a "Barbarian" would've been a more apt word to describe the scene this King faced. Shoulder to chest length hair hung uncared, on what could only be assumed to be shoulders of a Human and not the flat peaks of a Plateau; This "Person" was seated on the ground, cross footed, hands stretched and palms on the knees without the hint of a bend in the elbows. Calling them tree trunks rather than arms might be more closer, this King thought, as they were unnatural, nothing like what this World had ever seen before. He might have been even more shocked if he had a look at the chest but the long, thick & dirty beard & moustache were blocking the King's vision and all that he could see was the Torso, tight, taut, thick and totally indescribable. The King walked around, to confirm his suspicions and was not surprised when the back looked even more spectacular - the Latissmus Dorsi were too unbearably thick to even make sense that they belonged to a Human Being in the first place and he came back to facing this eyes closed seated Strongman, finally looking intently at his face.
Most of the Hair falling from the head, his moustache and beard hid his facial features. However, the Large Forehead, decked in resplendent white ash was unmistakeable in showing the equally large lotus shaped closed eyelids and the sharp nose that separated his face into two. All of this Strongman's visible body was white with smeared ash and the King was not sure if this Ash was from the Graveyard or not.
He had enough info to understand that this Strongman was the one responsible for recent events. Yet, he wanted to find out the full story. Ever the avid historian, he always took any opportunity to present himself in history's books as the Golden Boy of all times, so, he was all in eager to find out what had happened so that he could make the best of this story as well.
"Salutations, Oo Peaceful one. I request an audience with you." said the King in a smooth, soft voice that was sharp & clear enough, over the chitter chatter of the burning crisps of wood and layered fat of the burning bodies to carry towards the Strongman seated on the ground.
The Strongman very slowly opened his eyes, and it took a while. It was as if he was walking back into this Dimension from another through the gateway of his eyes, thought the King amused, but was alert once he recognized that he had the full attention of the Strongman who was now, looking at him, unblinkingly with those big black round eyes boring into him. This Strongman, while looking at him, quickly surveyed his surroundings and then resumed looking at this King, no change in his expression. Even if there was a thought going on behind that facade, the King could make no sense of it and Seasoned Warrior of the ages that he was, he found it a little bit humbling. He smiled acknowledging this.
"Yes... My Apologies... The Archers are more for my protection. I have no idea what I was walking into, yet I want to take a chance at meeting the rumoured person responsible for all of.... 'this'." he said. The Strongman continued staring, unblinking.
The King indicated his intention to sit before him and when he received no answer or change of stare, he sat down too, cross legged before him. Protocol would've dictated that he be seated higher than this Strongman as the King was of Royalty but he had to confirm a few things. For now, the ground was the only entity keeping them both on the same level.
And some good it did. The King did not like what he saw when he sat down. His head was at most coming at level with this Strongman's Throat when seated on level ground, so he repressed the small shudder he got when he imagined what this Strongman would be like, when he would stand. And that Shudder turned to an inward grin that made him relax his grip on his sheathed sword, ready to swing into action if it so needed. He always prided himself as an extremely swift warrior who had felled many a giant. This Strongman might not even be a Human, in which case, this would be too good a chance to let slip to test his battle prowess. His attention was aroused. He had to get his answers before he went ahead with his plan.
"Would you care to fill me in on what has befallen this land, the Rulers of this Land? And how come You, are here, shunning all society?" asked the King.
Silence and an Unblinking look were the only response he got.
"There is this Huge, Magnificient Axe, just embedded in the Throne, in the Royal Hall, which none of my men could even move, let alone remove. Do you happen to know how it came there?"
More Silence.
"Was there, some sort of a revolt or a revolution in the Kingdom? It looked like the People had been sufferring for a while now? However, there are no guards to ask as I've been told that all Royalty are either slaughtered or have run away, into the wilderness, away from this place." said the King, poking for more answers but the silence continued. However, the King had met his share of silent brooders. He knew how to coax information out of them for his benefit. It was only a matter of time before anyone showed what triggered their response. It was the same here as well.
And so the questions continued. There were gaps but the questions sure came and none of them evoked a response.
"Who are you? Where did you come from? Where's your family? What's your profession?"
"Who did all this?"
"The people here, are stricken with fear. What has happened?"
"I think that the Royal Dungeons were filled with prisoners till late as they show signs of being occupied till recently and there is an almost eerie silence about the place."
