Individual verses with meanings
Hari Om.
Let us begin the seventy sixth sarga of the bAlakAnDam with offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
As the ikshvAkus were returning from mithila, the dreaded paraSurAma of the battle axe fame apprehended them and challenged rAma to string the bow of vishNu which is as powerful or more than the bow of Siva that rAma srtinged and broke to win sIta. What happens next? Onwards…
The son of daSaratha heard the monologue of his namesake, the other rAma and out of respect for his father, avoided prolonging any conversation and said – “O bhArgava, I have heard you accomplishments. Well done, in the act of redeeming your debt your father! Your words underrating my kshatriya valor are condescending. Behold my splendorous might now“.
With those words, an angry rAma almost snatched away the (so-called) mighty bow and arrow from paraSurAma’s hands and at once strung it! He then retorted rather angrily – “O paraSurAma, since you are a worship worthy brAhmin and related to viSwAmitra, I shall not take your life with this arrow. I shall either render you immobile with this or destroy the exalted levels of merit you have acquired through penance. Tell me what do you choose? This sacred and all-conquering arrow that I have hoisted on the bow shall not go in vain”.
All the gods led by lord brahma, demi gods, apsaras, kinnaras, Rshis, demons and all other celestial beings were watching this splendid and amazing scene of rAma wielding the divine bow of vishNu. The entire creation became motionless for a moment as paraSurAma gazed in utter astonishment the ease and grace of rAma in grabbing the bow, stringing it and hoisting the arrow on that, all in a jiffy!
Rendered impotent and unsplendorous by the valour of elegant rAma, paraSurAma became motionless and then looking at rAma in a low voice he submitted feebly – “O rAma I gave away the earth I won in the conquest of kshatriya kings to kaSyapa and he ordered me that I shall not inhabit the land thus given away to him. I promised him that I shall not live on the earth by the night. Hence please do not render me immobile. I shall hasten to the mount mahEndra with the speed of thought. You may destroy with the primed arrow the exalted levels of higher worlds that I have achieved with my austere merit without further delay.
By virtue of your stringing this bow and hoisting the arrow on it, O sinless one, I come to recognize you as the imperishable, slayer of the demon madhu, tormentor of the enemies and the lord of gods – glory be to you. You cannot be won in a combat, your deeds are peerless and all the gods have assembled here to beholding you. In losing to you, the lord of the three worlds, O kakutstha, I feel no shame at all. Without further delay, O stickler of good vows, please set the unerring arrow on my exalted worlds of merit and destroy those. I shall then hasten to the mahEndra mountains“.
Obliging the words of paraSurAma, rAma released the arrow and destroyed the higher worlds of merit acquired by paraSurAma. He then left for his destination after duly and respectfully circumambulating his victor and eulogizing him.
The darkness that engulfed all the directions then lifted and normal services resumed at all levels. All the assembled gods who witnessed the wonder of wonders and the conquest of rAma over paraSurAma heaped praises on him and extolled him.
Here we conclude the seventy sixth sarga of the bAla kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 