Reading: Part A

 The story that fascinated me the most from this section of reading is of Parashurama. This deity of Vishnu holds a special place in my heart because of a legend related to his axe. I grew up in the South Canara region of the western coast in India. It is believed that Parashurama threw his battle axe into the ocean for the waters to retract. Hence, this region came to be known as "Parashurama Shristi"- meaning that it is immune from natural disasters. So much so that it is believed to have protected the region from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Parashurama holds a significant yet controversial place in Hindu mythology. Lord Vishnu presumed this avatar to end injustice from the Kshatriyas ( warrior class ). He went on a spree where he defeated every Kshatriya he faced in battle. Throughout his lifetime, he held a grudge against Kshatriyas in general. He went as far as cursing his student Karna, when he found out that the latter had lied about being a Brahmin(priest class). This curse eventually led to Karna's death in the battle of Mahabharata. 

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about Parashurama is him being a Chiranjeevi ( Immortal being). Even though various gods have presumed various avatars across different epics, only seven humans ( or human forms of gods ) are known to be immortal. My grandma taught me a Sanskrit mantra (hymn) as a kid to remember them :

अश्वत्थामाबलिर्व्यासोहनुमांश्च विभीषण:कृपश्चपरशुरामश्च सप्तैतेचिरंजीविन:। 

The above hymn translates to the names of the immortals - Ashwathama , Bali, Vyasa, Hanuman, Vibhishan, Kripacharya and Parashurama. 

Tulu Nadu region

Above is a picture of what is believed to be the region protected by Parashurama's fallen axe. This is a rough geographical area which is in the south west coast of India. It encompasses a region where the 'Tulu' language is spoken.