Bhagavad Gita · Mahabharata Codex

Parashurama

परशुराम · paraśurāma

Warrior-brahmin of the Bhrigu line; teacher of Bhishma, Drona and Karna

The three greatest Kaurava commanders all learned from the same man.

Parashurama, 'Rama with the axe', was a brahmin who took up arms after a king murdered his father, and is said to have emptied the earth of warriors twenty-one times. He then gave away everything he had won and lived as an ascetic. He taught Bhishma, gave Drona his weapons, and trained Karna until he discovered that Karna had lied about his birth. He fought Bhishma for twenty-three days on Amba's behalf, and neither could win.