No greater historical value is to be attached to a legend of the destruction of the Kshatriyas by a Brahman. Gadhi, the father of Viçvamitra, had given his daughter to wife to a saint, Richika, the son of Aurva, of the race of the Bhrigus. She bore Jamadagni to Richika, who lived as an eremite after the example of his father. One day Arjuna came to the abode of Jamadagni, and though he received the king with honour, Arjuna caused the calf of his cow to be carried away. Then Paraçurama, _i.e._ Rama with the axe, the youngest son of Jamadagni, slew the king, and the king's sons slew Jamadagni. To avenge the death of his father, Paraçurama swore to destroy all the Kshatriyas from the earth. Thrice seven times with his irresistible axe he cut down the Kshatriyas, and appeased the manes of Jamadagni and the Bhrigus with the blood of the slain. Then he offered a great sacrifice to Indra, and presented the earth to the saint Kaçyapa. But Kaçyapa gave it to the Brahmans, and went into the forest. Then the stronger oppressed the weaker, and the Vaiçyas and Çudras behaved themselves wickedly towards the wives of the Brahmans, and the earth besought Kaçyapa for a protector and a king; a few Kshatriyas were still left among the women; and Paraçara had brought up Sarvakarma, the son of Sudas. And Kaçyapa did as the earth entreated him, and made the son of Sudas and the other Kshatriyas to be kings. This was long before the great war.[187] In the Ramayana, Paraçurama rebels when Rama has broken Çiva's great bow. All were in terror lest he should again destroy the Kshatriyas. But Rama also strings Paraçurama's great bow, shoots the arrow to the sky, not towards Paraçurama, "because he was a Brahman," and Paraçurama returned to Mount Mahendra. FOOTNOTES: [151] Cunningham, "Survey," 1. 301 ff. [152] Lassen, _loc. cit._ 1^2, 168 _n._ [153] Lassen, "Ind. Alterth." 1^2, 168. [154] Lassen, _loc. cit._ 1^2, 671, 951. [155] Manu, 1. 91. [156] Lassen, _loc. cit._ 1^2, 966 _n._ [157] "Samaveda," 1, 6, 1, 4, 5, in Benfey's translation. [158] Muir, "Sanskrit Texts," 5, 266 ff. [159] "Rigveda," 1, 40, 5, in Muir, _loc. cit._ 5, 272 ff. [160] "Rigveda," 10, 68, 8 ff. Roth, "Z. D. M. G." 1. 75. [161] _Brahmán_, from the root _barh_, connected with the root _vardh_ (to become, to grow), means to raise, to elevate. The masc. _brahmán_ means "he who elevates, makes to increase;" the neuter _bráhman_ means first, "growth," the "creative power," and then, "the elevating and elevated mood," the prayer and sacred form of words, the creative, reproducing power. A. Weber, "Ind. Studien," 2, 303; 9, 305. [162] Roth, _loc. cit._ 1. 73. [163]Muir, _loc. cit._ 5, 382. [164] So in Manu, _e.g._ 6. 65. _Atman_ means "_breathing_;" _paramatman_ "the highest breathing." [165] "Rigveda," 10, 72, 1-3; 10, 129, 1-6, in Muir, _loc. cit._ 5, 48 ff. 356. [166] Manu, 1, 28, 29.