Axe in Hindu Scriptures

Axe, which was used a lot for many purposes a few decades ago, has been vanishing much from the field today from the modern world as well as from India, because whatever the axe did in past days, machines are used to do it today. The main use of the axe in ancient days was to size woods removing bark and outer inferior wood of trees and preparing fire wood. People took their axe to forest, cut the wood and bring it to their home putting it on their head. Those people were called woodcutter. Besides, there are many types of axe, there are many sayings about axe, and there are many uses of axe. We have many references of axe in our scriptures also, you must be wondering, how? let us see... Along with the scriptural references, here is given a very common story too about axe.

(1) Parashuraam With His Axe
Let us start with Bhagavaan himself. Parashuraam Jee, Vishnu's 7th incarnation, was born as the son of sage Jamadagni. There are three Raam in our scriptures. How to differentiate them from each other?  - (1) First Raam is called Parashuraam. He is the 6th incarnation of Vishnu. Why is he called Parashuraam, because he had an axe as his weapon that is why he is called Parashu + Raam, (2) Second Raam is Balaraam. He is the incarnation of Shesh Naag. Why is he called Balaraam, because he was very mighty that is why he is called Bala + Raam and (3) Third Raam is Shree Raam. He is the 7th incarnation of Vishnu. Why is he called Shree Raam, because he had taken one-wife vow and was always with Lakshmee (Shree) Jee that is why he is called Shree Raam.Parashuraam Jee got his axe from Shiv Jee after performing long austerities. he gave it to him to end the atrocities of Asur born on Prithvi. There are several stories of his axe. There are very few temples for Parashuraam. One temple is at Tiruvallam near Trivendram in Kerala.

(1.1) Parashuraam and Sahastrabaahu
It was this axe from which Parashuraam Jee emptied this Prithvi from Kshatriya 21 times. Once Sahstrabaahu came to Parashuraam's father Maharshi Jamadagni. Jamadagni Jee welcomed him and entertained him and his army with the help of his Kaamdhenu cow. Seeing that cow Sahastrabaahu became surprised and asked him to give that cow to him as the king was the appropriate man who should own such a cow, but Rishi refused to give her to him as she was not only cow to him, she used to fulfill all the needs of his religious activities. He could not give her to him at any cost. But Sahastrabaahu did not listen to and took her forcefully. The cow got angry and she produced lots of army from her body and killed the King's all army, so the King went away.

Seeing this his sons got angry and once they went alone to Rishi's Aashram, killed the Rishi and took the cow. When Parashuraam cam and saw this, he got very angry, he took his axe and went to take revenge of his father's killing. He killed Sahastrabaahu, and his all sons, leaving five of them, and brought his cow back. He brought his father to life. He found many other kings also who were troubling society so he killed all of them. Thus he emptied this Prithvi from Kshatriya 21 times. He filled five large tanks from their blood which were known as Samant Panchak (they are near Delhi). Later he donated the Prithvi to Braahman, threw his axe in the sea and went to Mahendra Parvat to do Tapasyaa (penance).

(1.2) Parashuraam and Ganesh Jee
Once Parashuraam Jee went to see Shiv Jee. Shiv Jee was taking rest and Ganesh Jee was guarding his place. So when Parashuraam Jee was about to enter the place of Shiv Jee, Ganesh Jee stopped him - "Where are you going?" "I have to see my Guru Shiv." "You cannot see him now as he is taking rest now." :But I am in hurry, I have to see him with regard to some specific purpose and I am free to see him anytime." "No, You cannot." At this both started fighting, Parashuraam Jee took out his axe and hurled it on Ganesh Jee. Ganesh Jee immediately recognized the axe as the weapon of his father. He bowed to the axe, fell one his teeth on the ground in his honor. The axe went back to Parashuraam Jee.

All this was so much noisy that both Shiv and Paarvatee came out to find out what was happening. They saw Parashuraam Jee with his axe and their son only with one tooth. They understood what would have happened. Paarvatee Jee got very angry at this and got ready to curse Parashuraam Jee. Parashuraam Jee tried his best to explain his situation but she was adamant on her decision. Then Vishnu came and explained her that Parashhuraam was also like her son Ganesh, and she should forgive him. Then only she agreed and forgave Parashuraam Jee. Since then Ganesh Jee has been known as Ekdant.

(1.3) Parashuraam Created Kerala With His Axe
After attacking all kings on account of killing his father Jamadagni by Kaartaveerya Arjun (Sahastrabaahu), and giving all those lands to sage Kashyap as Daan, sage Parashuraam prayed God Varun to give him a piece of Land from sea for throwing his axe. The entire area covered by the axe was restored as Land. This land is present Kerala as per legends. It was Parashuraam who brought Nampoodaree families from North India, organized them and settled them in 64 Graam (villages). He constructed many temples and made them the chief priests of those temples. On account of this Kerala temples have Namboodaree as Tantree.

