Baal Leela of Lord Parshuram. Mythology stories for kids. Moral educational stories for kids. Ancient lord Parshuram's stories are full of adventurers. Kids stories. indianmythologystories.com Lord Parshuram's childhood adventures & stories ( Parshuram ki Baal Leela stories )
The childhood plays of Lord Parashurama took place in the hermitage of Maharishi Jamadagni, and his birth celebrations were full of joy and festivity. The birth rituals were performed, followed by the naming ceremony after purification. The child was named 'Ram.'
Parashurama's Birth Celebration:
A joyful scene at the hermitage of Maharishi Jamadagni, filled with vibrant colors, as the birth of baby Ram (Parashurama) is celebrated by disciples, with rituals, decorations, and family members smiling with joy.
When the disciples showed the horoscope to the guru, his parents were overjoyed by the planetary alignments. The child was not ordinary. He was extremely beautiful, strong, robust, and extraordinary. He would bring glory to the Bhrigu lineage and naturally excel in all forms of knowledge. The Bhrigu Samhita belonged to their family, and when they compared the horoscope with it, they found that the child was exceptional and possessed wondrous qualities. The sage could see the past, present, and future and was fully satisfied after understanding Ram.
Ram's four elder brothers and the young disciples of the
hermitage would carry him in their arms and play with him. Ram never cried.
Whenever he needed milk, his mother would feed him, and he would continue
playing in the arms of other children. Whenever they had to go somewhere, they
would place Ram in a cradle made of Kusha grass, hanging under a mango tree.
When Ram was just one month old, lying in the cradle, he noticed an
unripe mango flower, jumped up, and knocked down a branch of the mango tree.
Everyone saw this and was astonished. After some time, Ram began to crawl on
his knees, moving around the hermitage, home, and school. Mother Renuka ensured Ram never went near the sacrificial altar or the cowshed, fearing
that he might touch the fire or crawl under a cow or calf.
When Ram began to walk, he wandered all around the
hermitage, delighted by the sight of worship materials. He would lift the
sages’ water pots and pretend to worship, cleaning the small vessels used in
rituals and placing them in front of the calves. He would wear garlands around
his neck, which would hang down to his feet and get entangled, causing him to
fall. When he fell, he would throw the garlands with such force that each bead
of Rudraksha scattered all around the courtyard. He would then gather them and
laugh at his actions.
In the sixth month, Maharishi Jamadagni performed Ram's
first solid food ceremony (Annaprashan). The father seated the child in his
lap, with the mother sitting to his left. Mantras were chanted, and a
sacrificial offering was made. All the students participated in this. The
impurities that the child had accumulated in the womb were purified through the
rituals of Shraddha, worship, mantras, and the sacrificial offering, and
Maharishi Jamadagni gave the first morsel of food into Ram’s mouth, completing the
ritual.
At the age of three, Ram underwent the Chudakarma ceremony,
where his hair was shaved, leaving only a tuft of hair (Shikha) on his head.
This ritual symbolically removes the impurity from the time spent in the womb,
increasing longevity and strength. The Shikha lies over the Brahmarandhra, the
spiritual center at the top of the head, which is said to connect with divine
energy. It is believed that meditating on this spot can channel spiritual
energy. Some may question why monks, who don't keep a Shikha, are not deprived
of divine power. The answer is that monks reach a higher state of spiritual
realization, where they are directly united with the divine and no longer need
the Shikha to draw in spiritual power.
Ram’s head was shaved, and a thick Shikha was left. A
special celebration was held at the hermitage to mark this occasion. Devotions,
Shraddha offerings, sacrificial rituals, Vedic recitations, and a feast for the
Brahmins were organized. The women sang auspicious songs to mark the event.
Ram now began engaging in small playful acts around the
hermitage. He would go to the cowshed and release the calves, which would leap
around the entire pasture. Some would jump into the forest, while others would
stand among the deer near the hermitage. As the calves ran here and there, the
wind would fill their ears, making them leap even more energetically. When the
students tried to catch them, the calves would run even farther away, lifting
their tails, perking their ears, and running wild. The cows would bellow, and
some would run to their calves. Only when Mother Renuka called each cow and
calf by name would they return and settle calmly in their places. Renuka had
named each of the cows and calves—names like Bhuri, Dholi, and Chiti—and the
entire herd recognized their names.
