Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 75, Shloka 22

जामदग्न्य

रामसंवादः — Parashurama Confronts Rama with the Vaishnava Bow

Devanagari script

ऋचीकस्तु महातेजा: पुत्रस्याप्रतिकर्मण:।पितुर्मम ददौ दिव्यं जमदग्नेर्महात्मन:।।।।

Transliteration

ṛcīkas tu mahātejāḥ putrasyāpratikarmaṇaḥ |

pitur mama dadau divyaṃ jamadagner mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Ce puissant Ṛcīka, rayonnant de splendeur, donna l’arc divin à son fils Jamadagni, mon père, grande âme à la vaillance sans égale.

Word by Word

• ṛcīkaḥ: Ṛcīka
• ṛcīkaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛcīka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अवधारण/विरोध-अव्यय)

• mahātejāḥ: of great splendor
• mahātejāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) compound; Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; adjective of ṛcīkaḥ

• putrasya: of (his) son
• putrasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6), Singular

• apratikarmaṇaḥ: of unmatched prowess
• apratikarmaṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + pratikarmaṇ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6), Singular; adjective qualifying putrasya

• pituḥ: of (my) father
• pituḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6), Singular

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6), Singular; pronoun

• dadau: gave
• dadau: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, perfect), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• divyam: divine
• divyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Accusative (2), Singular; adjective (object understood, e.g., dhanus/āyudham)

• jamadagneḥ: of Jamadagni
• jamadagneḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jamadagni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6), Singular

• mahātmanaḥ: of the great-souled one
• mahātmanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya compound; Masculine, Genitive (6), Singular; adjective qualifying jamadagneḥ

Context

Brilliant Ruchika gave this bow to his son, the great Jamadagni, my father, a man of unrivalled valour.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛcīka
• Jamadagni
• Paraśurāma (as “my father” indicates the speaker)
• Divine bow (Vaiṣṇava bow, by continuity)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma is carried through lineage as duty: what is inherited is not mere property but an obligation to uphold righteous conduct.

What is the narrative situation?

Paraśurāma continues the provenance of the Vaiṣṇava bow, locating it in his own family line through Jamadagni.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Great-souled steadiness (mahātmatā): Jamadagni is characterized as noble and peerless in conduct.