Abhimanyu-Vadha Parva — The story of Jamadagni's son

Narada said Even the heroic Rama that illustrious ascetic adored by the heroes of the world, that son of Jamadagni, of great renown, died with his desires unsatiated.

Making this Earth abound in all kinds of happiness, he caused the primeval Yuga to set in. He was not perverted, having obtained cxcellent affluence.

When a calf belonging to him when stolen and when his father was slain by the Kshatriyas, he took a vow saying that he would relieve the Earth of her burden of Kshatriyas. Thereafter he slew Kartavirya who was never before defeated in battle by his foes.

Single-handed and with a single bow, he vanquished and dispatched to the abode of Death, four and sixty times ten thousand Kshatriyas.

In that slaughter were included fourteen thousand Kshatriyas all contemners of the Brahmanas. Then again he slew slew many Kshatriyas of the Dantakrura country.

He slew a thousand Kshatriyas with his bludgeon, a thousand with his sword and a thousand of the Kshatriyas also by hanging them.

He splitted the teeth and cu-off nose and ears of one thousand Kshatriyas and forcibly made seven thousand kings to sip the bitter Dhupa (herb).

Remaining of them were tied and slain by clashing their heads. At north from Gunavati and at south from Khandava forest, hundreds and thousands of Haihaya kings were slain in the battle field.

Heroes with their chariots, steeds and elephants, lay slain on the field of battle, by the intelligent son of Jamadagni, who had been exasperated by the death of his father.

Then Rama slew with his axe ten thousand Kshatriyas. He then could not bear the hot words uttered by his enraged adversaries. When the twice-born sects exclaimed saying, 'O Rama, descendant of Bhrigu's race.

Then the puissant son of Jamadgni proceeding against the Kashmiras, the Daradas, the Kuntis, the Kshudrakas, the Malavas, the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the Videhas, the Tamraliptakas, the Rakshavahan, the Vitihotras, the Trigartas, the Martikavatas the Sini and other kingly races, thousands in number, inhabiting various countries, slew them all with his arrows of exceeding sharpness.

Going from country to country, he slew thousands and crores of Kshatriyas creating a deluge of blood and filling many lakes with it, which was as red as Indra Gopakas or the wild fruit known as Bandhu-jiva and also bringing under his sway all the eighteen division of the earth, that descendant of Bhrigu's race. Celebrated a hundred holy sacred sacrifices in which he gave away profuse sacrificial presents.

The sacrificial altar, ful} eighteen Nalas high and made entirely of gold and erected duly. And filled with diverse kinds of gems and jewels and adorned with hundreds of pennons, as also this earth abounding in domestic and wild animals were accepted by Kasyapa as sacrificial presents offered to him by Rama.

The son of Jamadagni, Rama also gave him many thousands of huge elephants adorned with golden ornaments. Freeing the earth from the robbers that infested her and making her full of innocent and amiable people, Rama gave her away to Kasyapa at his great Horsesacrifice.

That lord, that hero having relieved the earth, for twenty-one times, of her burdens of the Kshatriya population and having celebrated a hundred sacrifices, gave her away to the Brahmanas.

The earth with her seven grand divisions were bestowed by him upon the twice-born son of Maricha (Kasyapa). Then the the latter addressed Rama saying-"Go you out of this Earth, at my command".

At the words of Kasyapa, that best of warriors obedient to the Brahmanas' command, caused, by the fall of his arrows, the very occan to roll back; then going to the foremost of mountains, namely, the Mahendra mountain, he continued to live there.

Even that enhancer of the glory of the Bhrigu race that one endowed with desirable qualities that son of Jamadagni, of illustrious renown and great effulgence, had to die.

O Srinjaya, Superior to you in respect to the four virtues and also to your son, even that one did die. Therefore you should not weep for your son, who perforined no sacrifice and made no sacrificial gifts.

These foremost and best of men, all superior to you in respect of the four virtues and in respect of many other meritorious qualities, had to suffer death, O Srinjaya.