Axe has been vanishing much from the field today from the modern world as well as from India, because whatever the axe did in past days, machines are doing it today. The main use of axe in ancient days was to size woods removing bark and outer inferior wood of trees and preparing fire wood. People took their axe to forest, cut the wood and bring it to their home putting it on their head. Those people were called woodcutter. Besides, there are many types of axe, many sayings about axe, and many uses of axe. We have many references of axe in our scriptures also, you must be wondering, how? let us see... Along with the scriptural references, here is given a very common story too about axe.

(1) Parashuraam With His Axe
Let us start with Bhagavaan himself. Parashuraam Jee, Vishnu's 7th incarnation, was born as the son of sage Jamadagni. There are three Raam in our scriptures. How to differentiate them from each other?  - (1) First Raam is called Parashuraam. He is the 6th incarnation of Vishnu. Why is he called Parashuraam, because he had an axe as his weapon that is why he is called Parashu + Raam, (2) Second Raam is Balaraam. He is the incarnation of Shesh Naag. Why is he called Balaraam, because he was very mighty that is why he is called Bala + Raam and (3) Third Raam is Shree Raam. He is the 7th incarnation of Vishnu. Why is he called Shree Raam, because he had taken one-wife vow and was always with Lakshmee (Shree) Jee that is why he is called Shree Raam.

Parashuraam Jee got his axe from Shiv Jee after performing long austerities. It was this axe from which he emptied this Prithvi from Kshatriya 21 times. There are very few temples for Parashuraam. One temple is at Tiruvallam near Trivendram in Kerala.

(2) Parashuraam Created Kerala With His Axe
After attacking all kings on account of killing his father Jamadagni by Kaartaveerya Arjun, and giving all those lands to sage Kashyap as Daan, sage Parashuraam prayed God Varun to give him a piece of Land from sea for throwing his axe. The entire area covered by the axe was restored as Land. This land is present Kerala as per legends. It was Parashuraam who brought Nampoodaree families from North India, organized them and settled them in 64 Graam (villages). He constructed many temples and made them the chief priests of those temples. On account of this Kerala temples have Namboodaree as Tantree.

Another popular legend would have it that the land crust that forms the State was raised from the depths of the ocean. After killing all Kshatriya of Prithvi, at one moment Parashuraam Jee felt painful regret for the wanton annihilation he had wrought. He offered severe penance atop the mountain heights. In a mood of profound atonement, the sage heaved his mighty axe into the midst of the distant ocean. The waves foamed and frothed as a axe-shaped land, extending from Gokarn to Kanyaa Kumaaree. surfaced from the depths of the sea to form the state Kerala and hence the sobriquet - "Gods own Country". He made/worshipped at the 108 Shiv Kshetra all over the South Western coast of India, of which 105 exist in modern Kerala, followed by one in Sucheendram, Tamilnaadu, two in Karnaatak namely Kollur and Gokarn. These temples have special sanctity.

(3) Satyavaan-Saavitree Legend
In the Satyavaan and Saavitree legend, Satyavaan was a wood cutter. When Saavitree saw him he was cutting wood with his axe in the forest. Later they got married. Read the full story here.

(4) Kaali Daas and His Axe
This example is not from scripture, it is from literature. It is the example of a great Sanskrit poet. Do not cut the branch you are sitting on. That is what Kaali Daas was doing, and that is why people took him as a fool. If a person is sitting on a branch and cutting it from the tree side, he is a first class fool, because as soon is the branch is cut, he will fall down. If one has to cut the branch sitting on it he should sit on the tree side and cut the branch from outside. Read the full story.