Another popular legend would have it that the land crust that forms the State was raised from the depths of the ocean. After killing all Kshatriya of Prithvi, at one moment Parashuraam Jee felt painful regret for the wanton annihilation he had wrought. He offered severe penance atop the mountain heights. In a mood of profound atonement, the sage heaved his mighty axe into the midst of the distant ocean. The waves foamed and frothed as a axe-shaped land, extending from Gokarn to Kanyaa Kumaaree. surfaced from the depths of the sea to form the state Kerala and hence the sobriquet - "Gods own Country". He made/worshiped at the 108 Shiv Kshetra all over the South Western coast of India, of which 105 exist in modern Kerala, followed by one in Sucheendram, Tamilnaadu, two in Karnaatak namely Kollur and Gokarn. These temples have special sanctity.

(2) Satyavaan-Saavitree Legend
In the Satyavaan and Saavitree legend, Satyavaan was a wood cutter. Saavitree was a princess of a great beauty, intellect and good conduct. When his father could nor find a groom for her, he asked his daughter to look for one herself. He sent her around with his ministers and her friends. She went around and saw a boy cutting the wood with his axe in the forest. She found out about him and informed her father about him.  The then Naarad Jee came there and told that that boy was not good for her because he had only one year to live from that day. The King asked Saavitree to choose any other one but she said - "Father, Indian girl chooses her husband only once. I have chosen him and that is all."  Later they got married.

Satyavaan didn't know anything about this, but Saavitree did not forget it. Three days before the appointed day, Saavitree started her worship and the third day she went to forest with Satyavaan in spite of explaining her several times. After a while Satyavaan complained about headache and died. Saavitree saw Yam Raaj taking Satyavaan's astral body taken out from his physical body. She followed him and got success to bring him back to life with her talking skills. They came back with their axe.  Read the full story.

(3) Kaali Daas and His Axe
Do not cut the branch you are sitting on. That is what Kaali Daas was doing, and that is why people took him as a fool. If a person is sitting on a branch and cutting it from the tree side, he is a first class fool, because as soon is the branch is cut, he will fall down. If one has to cut the branch sitting on it, he should sit on the tree side and cut the branch from outside. This axe was so important in his life that it helped him marry a very learned girl who had refused to marry many boys on the basis that they were unsuccessful in defeating her in discussions.   Read the full story.

A Story About Axe
Once there was a woodcutter living in a village. He was very poor and used to manage his family after selling the wood in the market. One day he was cutting a tree near a river that his axe got slipped from his hands and fell into the river. The tree was half cut. He had to finish it, and he had only one axe. He did not know swimming, so he prayed to God sitting on the bank of the river to get his axe back. The God heard his prayer and He suddenly appeared before him holding a Golden axe and asked him whether that was his axe? He said "No, this is not my axe." God took a dip in the river and got another axe. It was made of silver. God asked him again whether that was his axe, he still said "No".

Now God again took a dip in the river and appeared with an old iron axe. He again asked the man whether it was his axe. The man quickly replied God - "Yes, it is my axe." Seeing the truthfulness of the woodcutter, God gave him with all the three axes. The woodcutter first accomplished the task with his iron axe, and then sold his both gold and silver axes. Now he became very rich, but still he continued to cut wood and mange his family.

Now there lived another woodcutter in his neighborhood. He was greedy and jealous. As he saw that his neighbor had become very rich he got jealous. His wife was more jealous than him, so she asked him to go to the neighbor and asked him what did he do to become rich. He went to the neighbor and asked him - "Friend, What did you do to become so rich?" The neighbor was very simple so he told him the truth whatever happened with him. The neighbor went back to his home and reported it to his wife. His wife was very wise, she compelled him to go and cut the tree near the river and behave in the same way as his neighbor did. The envious woodcutter reached near the river and found a tree for cutting. He started cutting it, but the axe would not slip, so he wontedly threw the axe into the river and started praying the God to bring it to him.

God truly heard his prayer and came out of the river with his own iron axe and asked him whether it was his axe. But the envious woodcutter wanted not his iron axe but the golden axe to satisfy his wife, so he said that it was not his own axe. God again took a dip in the river and reappeared with a silver axe and asked him if it was his axe, but the envious woodcutter wanted not the silver axe but the golden axe to satisfy his wife, so he said that "No, it is not my axe." God again took a dip in the river and reappeared with the golden axe and asked him whether it was his axe. Seeing that axe, that person got very happy and quickly said that - "Yes, Yes, It is my axe." And he was going to almost snatch that axe from God’s hands, but God was very clever. He moved His hand back and the neighbor could not take that axe from God's hand.

Now God asked a question – "Do you cut the tree with this axe?" He never expected such a question from God, so he could not reply Him immediately. The God was so annoyed by his lies that He threw all axes back into the river and disappeared. Thus not only he lost the gold and silver axes due to his greed but his own good iron axe also which was his only means to earn livelihood.

Sushnma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com