Kartavirya Arjuna was no ordinary king. Blessed by Dattatreya, he possessed a thousand arms (also called SAHASRABAHU) unmatched strength and ruled an empire so powerful that rivers changed course at his command. He was the ruler of the Haihaya Kingdom.
Once, Kartavirya Arjuna visited the hermitage of Jamadagni (Parashurama’s Father). There he saw the divine cow, Kamadhenu. So, he wants to get her. But Jamadagni Rishi refused. Enraged by this gesture, Kartavirya stole the divine cow by force !!
When Jamadagni Rishi’s son, Parashurama, returned home, he was furious at this cruel act done by the King. So, he went in search of Kartavirya Arjuna, and in a fearsome battle, Kartavirya Arjuna was defeated and killed by the 6th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Parashurama (His earlier name was Bhargava Rama).
Then, by this tragic incident, Kartavirya’s sons were enraged, and they attacked Jamadagni Rishi’s Hermitage when Parashurama was away from home. And, they killed Jamadagni Rishi. At that time, helpless, Jamadagni’s wife, Renuka Devi, called for Parashurama 21 times. But, it was too late. When Parashurama returned, his father was gone. Then, began Parashurama’s 21 conquests against the Kshatriyas. Here, is an important thing to note. He only killed those Kshatriya Kings, who were Corrupt and Tyrranical, not all the Kshatriyas. And, every time a conquest ends, he fills 5 lakes with their blood. These lakes become the Samanta Panchaka. Its location was identified near Kurukshetra in present-day Haryana.
So, this is a brief overview of Parashurama and Kartavirya Arjuna. If you learn something new from this post, please UPVOTE it and don’t forget to follow my space MINDVERSE.
Source:- Srimad Bhagavatam