Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 12

Paraśurāma Avenges Jamadagni; Restoration Through Sacrifice; Viśvāmitra’s Line and Devarāta (Śunaḥśepha)

Devanagari script

याच्यमाना: कृपणया राममात्रातिदारुणा: । प्रसह्य शिर उत्कृत्य निन्युस्ते क्षत्रबन्धव: ॥ १२ ॥

Transliteration

yācyamānāḥ kṛpaṇayā rāma-mātrātidāruṇāḥ prasahya śira utkṛtya ninyus te kṣatra-bandhavaḥ

Translation

Mit kläglichen Bitten flehte Reṇukā, die Mutter Paraśurāmas, um das Leben ihres Mannes. Doch jene grausamen Menschen schlugen ihm gewaltsam den Kopf ab und nahmen ihn mit.

Synonyms

• याच्यमानाः: being entreated
• याच्यमानाः: विशेषण (of कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याच् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्/मान (present passive participle), from √याच्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘ते’ विशेषणम्; अर्थः—being begged/entreated

• कृपणया: by the pitiable woman
• कृपणया: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/सहायक-भावः (instrumental: ‘by the poor woman’)

• राम-मात्रा-अति-दारुणाः: very cruel to Rama’s mother
• राम-मात्रा-अति-दारुणाः: विशेषण (of कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अति (अव्यय) + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (tatpuruṣa with intensifier): ‘रामस्य माता’ (rāma-mātrā) + ‘अति-दारुण’ (very cruel); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘ते’ विशेषणम्

• प्रसह्य: having forced (her)
• प्रसह्य: पूर्वकाल (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-सह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), from √प्र-सह्; अव्ययभावेन क्रियाविशेषणम्

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• उत्कृत्य: having cut off
• उत्कृत्य: पूर्वकाल (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), from √उत्-कृ (‘to cut off’); अव्ययभावेन क्रियाविशेषणम्

• निन्युः: they carried away
• निन्युः: क्रिया (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• क्षत्र-बन्धवः: the kṣatriya kinsmen (base fellows)
• क्षत्र-बन्धवः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; जातिवाचकः—‘kṣatriya-kin’ (often pejorative: mere relatives of kṣatriyas)

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Jamadagni’s son)
• Rāma’s mother (Reṇukā)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about cruel kshatriyas in the Paraśurāma story?

This verse describes degenerate kṣatriyas acting with extreme cruelty—ignoring a mother’s pleas, beheading Rāma, and taking the head—illustrating adharma and the moral collapse that triggers divine/saintly retribution in the narrative.

Why did the kshatriyas cut off Rāma’s head even when his mother begged them?

In the episode, they are portrayed as ‘kṣatra-bandhavaḥ’—kṣatriyas in name only—driven by brutality and disregard for righteousness, thus committing an outrage that sets the stage for Paraśurāma’s response.

What practical lesson does this Bhagavatam verse teach for modern life?

Power without dharma becomes cruelty: the verse warns that status or identity is meaningless without compassion and moral restraint, and that ignoring righteous pleas leads to grave consequences.