Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 32

अयोध्याकाण्डे एकविंशः सर्गः

Lakṣmaṇa’s militant counsel and Rāma’s dharma-based persuasion of Kausalyā

Devanagari script

जामद्ग्न्येन रामेण रेणुका जननी स्वयम्।कृत्ता परशुनाऽरण्ये पितुर्वचनकारिणा।।2.21.32।।

Transliteration

jāmadagnyena rāmeṇa reṇukā jananī svayam |

kṛttā paraśunā ’raṇye pitur vacana-kāriṇā || 2.21.32 ||

Translation

Rama Jamadagnya (Parashurama) selbst gehorchte dem Wort seines Vaters und streckte seine eigene Mutter Renuka im Wald mit einer Axt nieder.

Word by Word

• जामद्ग्न्येन: by Jamadagni's son
• जामद्ग्न्येन: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāmadagnya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• रामेण: by Rama (Parashurama)
• रामेण: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Parashurama)

• रेणुका: Renuka
• रेणुका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: reṇukā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जननी: mother
• जननी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jananī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: herself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (reflexive adverb): ‘himself/by oneself’

• कृत्ता: was severed
• कृत्ता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛtta (कृदन्त; √kṛt कृन्त्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग: ‘was cut/severed’ (agreeing with रेणुका)

• परशुना: with an axe
• परशुना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paraśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अरण्ये: in the forest
• अरण्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पितुः: of (his) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• वचनकारिणा: obedient to the command
• वचनकारिणा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक) + kārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘one who does (another's) word’; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (agreeing with रामेण)

Context

Parasurama, son of Jamadagni himself in obedience to the words of his father, decapitated his mother Renuka in the forest with an axe.

Characters & Entities

• Parasurama (Rama Jāmadagnya)
• Jamadagni
• forest (araṇya)
• axe (paraśu)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

It presents an extreme exemplar of obedience to a father’s command, used rhetorically to argue that pitṛ-vākya was treated as a decisive dharmic imperative in traditional memory.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama continues listing renowned precedents to justify his own acceptance of Daśaratha’s order.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Uncompromising obedience and discipline (niyama) framed as fidelity to duty.