1838.] Parasu JRdma Vijaya. 501 



lity, the father in anger told Parasu Rama to take his axe and cut off 

 her head. He obeyed, and cut off the head of his mother, near a. 

 Parcheri or hamlet of out-caste people, as well as the heads of some 

 of those persons, on their opposing his design. The father approving 

 his proceeding, asked what reward he required, when he requested 

 that his mother's body might be re-animated. The father consented 

 to his request, having at the same time power to fulfil it, and gave di- 

 rections to his son as to the mode in which the head and body should be 

 joined together ; promising to re-unite, and re-animate them. In the 

 hurry of the moment instead of his mother's head, Parasu Rama 

 applied the head of an out-caste woman to his mother's lifeless trunk ; 

 when the whole became re-animated. It is stated that on this legend 

 the Pariars, (or outcastes) found their worship of various local numi- 

 na, being none other than ideal farms of the wife of Jamadagni, con- 

 sidered to be divine as having given birth to an alleged incarnation of 

 the divinity. 



I have no doubt, that all the alleged avatar as of Vishnu shadow 

 forth, each one, some great historical event ; not always possible to be 

 rescued from the obscurity of fable. The preceding ones seem to 

 have had their site out of India, but from Parasu Rama downwards, 

 all clearly appear to have occurred within the boundaries of this coun- 

 try. Hence I think the incarnation of Parasu Rama points to the 

 first acquisition of power by the brahmans, after their coming to India 

 from the northward of Himalaya. There is however much more con- 

 nected with the destruction of the Cshetriyas, or aboriginal rulers of 

 the land, than can with propriety be founded on so comparatively slight 

 an authority as this poem. The whole however will probably come 

 under view ; and it may be safer to advance step by step, than to ha- 

 zard conclusions without carrying full conviction to the mind of the 

 reader. 



It is superfluous for me to notice the oversights in this poem, by its 

 author, as to dignity and consistency of subject. A weapon reproaches 

 its wielder, is sent down to the earth for penance, and followed by the 

 offended deity to overcome it there ; and the deity, without foreknow- 

 ledge, is in some doubt as to the prudence of attacking its own in- 

 strument, under so formidable an appearance, until set right by that very 

 questionable character, and meddler in all mischief, termed Nareda ; 

 to which may be added the existence of a duplicate avatdra, and the 

 elder portion not recognizing the younger one. These noddings of 

 intellect are however so common in Hindu mythology that they must 

 3 R 



