ParashurAma kShetra

[Balaji Hebbar]

The  ParashurAma  kShetra  is  that  strip  of  land  along  the  West
Coast  of  India  which  is  located  between  the  Western  GhATs  on
the  east  and  the  Arabian  Sea  on  the  west.  According  to  one
version,  it  stretches  from  NAsik  in  the  North  to  KankyAkumArI
in  the  South.  According  to  another  version,  it  stretches  from
GokarNa  in  the  north  to  Trivandrum  in  the  south.

The  mythology  of  ParashurAma  is  found  in  the  following  sources:
1.  Vana  and  Shanti  parvas  of  the  MBH
2.  Matsya  PurANa  chaps  42-44
3.  the  entire  SahyAdri  KANDa  of  the  SkAnda  PurANa  (main
source)

among  others.

Briefly,  the  legend  is:  Having  given  away  the  land  to  Sage
Kasyapa,  ParashurAma  stood  at  what  is  now  TIrthahaLLi  (Shimoga
Distt.,  Karnataka)  and  after  a  conversation  with  the  Sea
demanding  land,  aimed  his  axe.  It  went  a  100  yojanas,  creating
the  ParashurAma  kShetra.  It  includes  the  CitpAvan
(MarAThi-speaking),  SArasvat,  GauDa-SArasvat  (both
KonkaNI-speaking),  Havyak,  KoTa,  (both  "coastal"  KannaDa-speaking)
ShivaLLi  (TuLu-speaking)  and  Nambudiri  (MaLayALam-speaking)
brahmins  referred  to  collectively  as  the  SaptakonkaNa  brahmins.

Regards,
B.N.Hebbar