THE LIVING ARCHIVE
About Parashu
Parashurama is the son of the sage Jamadagni. His name distinguishes this Rama by the axe he bears. The narrative also gives him skill with arrows, so the axe is a characteristic weapon rather than his only means of fighting.
The king opposed to him is Kartaviryarjuna, whose extraordinary thousand arms make him a formidable adversary. The quarrel begins when the king takes Jamadagni’s wondrous cow despite the hospitality he has received. Parashurama follows to recover it.
More About Parashu
The axe is closely associated with Parashurama; Shaiva iconography also includes an axe.
AT A GLANCE
Identity & Context
- Identity
- Weapon
- Form
- Axe
- Tradition
- Epic / Puranic traditions
THE STORY
Origins & Stories
ROLE & ESSENCE
Attributes & Significance
The axe identifies Parashurama through decisive close combat, while the narrative asks what those victories produce. Recovering the cow is followed by criticism, revenge and further killing. The implement consequently belongs to a story about duties and retaliation as well as exceptional strength.
Weapon Type
Axe
Known Wielders / Association
Powers & Combat Abilities
The axe is closely associated with Parashurama; Shaiva iconography also includes an axe.
Tradition Notes
Names and accounts can vary by recension, region and commentary. This entry distinguishes attested details from identifications still requiring a passage-level source.
Archive Classification Notes
Original archive annotations are retained here. The current playable classification is shown in the side panel.
- Tradition Dependence
- High — compare the identified textual or regional account.
- Creator
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Original Owner
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Materials / Divine Origin
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Limitations
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Famous Uses
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Victims / Opponents
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Editorial Power Tier
- Unassigned — weapons are not placed in the 700-being ranking.
- Editorial Rarity
- Divine armament
TRADITION & MEANING
Traditions & Interpretations
Parashu is an implement name. These passages describe its use by Parashurama without providing one universal manufacture story or making every sacred axe the same physical object.
Jamadagni’s rebuke keeps another response to injury visible within the weapon’s history. The father urges forgiveness even after his household has been wronged. That disagreement gives the axe-bearing warrior’s actions a context beyond a list of opponents defeated.
Names and accounts can vary by recension, region and commentary. This entry distinguishes attested details from identifications still requiring a passage-level source.
From the Sacred Texts
Explore the sacred texts behind these stories in the Suvarnaveda library.
FOLLOW THE THREADS
Connected Cards
4 connected profiles. Every path leads to an original record.
Characters & Cosmic Entities3
Parashurama carries and uses the axe in the confrontation with Kartaviryarjuna.
The seizure of Jamadagni’s cow and his later death drive the two conflicts.
