In order to effect the birth of a son, Richika prepared a dish of rice, barley, and pulse, with butter and milk, for his wife to eat, and, at her request, consecrated a similar mixture for her mother, by partaking of which she hoped to give birth to a prince of martial prowess, Leaving both dishes with his wife, after carefully describing which was for herself and which for her mother, the sage went away into the forest. When the time for eating the food came, the mother said to Satyavati, "Daughter! all mothers wish their children to be possessed of excellent qualities, and would be mortified to see them surpassed by the merits of their brother. Give me, therefore, the mess your husband has set apart for you, and you eat that which was intended for me. The son which it is intended to procure for me, is destined to be the monarch of the whole world; whilst that which your dish will give you must be a Brahman,

alike devoid of affluence, valour, and power." Satyavati consented to this proposal, and they exchanged messes.

Click to enlarge
THE PARASURAMA AVATARA.

On Richika's return, perceiving what had happened, he said to his wife, "Sinful woman! what hast thou

done? I see thy body of a fearful appearance. Thou hast eaten of the consecrated food that was prepared for thy mother; thou hast done wrong. In that food I had infused the properties of power, and strength, and heroism; in thine, the qualities suited to a Brahman--gentleness, knowledge, and resignation. In consequence of having reversed my plans, thy son shall follow a warrior's propensities, and use weapons, and fight, and slay. Thy mother's son shall be born with the inclinations of a Brahman, and be addicted to peace and piety." Satyavati, hearing this, fell at her husband's feet, and asked that she might not have such a son as he had described; "but if such there must be, let it be my grandson and not my son." The Muni relented, and said, "So be it." Accordingly in due time she gave birth to a son named Jamadagni, who married Renuka, and had by her the destroyer of the Kshattriya race, Parasurama, who was a portion of Narayana, the spiritual guide of the universe.

This is all we find about Parasurama's work in the "Vishnu Purana." The story of his exploits is told at length twice over in the Mahabharata, and is found in the Bhagavata, Padma, and Agni Puranas. The following account is from the Mahabharata. [**]