Ram would take the writing slates and pens of the students
and scribble crooked lines on them. Sometimes he would pour ink over a slate,
completely covering it. He would pick up the students' loincloths, sacred
threads, and staffs and put them in random places. The students would search
for their things, and Ram, pleased with himself, would show them where he had
hidden them. Despite his mischief, he never broke or damaged anything. One
remarkable trait of Ram was that he always obeyed his parents and never argued
with them. If his mother scolded him, he would quietly cling to her feet and
fall asleep in her lap. He followed his father around and would quickly fetch
anything his father needed. When his father, absorbed in worship and Vedic
recitations, pointed at something, Ram would bring it to him without a word.
Among his peers, Ram was the most extraordinary. While other
children played by the riverbank, building and demolishing small sand
structures, Ram was not interested in such simple games. Instead, he would
gather stones and build forts with gateways, drawbridges, trenches,
guardhouses, barracks, elephant stables, horse stables, food stores, armories
for bows and arrows, weapon storage rooms, ritual altars, training halls,
libraries, treasuries, and jewel stores—anything that a real fortress would
have. Other children would gather around to watch him play. Ram would send them
to fetch water from the Saraswati River in small vessels and fill the trenches
of the fort. After filling the water, he would declare, "The fort is
ready, but its king has become unjust and is oppressing the people. We must
teach him a lesson in righteousness." He would make small bows and arrows
for the children, showing them how to aim at a target, often a pole, and strike
it, saying, "Destroy the fort, capture the evil king, and after bathing
him in the holy Saraswati, we will initiate him into righteousness."
Ram’s games were always of an extraordinary nature, filled
with royal might and valor. Many times, he and the other children would climb
the hills near the river. Some children, frightened by the journey, would run
back halfway. Ram, however, would explore the mountains and forests, sometimes
encountering wild animals. Yet, Ram was fearless. He would load arrows on his
small bow and chase the animals away. He would even catch tiger cubs, pull
their whiskers, stroke their faces, and then toss them far away.
If a tiger would strike, growl, or try to claw at them, they
would stop it. Together with the children, they would tie it up, drag it along,
and even beat it. As they wandered around, they sometimes reached the homes of forest dwellers and practiced archery with them, blindfolded. In this exercise,
their eyes would be covered, and a sound would be made near the target, helping
them to shoot an arrow based on that sound and hit the mark. In the process,
they would also practice hitting the target with the power of concentration and
mental resolve.
The forest children would set up a target, blindfold Ram,
and make a sound at the target before moving it from its original position.
They would then ask Ram to shoot the arrow at that spot. Through sheer mental
focus, Ram would accurately hit the target, cutting it down. Whenever they had
a competition with the forest dwellers, Ram always emerged victorious.
Observing his extraordinary archery skills, everyone was amazed. Despite having
such tremendous power, Ram never harassed the innocent, the helpless, or the
weak. Instead, he helped those in need and always returned to the ashram before
sunset.
In the early morning, after completing his daily duties and
drinking milk, Ram would set out to the forest with the cowherds. Together,
they would drive the cows from one place to another, attempting to pat their
backs. However, Ram’s hand couldn’t quite reach the cows’ backs, so he would
touch their faces, horns, tails, or necks, embracing them with joy. He would
run alongside the calves, stroking their backs as he walked beside them.
Whenever he found lush, green grass or tender vegetation, he would lead the
cattle to graze there.
If a wild animal ever attacked a cow or a calf, Ram would
get angry, catch hold of the predator, and harass it so thoroughly that it
would never dare to try again. Even though the cows were capable of defending
themselves, Ram, by his very nature, felt the urge to protect them.
While playing with other children, Ram would lead them to
the lake, where they would collect a thousand flowers for worship. The rishis,
filled with joy, would then offer a thousand-lotus abhishekam (sacred bath) to
Lord Shiva. Ram would also gather sacrificial wood for the yagna from the
forest, picking leaves from auspicious trees like mango and ashoka to make
garlands. He would decorate the doors of the yagna hall, cowshed, and school
with these garlands. At the main entrance, he would plant banana pillars and
hoist a saffron flag on top.
Upanayana (Sacred Thread Ceremony)
When Ram completed his seventh year and entered his eighth,
Maharishi Jamadagni chose an auspicious time during the spring season to
perform his Upanayana ceremony. Maharishi Jamadagni himself acted as the head
priest for the occasion, as per the scriptures, which say that the father
should perform the Upanayana of his son. If the father is deceased or incapable
of fulfilling this role, the grandfather may take his place.
Before the ceremony, the entire ashram was decorated. The
Brahmachari students chanted the Gayatri mantra. Lord Ganesha was worshipped,
sacred pots were installed, and rituals like Nandi Shraddha were performed. On
the day of the Upanayana, Ram’s head was shaved, and he bathed in the Saraswati
River. Afterward, all the students, including Ram's four elder brothers, who
were also immersed in the joyful proceedings, escorted him back to the ashram.