"Are you even Human? I have seen many Warriors, none as burly as you are."
"I heard this Land's King had 21 sons. Surprising I found not even one of them!? Do you know where they are?"
"I have heard that the King of this land had a lot of wives. I would like to ensure that they remain unharmed. Can you help me?"
"Are the farms of this land fit for farming? All I see are barren lands for the last few decades if I am not wrong?"
"I wonder how in the world did you grow this big and huge if there was no food in the land?"
"What kind of announcement to the people do you think would make them step out of their homes? All of the households have bolted their doors thrice and they refuse to step out even if multiple calls and requests are made."
"Is there a Royal Heir that can be installed on the throne?"
"Why?"
The torrent of questions from the King came to a sudden stop. It was a response to his constant questions and finally, somewhere, inside his heart, there was a small eruption of joy, which, however was eclipsed by the reply itself and the voice which carried it.
One would have a difficulty placing this voice to the "barbarian-like" person seated in the front of this King. What clarity! Sonorous, deep, reassuring, resounding, at the same time, carrying forward a deep unknown unkind fear that he could never explain even if he pondered on it for a lifetime. He had listened to enough of the Resounding Vedas even if he didn't care about them to understand that the one who was seated in front of him clearly was knowledegeable of them. That one word carried with it the essence of the Vedas.
"You... are no barb-" started the King.
"You didn't answer my question." came the curt, crisp, sharp, laconic, unyielding, unkind, immovable reply that shook the King a bit. Here was seated this 'Barbarian' he thought who hadn't bothered to answer even one question of his and the only reply he managed to evoke was one, a question and the next, a force of nature that was not leaving him with any choice other than responding to this person's earlier question.
"Oh... well, there is supposed to be order in the Kingdom, should it not?" said the King.
Silence. Then,
"Order... Who would decide that?" asked the Strongman, with a pause. Then, with a small smile, added, "You?"
Was that an insult? The King decided to feign ignorance.
"If that's in my fate yes." answered the king with a slight smile of his own.
Silence. Then,
"My apologies. I am not even aware of your name. May I know your name please?"
Pause. Then, "Bhargavarama, Son of Rishi Jamadagni." came back the calm, deep strong voice that seemed to hide pride in his introduction, but the King seemed to wonder it was more to do with something else. But he got lost in thought immediately, for those words brought back a lot of information his spies had reported to him over some time now.
"Jamadagni...Bhargava... Rama...?" he thought and without his knowledge, the word came out by itself, a name.
"Parasurama...?" said the King out aloud. "YOU are Parasurama...? THE Parasurama???" said the King in complete and utter surprise which somehow immediately turned into some kind of something that started searing deep inside him, slowly spreading to all corners of his body.
"That... that's your Axe...? Embedded in the Throne?" asked the King and now the King really understood what was searing through him. It was Fear.
A very long bout of silence. The King collected himself together.
"Were you responsible for all this?" asked the King, softly.
"For all of what?" asked Parasurama.
"Of... of all this?" asked the King, a little surprised, waving one hand around.
"Of the countless events that are happening or have happened, which event are you talking or asking about?" continued Parasurama, unrelenting, continuing his train of thought, as if uninterrupted. The King, on the other hand, stopped asking further questions for not only was he surprised but he was also a bit irritated with disbelief as to how to approach this person in conversation.
"There are many uncountable, parallel events, happenning at this point of time, have happened before or are bound to happen, unseeable in nature, or too big to be viewed, too fast to understand or too slow to follow, being made and unmade at the same time. You'll have to be a little bit more specific if you want an exact answer to your question though you must know that no question is permanent and no question will have no one answer, nothing that lasts over time, apart from the Truth." spoke Bhargavarama, slowly but very lucidly. The King thought he was being played at but the plain nature of the voice made it clear that this Parasurama never really joked about anything in his life.
"Alright. The event where the Royalty of this Kingdom was wiped out, having to do with the Axe that's embedded in the Throne." asked the King.
"Hmmm... two separate events... Which must be answered first?"
"Is that axe really yours?" asked the King, abandoning his earlier question. Parasurama looked on calmly at the surronding confusion of the King's questions, order in disorder.
"Yes."
