Shloka 79
Rāma–Jāmadagnya-janma-kāraṇa and Kṣatra-kṣaya
Paraśurāma’s origins and the depletion/restoration of kṣatriya lineages
वने संवर्धितो गोभि: सो5भिरक्षतु मां मुने । राजा शिबिका एक महातेजस्वी पुत्र बचा हुआ है
vane saṃvardhito gobhiḥ so ’bhirakṣatu māṃ mune | rājā śibikā eka mahātejasvī putraḥ bacā huā hai, jisakā nāma hai gopati | use vanam̐eṃ gāvoṃne pāla-poṣakara baṛā kiyā hai | mune! āp kī ājñā ho to vahī merī rakṣā kare || pratardanasya putras tu vatso nāma mahābalaḥ ||
Vāsudeva said: “O sage, let him who was reared in the forest by the cows protect me. There is a certain exceedingly radiant son of King Śibikā named Gopati—saved and brought up in the wilderness, nurtured by the cows themselves. If you permit it, O muni, let that very one be my protector.” (Then the text continues:) “And Pratardana’s son, named Vatsa, was of great strength …”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical ideal that protection (rakṣā) should be entrusted to one proven by nurture, character, and circumstance—not merely by status. The image of being ‘reared by cows in the forest’ evokes purity, non-violence, and pastoral dharma, suggesting a protector shaped by simple, sustaining virtues.
Vāsudeva addresses a sage and proposes a specific guardian for himself: Gopati, the radiant son of King Śibikā, who was saved and raised in the forest by cows. The text then transitions to mention another figure—Vatsa, the powerful son of Pratardana—indicating a continuing list or discussion of notable persons and their capacities.