There were other students whose Upanayana was scheduled for
the same day. They too performed their rituals and arrived at the ashram. All
the rooms in the ashram had been freshly plastered with cow dung and prepared
for the occasion. Garlands and flags were hung, and the cows were adorned with
red clay and peacock feathers on their horns. The cows were worshipped
properly, following the Vedic rituals.
The students undergoing the ceremony were seated on the
southern side of their respective teachers, along with their prescribed staff,
deerskin, and loincloth. Ram was given a girdle made of grass, which was
wrapped around his waist three times and tied with ceremonial knots. After
completing the prescribed rites, the sacred thread was prepared with nine
strands, each associated with a different deity, and was placed on Ram’s
shoulder amidst the chanting of mantras. The teacher then handed him a staff made
of palasa wood.
There are many intricate rituals involved in the Upanayana
ceremony. For detailed information, one can refer to the texts on the sixteen
rites (Shodasha Samskaras). In Indian culture, rituals hold immense importance.
According to Dharma Samrat Ananta Shri Swami Karpatri Ji Maharaj, through
rituals like Homa (fire sacrifice), Jatakarma (birth rites), Chudakarma (first
haircut), and others, the defects of the twice-born (Brahmins) are purified,
and virtues are instilled.
By engaging in self-study, vows, sacrifices, the study of
the Vedas, and actions in alignment with them, humans make their bodies worthy
of realizing Brahman (the ultimate reality).
The Meaning of Upanayana
Upanayana means "to bring near," specifically near to the teacher for the study of knowledge. Without the sacred thread, one does not have the right to study the Vedas, which is why the ceremony is essential. The sacred thread, also known as Yajnopavita, grants the right to perform Vedic rituals and ceremonies.
The Sacred Thread (Yajnopavita)
In the making of the sacred thread, 96 loops of raw cotton
thread are wound around the four fingers of the hand. These threads are then
twisted together to form three strands, representing Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh
(Shiva), and tied with a knot, symbolizing the connection with Brahman or the
Vedic tradition. Then, based on one's family lineage (Pravara), three or five
knots are added.
Why are 96 strands used in the thread? It could have been a
hundred, but there is a deeper meaning.
The sacred thread, composed of nine strands, represents nine
virtues and nine deities. In the *Ramcharitmanas*, Lord Rama, addressing
Parashurama, says, “You have nine supreme virtues, while I possess only one, my
bow.” This reflects the deeper significance of the sacred thread.
Encounter with the Tiger
One day, a strange incident occurred. Ram had gone somewhere
after drinking milk, and when it was time for lunch, he did not return. All the
disciples were present at the ashram, but Ram was nowhere to be found. This
caused concern for his mother, Renuka. She instructed the children to search
for him, telling them to check near the cows, in the corners of the hut, in the
yagna hall, the storehouse, and the school. She wondered if he might have
fallen asleep somewhere. The children searched every corner of the ashram but
couldn't find Ram.
Now, everyone grew worried. Sage Jamadagni ordered the conch
to be blown. In the ashram, blowing the conch outside of its regular times or
without the usual rituals like prayer or aarti was a signal to gather everyone
and announce important news. Once everyone had assembled, the sage instructed
the teachers to each take four students and search the surrounding forest. He
asked them to check every tree, every branch, and even clear away the thorns to
search thoroughly. He told them to search by the banks of the Saraswati River,
near ponds, waterfalls, caves, and all around the forest to find Ram.
They also began using tantra and mantra to locate Ram. The
sage checked Ram’s astrological chart and calculated that Ram would soon be
found in the forest. Meanwhile, the search party in the forest heard a faint
growl of a tiger. When they reached the spot, they saw that Ram had subdued a
tiger. The tiger's mouth was bleeding, and it was clearly injured. The tiger
had attacked Ram, but Ram had responded by grabbing its tongue and pulling it
out of its mouth.
The searchers quickly told Ram to release the tiger’s tongue, as the tiger was on the verge of death, gasping for breath. They treated Ram’s wounds by applying herbal medicine, stopping the bleeding. They brought Ram back to the ashram, while the tiger succumbed to its injuries. When Ram’s mother, Renuka, saw him, she burst into tears. The others narrated the entire incident, explaining how Ram had wrestled with the tiger and killed it.
Ram touched the feet of his parents and explained, “The
tiger attacked me first. I didn’t even have my bow with me. I simply threw it
down and grabbed its jaw. That’s when its teeth and claws injured me. But it’s
nothing serious.” His mother, to ward off the evil eye, performed a ritual by
circling salt and mustard around Ram and then distributed offerings in
gratitude for his safety.
