Extermination of Kshatriyas by Parasurama

 Srimad Bhagavatham - Extermination of Kshatriyas by Parasurama   

Why did Parasurama undertake pilgrimage? Why did Parasurama kill his own mother and brothers? Who killed Sage Jamadagni? How was the Kshatriya race vanquished?

After killing Karthaveerya and his huge army, Parasurama brought back the divine cow and calf to his ashrama and offered it to his father, Sage Jamadagni. 

When he narrated the war incident, Sage Jamadagni wasn't happy and advised him to desist from such action. He said “Killing a king is equivalent to Brahmahatya”. He asked Parasurama to go on a pilgrimage to cleanse this sin. Parasurama undertook a pilgrimage for a year. 

On a fateful day, Renuka, the Sage's wife, went to fetch water from Ganga and saw Chitraratha, the King of Gandarvas. For a while, she was gazing at the sporting Gandarva and got delayed from her usual routine. The water needed for oblations into the sacred fire got delayed.  

Terribly afraid of the curse, she placed the pitcher in front of her husband and stood with joined palms. Sage Jamadagni was enraged with the mental lapse of his wife and said to his sons “ Kill this sinful woman”. Parasurama was away, and his other sons refused to kill their mother. 

When Parasurama returned, he was asked to do away with his mother and brothers. Parasurama, who knew the powers of his father, immediately undertook the task with no second thought. Sage Jamadagni, being gratified, asked Parasurama to seek a boon. 

Parasurama requested to bring back the lives of his mother and brothers and that they shouldn't know about this incident. The Sage was pleased and granted the boon. 

Once Parasurama and his brothers had gone to the forest. To take revenge for their father’s death, Karthaveerya’s sons attacked Sage Jamadagni, who was in Samadhi state. Renuka begged them to spare her husband's life. Yet they cut off the Sage's neck and took the head away. Renuka cried out loudly “Rama, Rama”.   

Hearing from a distance the loud cry, Parasurama reached the ashrama and found the headless body of his father. He told his brothers to take care of the mortal remains of their father and headed to Mahismathi. 

He owed to vanquish entire kshatriya kings. He killed all the sons of Karthaveeryaarjuna and brought his father's head. With due reverence, he performed the last rites of his father.  

It is said that Renuka beat her breast 21 times due to deep agony caused by her husband's brutal murder. Parasurama, too, went around the earth 21 times to vanquish wicked Kshatriyas.

Source: Bhagavatha Mahapurana