Shloka 4
Rāma–Jāmadagnya-janma-kāraṇa and Kṣatra-kṣaya
Paraśurāma’s origins and the depletion/restoration of kṣatriya lineages
अग्ग्रं तप: समातिष्ठत् सहस्राक्षसमो भुवि । पुत्र लभेयमजितं त्रिलोकेश्वरमित्युत
agryaṃ tapaḥ samātiṣṭhat sahasrākṣa-samo bhuvi | putraṃ labheyam ajitaṃ trilokeśvaram ity uta ||
He undertook the highest austerity on earth, possessing prowess equal to Indra of the thousand eyes. With the resolve, “May I obtain a son—unconquered and sovereign over the three worlds,” he began that supreme penance, driven by ambition for an invincible, world-ruling heir.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intense discipline (tapas) is pursued to fulfill powerful desires; ethically, it invites reflection on the motives behind austerity—whether aimed at dharma and self-mastery or at dominance and invincibility.
Vayudeva describes a figure who begins supreme austerities on earth, comparable in might to Indra, with the explicit aim of obtaining a son who would be undefeated and rule the three worlds.