Shloka 31

Rāma–Jāmadagnya-janma-kāraṇa and Kṣatra-kṣaya

Paraśurāma’s origins and the depletion/restoration of kṣatriya lineages

Devanagari script

ऋचीको जनयामास जमदर्ग्निं तपोनिधिम्‌ | सोडपि पुत्र हूजनयज्जमदग्नि: सुदारुणम्‌

Transliteration

Ṛcīko janayāmāsa Jamadagnim taponidhim | so ’pi putraṃ hūjanayaj Jamadagniḥ sudāruṇam ||

Translation

Vāsudeva said: “Ṛcīka begot Jamadagni, a veritable treasure-house of austerity. And Jamadagni, in turn, begot a son of exceedingly fierce and formidable nature—Paraśurāma—radiant like a blazing fire, fully accomplished in all branches of knowledge and pre-eminent in the science of archery, renowned as a slayer of oppressive kṣatriyas.”

Word by Word

• {'Ṛcīkaḥ': 'Ṛcīka (a sage

• ancestor in the Bhṛgu line)', 'janayāmāsa': 'begot, caused to be born (causative perfect)', 'Jamadagniḥ': 'Jamadagni (sage

• father of Paraśurāma)', 'tapo-nidhiḥ': 'treasure/abode of austerity

• one rich in tapas', 'so ’pi': 'he too

• and he in turn', 'putram': 'a son', 'hūjanayat (janayat)': 'begot/produced (textual variant/orthography

• sense: ‘caused to be born’)', 'sudāruṇam': 'very fierce, exceedingly terrible/formidable', 'Paraśurāmaḥ': 'Rāma with the axe

• Bhārgava warrior-sage', 'dhanurveda': 'science of archery/weaponry', 'kṣatriya-hantā': 'slayer of kṣatriyas (in the sense of punishing oppressive rulers)'}

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Ṛcīka
• Jamadagni
• Paraśurāma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how tapas (austerity and discipline) and lineage can generate immense spiritual and martial potency; when rulers violate dharma, that potency may manifest as a fierce corrective force. It frames Paraśurāma not merely as violent, but as an instrument arising in response to adharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva recounts a genealogy: the sage Ṛcīka fathers Jamadagni, famed for austerity; Jamadagni then fathers a very fierce son—Paraśurāma—celebrated for mastery of learning and archery and known for destroying oppressive kṣatriyas.