1838.] Par am Rama Vijaya. 499 



was distressed ; and wondered that a brahman could possess so much 

 prowess. His wife's brother named Camacrotha offered his services, 

 and was sent forth at the head of troops. He went to the contest, and, 

 after sacrificing his troops, also perished in the combat. Karta Viriya 

 now took counsel with his ministers who represented to him that the 

 brahman was certainly an incarnation of the divinity ; so that it must 

 be useless to attempt resistance ; that consequently the proper course 

 would be to effect a treaty of peace, when the adversary would become 

 a protector. His queen named Caruniya-dbvi' made similar represen- 

 tations, which were disregarded ; as were also the cautions of his other 

 advisers. Having already lost his nearest relatives, he disdained to 

 crouch, merely for his own life, to a brahman. Sending out missives 

 to all his warriors, he assembled them, and putting himself at their 

 head he entered his war-chariot, and went forth to battle. The contest 

 lasted fortwenty-one days ; when Karta Viriya's people were all slain. 

 Parasu Rama now took counsel with Nareda as to the expediency 

 of fighting with Karta Viriya, when Nareda observed that the 

 adversary was the Chacra, and that specialty for the purpose of 

 killing the incarnation of that weapon he (Parasu Rama) had been 

 born. Encouraged by this information Parasu Rama came to the 

 personal contest. It continued for seven days ; and, at the close, 

 when Karta Viriya was injured and disabled by the arrows which had 

 been poured in upon him, Parasu Rama came to close quarters, and 

 with his axe chopped off his five hundred arms. Karta Viriya now 

 made the last desperate attempt to fall upon, and thereby crush, his 

 assailant; but in the attempt Parasu Rama forcibly struck the mo- 

 narch's head with his hand, and deprived him of life. The w^hole of 

 the celestials witnessing this result greatly lauded Parasu Rama. The 

 queen, and the other families of the palace, who had lost their husbands 

 in the battle, were desolated with grief; but Parasu Rama dispatched 

 Nareda to them, with the consoling assurance that all things had hap- 

 pened by superior causation (or by destiny). The whole of the said 

 females burned themselves on the funeral pile, with the bodies of their 

 slain husbands ; and thereby obtained beatification. 



Parasu Rama returned to his mother and announced, that the pre- 

 existing cause of enmity had been to the fullest degree avenged ; and, 

 upon receiving her commands he, in obedience thereto, returned and 

 assumed the government of Jambuna puri, releasing from prison all the 

 persons whom the late king had confined therein. While he was pros- 

 perously ruling there, the whole of the brahmans assembled and repre- 

 sented to him that on account of the fault, which had a reference to his 



