Paraśurāma Avenges Jamadagni; Restoration Through Sacrifice; Viśvāmitra’s Line and Devarāta (Śunaḥśepha)
एवं कौशिकगोत्रं तु विश्वामित्रै: पृथग्विधम् । प्रवरान्तरमापन्नं तद्धि चैवं प्रकल्पितम् ॥ ३७ ॥
evaṁ kauśika-gotraṁ tu viśvāmitraiḥ pṛthag-vidham pravarāntaram āpannaṁ tad dhi caivaṁ prakalpitam
وهكذا لعن فيشواميترا بعض أبنائه وبارك آخرين، واتخذ أيضًا ابنًا بالتبنّي. فظهرت تنوّعات في سلالة كوشيكا؛ غير أنّ ديفاراتا عُدَّ الأكبر بين الجميع.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Ninth Canto, Sixteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Lord Paraśurāma Destroys the World’s Ruling Class.”
This verse explains that the Kauśika lineage became diversified through Viśvāmitra, and that it came to have a distinct pravara—an established Vedic ancestral invocation—arranged in this way by tradition.
Pravara identifies the ancestral ṛṣis invoked in Vedic rites and helps distinguish branches within a gotra; here it clarifies how Viśvāmitra’s line developed distinct ritual-identities within the Kauśika lineage.
It highlights the importance of honoring authentic spiritual heritage—staying connected to a bona fide tradition, teachers, and practices—while remembering that true worth is shown by character and devotion.