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Ravana was a great devotee of Lord Shiva and Parashurama is an avatar of Lord Vishnu and also a devotee of Lord Shiva.

I know TV serials/comic stories are just baseless so I want to know if Ravana has come into contact with Parashurama during his childhood or his early life before Ramayana took place.

I know one incident where Parashurama kills Sahasrabahu (Kartavirya Arjuna with 1000 arms) who in turn is known for defeating Ravana once.

So did Ravana and Parashurama ever meet? If yes, how/what was the relation between the two and which Hindu scriptures talk about it?

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    AFAIK, if they had met, Parasurama would have killed Ravana.
    – Mr_Green
    Commented Jun 28, 2015 at 16:36
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    @Mr_Green Parshuram and Ravan both were brahmin so Parshuram would never killed Ravana, Parshuram was only to kill Kshtriyas who forgot the fundamentals of dharma. Commented Jun 29, 2015 at 12:38
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    No. They never met. But as you rightly pointed out, Ravana had an encounter with Kartaveeryarjuna (btw sahasra not sahastra) who was defeated in battle single-handedly by Parasurama.
    – user1195
    Commented Jul 3, 2015 at 18:28
  • @VipulHadiya parshuram Did End The kshtriya Kuul 21 times - so who says That he killed Only the Kshtriyas who forgot the fundamentals of dharama! Parshuram Killed the Innocent Kshatriyas Just Because of Deeds By Kartavera Arjuna he killed his Father . It was all in anger & Ego
    – user4701
    Commented Jan 25, 2016 at 17:52
  • Ravana and Lord Parshuram met during Sita Swayamvara. Ravan was also one of the invitees to the Swayamvara; he couldn't lift the bow and had to leave.
    – VAT
    Commented Aug 18, 2019 at 11:47

2 Answers 2

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In Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, the only time Paraśurāma (a.k.a Rāma Jāmadagnya) ever appears in person is when he confronts Rāma Dāśarathi in Bāla Kāṇḍa, sargas 72-75 of the critical edition.

Bāla Kāṇḍa (Sarga 75)

...

The handsome Rama, Dasharatha's son, released the supreme arrow. The darkness was dispelled and all the directions could be seen. The gods and all the rishis praised Rama and the upraised weapon. Rama who was Jamadagni's son praised the Rama who was Dasharatha's son.

Having circumambulated him [Rama], the lord [Parashurama], who no longer possessed any worlds, went away.

(Debroy, Bibek. The Valmiki Ramayana: Volume 1)

There is no mention of Paraśurāma ever meeting anyone else including Rāvaṇa in the rest of Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa.

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Ravana appears in Ramayana only and Parasurama appears in Mahabharata only. Hence, their meeting is not possible.

The episode of Parasurama challenging Sri Rama appears in the 74th - 76th sargas of Bala Kanda.

On hearing the unregenerate and highly perfidious murdering of his father, Parasurama rancorously extirpated Kshatriya-s as and when they are born, that too not for one time, going around the earth... and on getting the entire earth under his control he performed Vedic-ritual, and at the end of that Vedic-ritual.

He gave all that earth to sage Kashyapa, a sage with divine soul and with pious observances, as a ritualistic-generosity."

On hearing about the breakage of Shiva's longbow, then he promptly came there and challenged Sri Rama.


The Story of Parasurama also appears in Mahabharata, wherein it was mentioned that Drona obtained all his divine weapons from the former.

Drona heard that the illustrious Brahmana Jamadagnya, Rama the son of Jamadagni, had expressed a desire of giving away all his wealth to Brahmanas. Having heard of Rama's knowledge of arms and of his celestial weapons also, Drona, who set his heart upon them as also upon the knowledge of morality that Rama possessed, set out for the Mahendra mountains.

Arrived at Mahendra, Drona approached Rama the son of Jamadagni, worshipped Rama's feet, and told him that he came there with the desire of obtaining his wealth.'

On hearing him, Rama said that he gave away his gold and whatever other wealth he had to Brahmanas! He further stated that the earth also, to the verge of the sea, decked with towns and cities, as with a garland of flowers, was given unto Kasyapa. And, he added that he was left with his body only and his various valuable weapons and that he was prepared to give either his body or his weapons.

Drona prayed to give him all his weapons together with the mysteries of hurling and recalling them and Rama gave all his weapons to Drona,


If we study these 2 stories in depth, we will find 2 contradictions.

1) If the Parasu Rama the son of Jamadagni extirpated Kshatriya-s many times by going around the earth, then lineage of both Ikshvaku's, to which Dasaratha belonged, and Nimi's, to which Janaka belonged to, must have been broken, as Parasu Rama might have eliminated Kshatriya-s of both lineages.

However, while describing the lineages of Ikshvaku's and Nimi's during the marriage ceremony of Sri Rama and Sita, Sage Valmiki did not mention about breakage of those lineages due to Parasu Rama's adventures.

2) It was mentioned in Mahabharata that Parasurama eliminated Arjuna (the Haihaya king), for revenging his father's death. However, Parasurama's encounter with Sri Rama was not mentioned here.

3) In Mahabharata it was mentioned that Drona obtained all his divine weapons from Parasu Rama.

Mahabharata followed Srimad Ramayana, as mention about Sri Rama can be found in Mahabharata but not about Pandavas in Srimad Ramayana. Many such instances can be quoted.

So if Parasu Rama distributed all his riches along with entire land on earth to Kashyapa and retired to Mt. Mahendra for practising ascesis, how can he still wait for Drona of Mahabharata era for imparting knowledge in divine weapons and then retire to Mt. Mahendra?

The answer is clear.

Parasu Rama existed only in Mahabharata era but not in Srimad Ramayana era.

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  • So u mean Parasuraama avtaar happened after Raama avtaar???
    – YDS
    Commented Aug 18, 2019 at 12:30
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    bdw there was a practice known as Niyoga by which lineage couldn't be broken..In Mahabharata you can find how Dritrastra, Pandu, Vidura born..so weren't they Kurus??.. similarly MBH mention that few kings hide themselves in forest and children/old were not killed so they continued lineage everytime and in rare cases the lineage continued by Brahmins through Niyoga practice...
    – YDS
    Commented Aug 18, 2019 at 12:39
  • There was no mention of breakage of lineages in Ramayana. You can check it. @YDS Commented Aug 18, 2019 at 12:45
  • even i asked a q on who were the kings in popular lineage killed by Parasuraama...but if no lineage breakage mentioned then it might be possible that it was continued by niyoga or may be some child or old survived or only Haiyas were Samrats that time so by killing all means killing only Haiyaays and as glory mention all as they were ruling over other kings too.. anyway fixing small problem doesn't mean creating bigger problem!! :) if you say Paraasuraama avtaar happened after Raama then you have to prove many texts false :)
    – YDS
    Commented Aug 18, 2019 at 12:56
  • @YDS:I don't have that idea please.:-) Commented Aug 18, 2019 at 13:06

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