84 VVilber Theodore Elmore 



retreat. Do to her according to the judgment which you have 

 pronounced." 



" No! no! father," said the son, " I have been nursed by her and 

 I can never do such an atrocious deed with my own hands." 



Then Jamadagni was very angry, and said, " Wretch, I will curse 

 you for your failure to keep your word." 



" All right, father," replied the son. " I am ready for your 

 curse. Kill me, or turn me into a beggar as suits you, but I will 

 never do this deed." 



Jamadagni accordingly cursed his son,^* and as he saw Renuka 

 drawing nearer he thought of his other son, Parasu Rama, the 

 terror of the world. ^^ Parasu Rama immediately stood before his 

 father who repeated the request which he had made to his elder 

 son. This time no objections were raised, and before Parasu 

 Rama had finished making his declaration of willingness to do the 

 deed, his mother stood before him. He drew his sword, and telling 

 her of her fault, he cut off her head. The sword slipped from his 

 hand and went spinning through the air. Parasu Rama cursed his 

 hand for having done such a hideous deed, and immediately the 

 sword fell and severed his outstretched hand, which fell in the 

 dust beside the head of his mother. 



Parasu Rama now turned in rage on his father, and accusing 

 him of being the cause of both deeds, demanded that the life 

 of his mother and his own right hand should be restored. " Unless 

 you revive my mother and create a hand to my shoulder you shall 

 live no more," he cried in anger. " Look sharp ! I am coming." 



Jamadagni seeing that his terrible son was not to be trifled with 

 at once complied with his request, and restored Renuka and the 

 hand. Parasu Rama's hand is now represented by the royal staff 

 and Renuka's head by the snake hood, which are carried at the 

 time of worship.^® 



1* According to the story in Moor, Hindu Pantheon, p. ii6, the curse was 

 that his son should be an idiot. In this version of the story four sons were 

 thus cursed. 



15 For information regarding the Parasu Rama avatar of Vishnu, see 

 Wilkins, Hindu Mythology, Calcutta, 1882, pp. 162 sq. ; Moor, Hindu Pan- 

 theon, Madras, 1864, pp. 116 sq. 



16 See page 21. 



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