Parashurama is considered as the son of a Muni called Jamadagni. He belongs to the Treta Yuga. Kenuka was his mother who belonged to the Kshatriya caste. The myth relates that the princess, his mother, having committed a sin, his father commanded his sons to put her to death. All refused to kill his mother except Rama, the youngest, who seized his axe and felled her to the ground. In reward for his triumph of duty over feeling he received the gift of invincibility. Parashurama was bestowed with the power of being both physically and mentally strong. He was impossible to be defeated by anyone.

Kartavirya, king of the Haiheyas, coveted the divine cow Kamadhenu which belonged to the Muni, and took it from him by force. When Parashurama was on his visit to Jamadagni, he went forth to recover the cow, and soon killed the robber king. The sons of Kartavirya, to avenge their father death, attacked the hermitage of Jamadagni, when Parashurama was away. They killed Jamadagni. Parashurama returned to lament his father`s unmerited fate and vowed that he would destroy the whole Kshatriya race.

He had received an axe after undertaking a penance to please Lord Shiva, from whom he learned warfare methods and other skills. Parashurama sometimes is also considered is to be a Brahmakshatriya. In his later life he gave up violence and became an ascetic. The territories he received from the Kshatriyas were distributed among a clan of Brahmins. They ruled these lands for many centuries. The territories included Kingdoms like the Cheras, Pandyas, Dravida, Mushika, Karnataka and Konkan.

Lord Vishnu sixth incarnation is considered by scholars to relieve the Earth`s burden by eliminating the sinful, destructive and irreligious monarchs who neglected their duties as kings. Parashurama is less worshipped unlike other avatars of Lord Vishnu. However in South India near Udupi there exists a major temple where Parashurama is worshipped. He is also worshipped in a temple at Parashurama, in Maharashtra`s Ratnagiri district as he is considered the savior of Konkan Coast. There are Parashurama temples throughout west and North India. There is a temple of Parashurama situated in Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir.