Story of Parashuram and five ghosts were narrated by Bhishma
while lying on the bed of arrows in the Mahabharata during the Kurukshetra war.
Parashurama was on pilgrimage around the world and once he came across give
ghosts.
The ghosts were attracted by the unusual combination of
warrior and saintly form of Parashuram.
They started talking to Parshuram and during the
conversation they revealed their stories.
The first ghost told Parashuram that his name was Sachimukha.
He was the son of a warrior. He ignored people who asked him food. He ignored the
guests and ate food first. Therefore he was born as ghost named Sachimukha.
The second ghost was Shigrakh. He was a hunter. He drove
away people who came asking for food. He was thus cursed to be born as a ghost.
The third ghost was Lekhak. He was the son of a Brahmin
priest. He used to drive away poor people who came to the temple or his house
asking for food.
The fourth ghost was Pashyurshit. He was the son of a
merchant. He used to hate people asking him food. But as his father was adamant
of giving food to people, he used to spit in the food before giving it.
The fifth ghost was Pathak. He was a person who did menial
jobs. Whenever anyone asked him for food or something else he used to act as if
he was sleeping.
All the five ghosts roamed around eating nothing but excreta
and drinking urine. They often went hungry and had to eat remains of dead
animals.
Parashuram wanted to know how they will find liberation. The
ghosts told Parashuram that they will be liberated when they came across a
person who followed Dharma.
Soon the ghosts realized that they were being liberated.
Parashuram was the person they were searching for. The five ghosts were
liberated of their sins.
The story narrates the importance of performing charity with
a pure mind. We often donate angrily or move forward as if we have not heard or
seen anything. Give whatever possible with a happy mind and do not think about
the charity after giving it.