Shloka 5
Rāma–Jāmadagnya-janma-kāraṇa and Kṣatra-kṣaya
Paraśurāma’s origins and the depletion/restoration of kṣatriya lineages
तमुग्रतपसं दृष्टवा सहस्राक्ष: पुरंदर: । समर्थ पुत्रजनने स्वयमेवान्वपद्यत
tam ugratapasaṃ dṛṣṭvā sahasrākṣaḥ puraṃdaraḥ | samarthaḥ putrajanane svayam evānvapadyata ||
Melihat tapa yang dahsyat itu, Purandara—Indra bermata seribu, penguasa para penjaga dunia—menyadari bahwa sang resi mampu memperanakkan putra yang amat perkasa. Maka Indra sendiri masuk ke dalamnya dan lahir sebagai putranya. Wahai Raja, putra Kuśika itu termasyhur dengan nama Gādhi.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Intense tapas (austerity) is portrayed as spiritually efficacious: it can draw divine participation and yield extraordinary outcomes, such as the birth of an exceptional son. The passage also implies that power and virtue in lineage are connected to disciplined self-restraint and merit.
Vāyudeva explains that Indra, impressed by a sage’s formidable austerities and his capacity to beget a mighty son, voluntarily incarnated as that sage’s son. The child born in Kuśika’s line became famous as Gādhi.