Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.15.35-36
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionThe Suffering Cow Returns Home
“Thereafter, Paraśurāma cut off like a mountain peak the head of Kārtavīryārjuna, who had already lost his arms. When Kārtavīryārjuna’s ten thousand sons saw their father killed, they all fled in fear. Then Paraśurāma, having killed the enemy, released the kāmadhenu, which had undergone great suffering, and brought it back with its calf to his residence, where he gave it to his father, Jamadagni.”
What the purport teaches
- Paraśurāma cut off Kārtavīryārjuna’s head, compared here to a mountain peak, after the king had lost his arms.
- When the king’s ten thousand sons saw their father killed, they fled in fear.
- Paraśurāma released the kāmadhenu, who had suffered greatly. He brought her and her calf home and returned them to his father, Jamadagni.
Try this today
Reread the final sentence and note the three actions Paraśurāma took to restore the cow to Jamadagni.
Ask yourself
What stands out to you about the account ending with the suffering cow and her calf returning home?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.