14.029
The Brāhmaṇa said.
Here too, O beautiful lady, they relate an ancient tale—the conversation between Kārtavīrya and the Ocean. (14-29-1)
There was a king named Kārtavīrya Arjuna, who had a thousand arms; with his bow he conquered the earth, which extended to the ocean. (14-29-2)
We have heard that, once, while wandering at the edge of the ocean, puffed up by his strength, he scattered hundreds of arrows into the ocean. (14-29-3)
The ocean, having bowed to him with joined palms, spoke: "Hero, do not release the iron arrows; tell me what I should do for you." (14-29-4)
O tiger among kings, beings attached to intoxication are being slain by the great arrows released by you; grant them protection, O mighty one. (14-29-5)
Arjuna said.
If there is any bow-bearer anywhere in battle who is equal to me, tell me of him—one who was my equal in the fight. (14-29-6)
The ocean said.
If the great sage Jamadagni is well-known to you, O king, then his son is worthy to properly perform your hospitality. (14-29-7)
Then the king, filled with great anger, went; having arrived at that hermitage, he approached only Rāma. (14-29-8)
He, together with his relatives, did things opposed to Rāma and caused fatigue for Rāma, the great-souled one. (14-29-9)
Then, O lotus-eyed one, the splendor of Rāma, whose radiance is immeasurable, blazed forth, burning the armies of the enemy. (14-29-10)
Then Rama, having taken the axe, suddenly cut off the thousand-armed one's arm-branch as if (he were cutting) a branch from a tree. (14-29-11)
Seeing him fallen and slain, all the assembled kinsmen, having taken swords and lances, encircled the Bhārgava. (14-29-12)
Rāma too, swiftly took up his bow, climbed into the chariot, and, releasing showers of arrows, scattered the king's army. (14-29-13)
Then, however, some of the kṣatriyas, having slain Jamadagni, entered the mountain strongholds like deer distressed by lions. (14-29-14)
Because they did not perform their prescribed duties out of fear, the people became outcastes due to the absence of the Brāhmaṇas. (14-29-15)
These Dravidians, Kāśas, Puṇḍras and the Śabaras attained the status of outcastes because they abandoned their kṣatriya duties. (14-29-16)
But then, whenever new races of kṣatriyas were produced again and again by the twice-born among the slain kṣatriyas, the son of Jamadagni (Paraśurāma) cut them down. (14-29-17)
At the end of the twenty-first sacrifice, the divine and sweet-voiced goddess of Speech, renowned in all worlds, spoke to Rama. (14-29-18)
O Rāma, O Rāma, turn back! Dear one, what virtue do you see in repeatedly depriving these kṣatriya relatives of their lives? (14-29-19)
In the same way, the ancestors, headed by Ṛcīka, then said to him, the great-souled one: "O greatly fortunate one, return!" (14-29-20)
But Rama, unable to bear his father’s killing, spoke to those sages: “You, sirs, should not restrain me here.” (14-29-21)
The ancestors said.
You should not kill Kṣatriya relatives, O best among the victorious. It is not proper for you, as a Brāhmaṇa, to slay kings. (14-29-22)