"The handle alone is the size of a full grown man and its completely embedded into the ground so I cannot make out its axe-head. It also seems to be made of some unknown kind of alloy which seems to be glowing from within. Its a really marvelous piece of weaponry! How did you get it?"
"Hmm... I found it." answered Bhargavrama.
"Found it??? Where?" asked the King, shockingly surprised at the ease at which Parasurama answered, as if he came across a blade of grass in a grassland.
"At my home actually... In the inner room." answered Bhargava, but he seemed a bit lost in thought.
"Your home?" continued the King, nonplussed.
"It was gifted to me actually." said Parasurama, now actually looking into the distance, as if trying to give words to an unclear memory that seems distant.
"What?"
"I think it had been around for a while, even before I got it... and I think it will be around for ages to come." answered Bhargavarama, now completely lost in thought. The King thought this man was talking crazy, but then pulled himself together.
"I know you're a Brahmin. You're the son of a Rishi, aren't you? Jamadagni's your father is he not and he is a Rishi." continued the King, trying to pull the conversation back into something that made sense to him.
"Was."
"Pardon?"
"He 'was' a Rishi. He is not alive anymore. But we'll retrospect on that. You say I am a Brahmin because my Respected Father was a Brahmin. But my Respected Mother, Renuka was a Kshatriya, by birth. Is that not taken into consideration?" asked Parasurama. The King remained silent, not sure what to answer.
"A person's Varna is decided by the work they do, by the values they embellish, by their purpose they uphold through action. Birth has nothing to do with it. Why do you link my Birth to what Varna I might belong to? And what has Varna got to do with any of the disjoint questions you have asked so far?" asked Parasurama and the King this time felt as if the sharp edge of the Parasu axe pass from his side, as if it swooshed by his side, missing him but making a dramatic enough effect to make him thankful that he was alive and that no such thing has actually happened.
"My question has nothing to do with the Philosophies of our society, but everything to do with your physical appearance. Your monstrous size, your banana leaf size palms, your tree trunk like Legs and those muscles - you seem more like a Barbarian than a Brahmin versed in the Vedas. How did you even become this big?"
Silence. Then-
"Amusing." said Parasurama, actually smiling a bit.
"What is?"
"Your lack of knowledge."
"Excuse me?"
"Any knowledgeable person, who knows exactly what to eat and what physical activity to do, will be able to obtain the physical prowess they desire, through discipline, focus, effort and sheer will power. Their Birth or their Varna has nothing to do with it. Its this knowledge that you seem to be lacking... which I find to be amusing."
"Well... I for one find it neither amusing nor surprising. Lots of knowledge out there, is not known. You might be hoarding secrets passed on through generations. You haven't answered a single question that I've asked so far and yet here you are, amused at my lack of knwledge, knowledge that clearly you have no intention of sharing. Its because of people like you that there's all thie Distrust floating around-"
"That's ENOUGH!" roared Parasurama and for an instant, everything around him became silent.
The King stayed silent for a minute, evaluating his options. The revelation that this Strongman in front of him was Parasurama sure startled him. He had never believed the legend, always believing it to be one of those tales spun out of pure fantasy and for the fun of it and hence, never expected to face to face with this Strongman who was able to eradicate everyone of the royalty of this land, who looked like he could bring down a mountain with his barehands if he so thought about it. But over the last few minutes, he was able to make the Strongman talk more and get more and more excited and it finally looked like he had hit that sweet juicy spot which would supply him with the required information. And it was this realization that brought back his focus and his calmness. The tight grip on his sword hilt relaxed and he became the ice cool royalty that he was. His mind started thinking fast and the fuming mountain in front of him, though seated, looked like it could explode and jump into the air at any possible moment. Those big black - now wide - eyes were slowly reddening and the King could sense the unmistakeable anger building up inside him.
"A Warrior must always remain cool, calm and collected. Foremore, you are a Brahmin - whether by birth or by action, I dont really care. Anger never suits a Brahmin." spoke the King slowly. This only seemed to incense the Owner of the Parasu axe even more.
"And who are you to tell me when to be angry or when not to? I've been to your Kingdom. Infact, we - my family - had travelled to every kingdom for a while now, just looking for a place to stay, ever since..." said Parasurama, but then he stopped speaking suddenly. Silence. Then,
"Every Land was the same, Every Kingdom, the same story, repeating over and over. It was as if you Kings were rulers of Adharma. And you... your place was no different. Your subjects tortured for speaking the truth, the Divyaastraas you procured by invoking the gods are used to threaten and consume your neighbouring Kingdoms, sullying its very purpose of usage, which was for the establishment of Dharma. You, Oo King, who have no inkling of what it means to rule, you, who are No King in any honourable way, care to Lecture ME on WHEN I SHOULD GET ANGRY OR NOT?"
