Shloka 84

Rāma–Jāmadagnya-janma-kāraṇa and Kṣatra-kṣaya

Paraśurāma’s origins and the depletion/restoration of kṣatriya lineages

Devanagari script

यदि मामभिरक्षन्ति तत: स्थास्यामि निश्चला

Transliteration

yadi mām abhirakṣanti tataḥ sthāsyāmi niścalā | yadi ve kṣatriyā me rakṣāṃ kurvanti tarhi aham avicala-bhāvena sthirā bhaviṣyāmi | ime caite durbhāgyāḥ pitaraiḥ pitāmahaiś ca mamaiva kṛte yuddhe anāyāsena mahā-karmā paraśurāmeṇa hatāḥ ||

Translation

ວາສຸເທວະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຖ້າພວກເຂົາປົກປ້ອງຂ້າ ຂ້າຈະຢືນຢັນໝັ້ນຄົງ ບໍ່ຫວັ່ນໄຫວ. ຖ້າກະສັດຊັ້ນກະສັດຮົບ (kṣatriya) ເຫຼົ່ານີ້ຮັບເອົາການປົກປ້ອງຂ້າຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ ຂ້າຈະຢືນຢູ່ໄດ້ໂດຍຈິດໃຈບໍ່ສັ່ນ. ແຕ່ບິດາແລະປູ່ຂອງຄົນທຸກຍາກເຫຼົ່ານີ້ ຖືກປະຣະສຸຣາມ ສັງຫານໃນສົງຄາມ ເພາະຂ້າພຽງຜູ້ດຽວ—ຜູ້ກະທຳກິດໃຫຍ່ນັ້ນໂດຍບໍ່ຕ້ອງຝືນແຮງ»

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: common, accusative, singular

• अभिरक्षन्ति: protect
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-रक्ष्
• Form: present indicative (lat), 3rd, plural, parasmaipada

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• स्थास्यामि: I shall stand/remain
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: simple future (lृṭ), 1st, singular, parasmaipada

• निश्चला: steady, unmoving
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• kṣatriyas
• Paraśurāma (Rāma Jāmadagnya)
• fathers and grandfathers (ancestors of the kṣatriyas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of protection (rakṣā) as a kṣatriya duty: true guardianship stabilizes the vulnerable, yet past violence—especially done ‘for one’s sake’—creates moral debt and compassion for those bound by inherited conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva speaks about being able to remain steadfast if the kṣatriyas protect him, while recalling that these warriors’ ancestors were earlier slain by Paraśurāma in wars connected to his own cause—bringing a note of pity and ethical reflection into the situation.