Shloka 56
Rāma–Jāmadagnya-janma-kāraṇa and Kṣatra-kṣaya
Paraśurāma’s origins and the depletion/restoration of kṣatriya lineages
विश्वामित्रस्य पौत्रस्तु रैभ्यपुत्रो महातपा:
viśvāmitrasya pautras tu raibhyaputro mahātapāḥ | mahārāja viśvāmitrake pautra tathā raibhyake putra mahātejasvī parāvasune bhari sabhāyām ākṣepaṃ kurvan uvāca— “rāma! rājā yayāteḥ svargād bhraṃśamāne yāḥ pratardana-ādayaḥ sajjanapuruṣā yajñe samāgatāḥ, kiṃ te kṣatriyā na āsan? tava pratijñā mṛṣā. tvaṃ vṛthāiva janatāyāḥ sabhāyāṃ ḍīṅgaṃ hāṅkaroṣi— ‘mayā kṣatriyāṇām antaḥ kṛtaḥ’ iti. ahaṃ tu manye kṣatriyavīrabhayād eva tvaṃ parvataśaraṇaṃ gataḥ. idānīṃ pṛthivyāṃ sarvataḥ punaḥ śatāni kṣatriyāḥ saṃjātāḥ!”
Vāsudeva berkata: “Wahai Raja! Seorang pertapa agung—Parāvasu, cucu Viśvāmitra dan putera Raibhya—ketika mengecam Rāma di balairung, berkata demikian: ‘Rāma! Tatkala Raja Yayāti jatuh dari syurga, bukankah Pratardana dan para lelaki mulia lain yang berhimpun dalam upacara korban itu adalah kṣatriya? Sumpahmu palsu. Di hadapan rakyat engkau bermegah sia-sia, berkata, “Aku telah menghapuskan kṣatriya.” Aku percaya engkau berlindung di gunung semata-mata kerana takut akan wira kṣatriya. Bahkan sekarang, di segenap penjuru bumi, ratusan kṣatriya telah bangkit kembali!’”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage critiques empty boasting and insists that vows and public claims must align with truth and observable reality. It also implies that violence claimed as total ‘extermination’ is neither sustainable nor a reliable basis for moral authority; ethical standing depends on सत्य (truth) and restraint, not on self-advertised feats.
Vāsudeva recounts how Parāvasu, in a public assembly, rebukes Rāma (Paraśurāma). He challenges Rāma’s claim of having ended the Kṣatriyas by citing Kṣatriyas present at Yayāti’s sacrifice (such as Pratardana) and argues that Kṣatriyas have reappeared everywhere, suggesting Rāma’s retreat to the mountains was driven by fear rather than victory.