The voice was thundering. Gone was the gentle deep hum with which his voice reverberated earlier. Now, it was plain simple fury, like a white hot piece of never ending iron pouring down in torrents. Parasurama was still seated but for some reason, the King got up in a hurry and walked backwards some distance, sensing some unknown danger, his instincts on high alert. He had not yet given the signal to fire though, so even though half the archers were sweating profusely and perhaps a few of them went a bit more ahead along the path of fear, none of them dared to disobey their king. They knew what happened to those who disobeyed even the slightest of orders. Gone were the days of Selflessness when the Subjects of the King would commit no mistake out of a pure sense of duty. These were the days where mistakes were not committed because of the fear of repraisal, threats, tortures, sometimes, even death that followed in the most nastiest way imaginable.
It would be impossible to imagine that this was called the Age of the Truth, the age of Dharma. What was happenning here was far from. Some of these archers dared not even look at their wet pants for some of them understood who their King was talking to and the sudden roar sounded like a Thousand Thunders whiplashing right in front of them one after the other and the shockwaves were powerful enough to separate their Atmas from their bodies. Their King had been in even worse situations before them - that would explain why he had a steady grip on his weapon in spite of the fear that had started spreading back into his body like poison.
"Yes... we had passed through your kingdom a while back... I had to control my impulse to retrieve the Parasu, but my Father ordered me to be calm... My Father, the very personification of Dharma, who would have cursed You in an instance for just stepping into your kingdom, if it weren't for the word he gave to me... even he bade we just get out of your kingdom and on to the next... till it didn't matter anymore."
Silence. The King stayed lest he aggravate this warrior sage even more and it already looked like he was ready to burst.
"If there's anyway that I can make amends, all that you have to do is just tell me where I am going wrong, Oo sage." said the King softly, lying through his teeth as if it was second habit, next to breathing.
"Then surrender your Divyaastraas. Place them here, right in front of me." said Bhargavarama, pointing to the ground in front of him with one thick stubby finger. The King stared at him emptily, as his bluff had been called.
"You think you are a ruler but you are nothing than a dog on the throne, just guarding your territory. You are no different than the colour changing chamaleon but to compare you to an Animal would be an insult to the Animal itself. You have the honour of being born as a Human being but the way you all carry yourself is through deceit, treachery and fear. You all are unworthy of being born as a Kshatriya in the first place, you demean the great Ikshwaku, the greatest Kshatriyas who laid the foundation for what it means to follow Dharma as a Kshatriya. But it looks like everyone here needed their ears to be cleaned."
"Even Kaartavirya Arjuna or his sons? What did they do to deserve your wrath?" said the King and immediately regretted even bringing up that name.
Rage filled the eyes of the owner of the Parasu axe and in the blink of an eye, he was on his feet, walking slowly towards the King, tying some of his hair into a bun on his head while leaving the rest of it behind his large ears, and not a single strand of the hair was blocking his vision. He walked slowly towards the King, who, for some reason got down on one knee and was looking at Parasurama, terror in his eyes.
It was in this single moment that the King really understood why Parasurama was so feared and why even the common people of the kingdom refused to come out of their homes. He had tortured quite a few households to obtain the precious information which he had beforehand but nothing had prepared him for this walking mountain of Terror that was quite literally a bit too much to behold. They had told him about the constant sounds of battle, rallying of the commanders and the agonizing cries of all those who tried to battle him but ended up being chopped, beheaded or delimbed in some way or another. It was a blood bath and there was a legend that his axe was so bloodstained, that it refused to leave his axe even when cleansed in a river's water.
"Never. Take. His. Name. Before. Me."
"Alr-"
"NEVER! DO YOU HEAR ME? NEVER!!!"
The very stones on the ground seemed to reverberate. Even the sword seemed to be humming slightly. This man's anger seemed to be in tune with the frequencies of nature itself and right now, this tune was at it's destructuve best to put it as such. Now that Parasurama was standing a few feet from him, The King could see that he barely was at level with his shoulder. No, actually he was at his Chest level. The legs hidden till now, once revealed showed an extra foot of height difference between them and this put the King in some state of a confirmation where he took it as a lesson for life that just because certain people belong to a Varna, it doesn't mean that they can defy expectations.
