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Re: Avataaraas

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • January 4, 1996 


Regarding Parasuraama:

I also do not feel comfortable honoring this
avataaram, considering how much violence he is
said to have caused.  I fully realize this may
be ignorance on my part, considering Sri Vedanta
Desikan composed a slokam on him.  However,
it is important to point out that none of the
Azhvaars have sung on Parasuraama avataaram,
while they have mentioned all the others now
considered part of the canonical 10.  There is
also not a single divya desam dedicated to him.

If he truly was an avataaram, it was only 
temporarily taken, as there are statements that
the once Sri Raama met Parasuraama, what 
remaining strength the latter had was completely
gone.  Parasuraama did lose to Bheeshma in
battle, and it is quite clear in the account
in the Mahabharata that this was not due to
any self-imposed limitation on his part. 

Is rOsham (anger) a kalyaaNa guNa? I do not know,
and I tend to think not, but this quality 
pervades the being of Parasuraama.

Mani