Shloka 61
Rāma–Jāmadagnya-janma-kāraṇa and Kṣatra-kṣaya
Paraśurāma’s origins and the depletion/restoration of kṣatriya lineages
Devanagari script
स पुनस्ताञ्जघानाशु बालानपि नराधिप
Transliteration
sa punas tāñ jaghānāśu bālān api narādhipa
Translation
But he again struck them down swiftly—those very ones—even though they were mere children, O king.
Word by Word
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पुनःagain
पुनः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः
तान्them
तान्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
जघानstruck/killed
जघान:
TypeVerb
Rootहन्
FormPerfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
आशुquickly
आशु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootआशु
बालान्boys/children
बालान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootबाल
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
अपिeven/also
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
नराधिपO king (lord of men)
नराधिप:
TypeNoun
Rootनराधिप
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
Speaker
वासुदेव उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
Vāsudeva (speaker)N
narādhipa (the king addressed)B
bālāḥ (children, as victims)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical boundary: harming the innocent—especially children—is a grave lapse from dharma. It implicitly contrasts righteous power with cruelty and warns that speed or anger cannot justify violence against the vulnerable.
Vāsudeva addresses a king and describes a person who, returning to violence, quickly strikes down 'them'—explicitly including children—emphasizing the severity and moral ugliness of the act.