Of course, provided he got out of here, alive. This giantman was in the way of that happening though.
"He came into our garden, uninvited, with his army! When he invited him and fed him and all his entourage, he stole our only Cow, our only source of livelihood! As if this shameless act was not enough, his sons killed my Father when I was away as they never had the guts or the courage to face me in Battle! If I hadn't made my father promise to give up his anger, he would have burnt them to ash at a mere sight but he chose to part with his life rather than give up his word. What followed... was this." thundered the son of Jamadagni. That of course didn't stop the King who was greedily drinking in this new information. He was not aware of all this.
"My mother.. she couldn't bear separation from my father... With," and now the Huge ash smeared Parasurama's eyes were brimming with tears that were not leaking out yet; they were being controlled by great difficulty it so seemed to the King, as he continued to speak, thunder rather, "... with my father's head in her hands, her head bowed... she too burnt on the same pyre as He."
Silence. Then Parasurama continued, turning sideways, his long beard and hair swaying as a strong wind blew, which only seemed to kindle the flames higher.
"It was only natural. This flow of blood, is to be expected. I never expected any one to even stand their ground because this ground has been tainted with the blood of an Innocent Person who had devoted his life to Dharma and nothing else. There will be rains here, no crops here, no life here, till that blood has been repaid in kind... with the blood of those who have wronged, who have been having their way so far."
The King now did some very quick thinking. Was this quenching of blood thirst to continue? If yes, who was next? This Brahmin-Barbarian, thought the King, had mentioned his kingdom and the 'injustice' that was done there, so was he in line? His grip on his weapon tightened and the question he got just now was almost on the tip of his tongue, but he controlled at the last instant. He still needed some more information.
"My sincere apologies, Bhargavarama, for all the wrongs that befelled upon you." said the King softly, sounding truthfully kind.
"Are you also sorry for all the subjects of this Kingdom, for the Bhoomaatha who has bearing this nonsense for some time now?" asked Parasurama with a sideways glace of those large lotus shaped eyes and the King was actually offended now. He had been nothing more than kind to this 'Brahmin' but he seemed to be nothing more than rude so far. That was because he knew not who was before him. No one did. It was a secret that would only be made aware in the generations that followed to whom Bhargavarama, the Parasurama was a Legend to Behold and a Protector of the times to come, Teacher of Students to come, even till the end of times. But... that was another time. Right now though, the King was pondering on his next question.
"But... Oo Sage... I thought Kaartaveerya Arjuna was invincible."
"Not anymore."
"But... didn't he have a thousand hands?"
"Did he?"
"But... he had preposterous amount of Strength! He even held a River dry using just his hands just so that his queens could bathe in the waters! He had defeated the invincible Ravana who had conquered even the Swarga! How did you defeat him? Did he really have a thousand hands? What weapons did he use?"
"My axe did the chopping. I didn't count."
"But... his Army was the largest there ever was! You are but one sage! I am not even sure if you have training! Please, I beg you, this story has to be remembered for the ages to come, as a lesson to anyone who defies the Great Parasurama! Please, I request to grant me audience, to bequeath me information so that I may be humbled." said the King in the sweetest voice that he could employ.
Parasurama stood there, for a long time, looking hard and then finally smiled and it was not a kind one.
"My my... Am I that underestimated?" said Parasurama, his smile now literally wicked.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You'll have a lot of begging to do. I know your intention. You wish to gather knowledge on what has happened? The archers surrounding this place are to ensure that only you leave alive, is that not?" spoke Parasurama, ignoring the sounds of interruption the King was making and still continued his monologue, refusing to be stopped.
"And what you said was wrong. If anyone were to remember this story, it is not to fear me. It is to fear what happens when Dharma is not followed. If I am a force of Nature, if I am victorious so far, it is because I have Dharma on my side. Whatever be the situation, whatever be the consequences, as long as you follow Dharma, you need not fear the outcome. I do not. You do. That speaks volumes.
