Shloka 1.74.20
परशुरामप्रादुर्भावः — The Appearance of Parasurama on the Return from Mithila
तस्मिंस्तमसि घोरे तु भस्मच्छन्नेव सा चमू:।।1.74.17।।ददर्श भीमसङ्काशं जटामण्डलधारिणम्। भार्गवं जामदग्न्यं तं राजराजविमर्दिनम्।।1.74.18।।कैलासमिव दुर्धर्षं कालाग्निमिव दुस्सहम्। ज्वलंतमिव तेजोभिर्दुर्निरीक्ष्यं पृथग्जनै:।।1.74.19।।स्कन्धे चासज्य परशुं धनुर्विद्युद्गणोपमम् । प्रगृह्य शरमुख्यं च त्रिपुरघ्नं यथा शिवम्।।1.74.20।।
tasmiṁs tamasi ghore tu bhasmacchannā iva sā camūḥ ||1.74.17||
dadarśa bhīmasaṅkāśaṁ jaṭāmaṇḍaladhāriṇam |
bhārgavaṁ jāmadagnyaṁ taṁ rājarājavimardinam ||1.74.18||
kailāsam iva durdharṣaṁ kālāgnim iva dussaham |
jvalantam iva tejobhir durnirīkṣyaṁ pṛthagjanaiḥ ||1.74.19||
skandhe cāsajya paraśuṁ dhanur vidyudgaṇopamam |
pragṛhya śaramukhyaṁ ca tripuraghnaṁ yathā śivam ||1.74.20||
In that fearful darkness, the host looked as though it were covered with ash. Then Daśaratha beheld Bhārgava Paraśurāma, son of Jamadagni—dreadful in form, wearing a crown-like mass of matted hair, and famed as a crusher of kings. He was unassailable like Mount Kailāsa and unbearable like the cosmic fire at dissolution; blazing with spiritual energy, he was hard for ordinary people to look upon. With an axe slung upon his shoulder, and holding a bow that flashed like a cluster of lightning along with his foremost arrow, he appeared like Śiva when he destroyed Tripura.
In that dreadful darkness while the army looked as if covered with ashes, king Dasaratha encountered the repressor of kings, descendant of Bhrugu and son of Jamadagni with a terrible crown of matted hair, inaccessible like Kailasa mountain and unendurable like the fire at the time of dissolution. The laymen gazing at his blazing energy,hanging an axe on his shoulder and holding a bow in his hand which flashed like lighning and the principal arrow he looked like Siva at the time of slaying of Tripura.
The verse frames righteous authority as something that must be approached with humility and restraint: immense power (tejas) is real and morally weighty, and ordinary people should not treat it casually. Dharma here is reverent recognition of spiritual and martial potency, which demands self-control rather than provocation.
While returning from Mithilā after Rāma’s marriage, Daśaratha’s party encounters Paraśurāma. The text heightens suspense by describing him as terrifying, radiant, and weapon-bearing—setting the stage for the ensuing confrontation/testing.
Paraśurāma’s formidable tapas and uncompromising martial presence are emphasized; implicitly, Daśaratha’s role is to respond with royal composure and due respect toward a powerful Brahmarṣi-warrior figure.