Parashurama and the Heroes of Later Ages

Dadi**: Guddu beta, do you know that Parashurama lived so long that he met heroes from different ages - Rama, Bhishma, Drona, even Karna?

Guddu**: He met all of them? That's like living through different eras!

Dadi**: Exactly! Being immortal, Parashurama witnessed history unfold across generations. And his interactions with these heroes shaped the great stories we know.

Guddu**: Tell me about when he met Rama!

Dadi**: Ah, the meeting of two avatars! When Prince Rama of Ayodhya broke Lord Shiva's bow to win Princess Sita's hand in marriage, the news spread everywhere.

Guddu**: Everyone was happy, right?

Dadi**: Not Parashurama! That bow was sacred to him. He appeared in fury, his axe blazing, his eyes red with anger. "Who dares break the bow of Shiva?" he roared.

Guddu**: Oh no! What did Rama do?

Dadi**: Parashurama challenged Rama: "If you're so strong, string THIS bow - the bow of Lord Vishnu!" He threw the mighty bow at Rama's feet.

Guddu**: Was it harder than Shiva's bow?

Dadi**: It was the divine counterpart. But young Rama picked it up effortlessly, strung it, and then - this is the amazing part - he turned its power back toward Parashurama himself!

Guddu**: He threatened Parashurama?

Dadi**: Not threatened, beta - demonstrated. In that moment, Parashurama understood everything. The divine power of Vishnu, which had been with him for so long, was now passing to this new avatar.

Guddu**: How did Parashurama react?

Dadi**: With grace, beta. He smiled, bowed his head, and said, "I recognize you now. The strength of Vishnu has passed from me to you. My mission is complete. Yours begins." Then he left peacefully.

Guddu**: That's beautiful - no fighting!

Dadi**: True greatness knows when to step aside. But Parashurama's influence continued through his teaching. Do you know who Bhishma was?

Guddu**: The grandfather of the Mahabharata!

Dadi**: Parashurama taught him the art of warfare! Everything Bhishma knew about fighting came from the immortal warrior-sage. And Parashurama also taught Drona.

Guddu**: Who taught the Pandavas and Kauravas!

Dadi**: Yes! So through Bhishma and Drona, Parashurama's knowledge reached Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishthira, Duryodhana - all the heroes of the great war. His legacy flowed through generations.

Guddu**: Did he teach Karna too?

Dadi**: Ah, that's the tragic story. Karna desperately wanted to learn from Parashurama, but Parashurama only taught Brahmins. So Karna lied - he disguised himself as a Brahmin.

Guddu**: Oh no, he deceived his teacher!

Dadi**: Parashurama loved Karna. He taught him everything, treated him like a favorite son. But one day, a bee bored into Karna's thigh while Parashurama was sleeping on his lap.

Guddu**: That must have hurt terribly!

Dadi**: It did. Blood flowed. But Karna didn't move, didn't cry out - he didn't want to disturb his sleeping teacher. When Parashurama woke and saw what had happened, he understood.

Guddu**: How did he know?

Dadi**: "Only a Kshatriya warrior could endure such pain silently," Parashurama said. "A Brahmin would have cried out. You have deceived me."

Guddu**: What happened?

Dadi**: With a heavy heart, Parashurama cursed Karna: "You will forget your martial knowledge at the moment you need it most." This curse proved fatal at Kurukshetra, when Karna's chariot wheel got stuck and he forgot the weapons that could save him.

Guddu**: That's so sad! It wasn't fair!

Dadi**: The scriptures say that even as Parashurama cursed Karna, he wept. He loved his student despite the deception. Sometimes love and justice conflict, and even divine beings feel that pain.

Guddu**: Parashurama saw so much history...

Dadi**: Thousands of years of it, beta. The rise and fall of kingdoms, the births and deaths of heroes, the endless cycle of dharma and adharma. He carries all those memories still.

Guddu**: Where is he now?

Dadi**: Waiting, beta. Waiting for his final role when Kalki, the last avatar, appears. Even immortals have their purpose. Goodnight, my little history-lover!

Guddu**: Goodnight, Dadi!