"The very environment is crying out in agony. Yajnas are disrupted. Vedas are polluted. The way of life is disputed and greed is all over the place. When did you all forget your duty, forget your place in this society? This land is never yours, this place, this palace, this Treasury, never yours! It always belonged to the Society and the People are what make the Society! You are, after all, just a representative to this Society! You Rulers, have forgotten your place for a while now and as a result, the entire Earth and her populace have been sufferring...
"No More."
Silence. The King was not sure what to say but the events unfolding before his eyes were NOT to his liking.
"I was too immersed in my own seeking of knowledge in my services to my Father to recognize the cries of Bhoomaatha and the populace. My Father's death opened my eyes to the Reality of the current situation. Even in Death, he was teaching me something, teaching me to look beyond my own suffering.
"This is not about me anymore, it never has been. My experiences were just a Catalyst that result in the current situation. The burning embers of the battlefield are only the beginning of what is to unfold."
"Now, wait. Wait a minute." uttered the King. Parasurama was amused but didn't speak.
"You are a Brahmin. You forget your place in this society! Your place is with scriptures, with Knowledge! Killing of others is a Sin that you will not be able to wash even if you undertake a thousand lifetimes! Think about what you are doing, what you are saying! Put this pathetic course of action aside and repent for your sins! I am willing to consider a lesser punishment for your actions!" he said, hurriedly, in case Parasurama acted beforehand.
"BWAHA HA HAA HAA HAHAHAH AHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!" roared Parasurama in laughter. It sent chills down the spine of the King. After lasting for a few minutes, Parasurama seemed to cool down enough to relax into a monologue yet again.
"Interesting points. Let me answer them all.
"Firstly, you need to understand one thing. How one acts according to the situation determines how matured that person is. Ours is a Society where one always lived for the betterment of others. Service of Others is what drives our society and returning whatever we have earned back to Nature, back to all Living Beings is our Living Essence as a Human Being. As a Protector of this Knowledge, it is also my duty to enforce this.
"As protectors of this Knowledge, as Protectors of Empathy, as Protectors of Dharma, at this point, no one is more responsible than Me. Why you ask? Because wherever we went, we had to leave in search of a Better Land, a land where Dharma was followed. And we ended up nowhere, a Humble and Honourable Man ended up being stolen of his Life, His Dutiful wife had to climb the burning Pyre while alive and not uttering a single sound in the meantime. And while their bodies burnt, I became aware that their actions had nothing to with the fate that befelled them. They were the Victims of Adharma. They and everybody else... everybody except the rulers of these lands...
"I did penance for a while, to find an answer for this solution. I prayed for a Saviour to come and rescue us from this fate, to re-establish Dharma. I prayed to Lord Siva, for guidance.
"But he did not appear. Instead, his gift, the Parasu, appeared and stood before me, till I took it into my hands and I then remembered his words:
'As long as you use This Axe, you will always be able to enforce Dharma. Use this Axe for the Preservation & Upholding of Dharma. Become a Protector of Dharma!'
"And I haven't looked back ever since."
Silence. Huge Lengthy Silence. Parasurama however, continued.
"It has to be Me. I have to enforce Dharma. I am the only one with the means to do so. If it means that I have to use the axe to shed blood of those who are propagating Adharma, then this is the Mahaayajna that I am conducting, with the Concept of Dharma inside me as the Altar of Fire and the Blood of these Unjust Rulers as the Offerring, to pacify the Elements and Uphold Dharma. It is a selfless act." said Parasurama, softly.
"You are a monster!" uttered the King softly, his voice though, still steady.
"And... My place is with Knowledge, sure. The Art of Warfare, of Fighting, is Knowledge of which I am one of the Teachers. At this point of time, I do not believe there is anyone, of this Earth, who can either overcome me in Knowledge of Warfare, or in Pure Strength. My whole life was spent in the upholding of the Values my Father instilled in me and the Perfect Yoga of Body and Mind. As I stand, at this point of time, there is no one who can defeat me in battle - With or Without Rules, Fair or Unfair - No One."
Silence. Then,
"What do you plan to do now?" asked the King, able to keep his voice steady in spite of it being gripped by fear.
"Well... I don't plan of stopping now."
"What does that mean?"
"I will go around, from Kingdom to Kingdom. I'll enforce Dharma, since you Rulers seem incapable of doing so. Those who I know are trying to Uphold Dharma at their end, like Videha and Ayodhya, I might spare them. I know the descendants of Ikshvaku still uphold their values. But the others... hmmmm...." and he fell in thought.
"Well... as long as you steer clear of my Kingdom and this land, which I claim as my own, I believe we can part on friendly terms." said the King, making a movement to bow and then leave at the same time.
"Do we now?" said Parasurama, a smile lighting up his features. The wind started howling and the dying fires in the Graveyard were silenced; the land was engulfed in silence and darkness.
"FIRE!" came the order from the King and one couldn't make it but what little light was there was extinguished by the blanket of arrows that clouded the skies and descended upon the exact spot where Parasurama stood a moment ago.
And then, it all changed.
Suddenly, as if something had come alive, the spot where Parasurama stood a moment ago, erupted in flames and out of it, jumped a Mountain, rushing towards the King, holding something glowing in the Right hand, something that looked very very familiar, as he had seen it only a few hours back. But he barely had time to think about it as his face was caught by Parasurama's Left hand and then rammed into the ground. The King felt a crunching sound reverberate in his eardrums and for an instant, a pain which he had never felt in all his years as a warrior. The Helmet he had around his head was crushed along with his head and they both were probably a foot deep into the earth. Yet, after this instant of pain, he felt nothing and a calm nothing as his eyes gazed into darkness, oblivious to the blood oozing from his wounds and his flowing brain, oblivious to the screams of terror as the Parasu ripped apart the night into two and the Mountain like Strongman was moving with the deft swiftness of a Cat, upholding what he had said earlier, that there wasn't anyone Alive at this point of time, who could defeat him, in battle or otherwise.
And after what felt like an eternity, the King felt himself being lifted from the ground. His eye sight was hazy, but it was Parasurama before him, holding the King by his head in his left hand, the king's feet about 2 feet above the ground, the grasp on his head and helmet, very, very tight.
"Ah... punctured ear drums... a pity you cannot hear my reasoning for the last point you put forth. About my accumulation of sin. Let me maybe say it close to you, in case you are still able to hear this."
The King's vision was blurring but he could make out the sight before him. Thousands of Lives worth Punya had perhaps prepared him for this sight, because, Lo, what a sight it was! Parasu Axe in the Right hand, glowing like the Fire, Reverberating with the Hym of the Vedas (the King heard it even though he was deaf), glowing with the Fire that came from the Wielder, Parasurama was not decked with ash anymore. Dark Skinned, three lines of Vibhuti Decked on his head, his entire body was decked in some kind of a Fiery Armour, that was burning like the Fire, blowing like the Wind, churning in waves like the Water; he seemed to be standing on something cotton white, as if the Clouds themselves had become his Chariot. And on his back and on his belt, there seemed to innuemerable weapons and he was not sure if there were thousands of hands as well. The Fire on his head was in the form of a Helmet, Crown, the King couldn't make it out, as, after taking in this full sight, his bleeding ears now started filling up with white noise, as the Great Parasurama - who seemed to the personification of the Narasimhaavataara his Mother described when he was a kid - seemed to bring his head closer to his.
"Yes... I will accumulate sin. Every Yajna is performed using materials procured with, or without the permission of those who own the Materials required for the conducting of said Yajna. No act is devoid of pain, caused willingly or unwillingly. So is Mine. If I do accumulate sin, then so be it. I will spend all of eternity, doing Tapasya for this act. But this Redefinition of Dharma, this Cleasing of Mother Earth's impurity, will be over, when I say its over.
"And I will not stop till then."
Saying which, Parasurama threw the lifeless body into the nearby pyre which blazed suddenly with the intent of consuming anything that it was offerred. Looking up and focussing on Lord Siva, he stood at the spot, feet and hands together, Parasu in hand and offerred his last rites to the recently deceased.
He walked out of the Graveyard and looked at what remained of the archers. As his vision stretched into the next item on his agenda, his lips quivered, his face was set, the expression not happy but not sad either, the big huge lively eyes expressing no desire to do anything that followed and yet they toughened up to execute his duty in spite of the Emotions he was quelling in his heart. He was not left with any choice. If choice was to exist later on, he had to quell his own choice. It was a selfless act.
He took in a huge draught of air and his lungs swelled. Reciting the Vedas which rhymed with the Hym of his Axe, he started walking forward, paving the way for what was to Follow.
"OM NAMAHA SIVAAYA!" he roared. Dharma followed.
