Shloka 31

Rāma–Jāmadagnya-janma-kāraṇa and Kṣatra-kṣaya

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

Devanagari script

ऋचीको जनयामास जमदर्ग्निं तपोनिधिम्‌ | सोडपि पुत्र हूजनयज्जमदग्नि: सुदारुणम्‌,ऋचीकने तपस्याके भंडार जमदग्निको जन्म दिया और जमदग्निने अत्यन्त उग्र स्वभाववाले जिस पुत्रको उत्पन्न किया, वही ये सम्पूर्ण विद्याओं तथा धरनुर्वेदके पारड्गत विद्वान्‌ प्रजजलित अग्निके समान तेजस्वी क्षत्रियहन्ता परशुरामजी हैं

Transliteration

Ṛcīko janayāmāsa Jamadagnim taponidhim | so ’pi putraṃ hūjanayaj Jamadagniḥ sudāruṇam ||

Translation

వాసుదేవుడు పలికెను—ఋచీకుడు తపస్సు నిధియైన జమదగ్నిని కనెను; ఆ జమదగ్నియే మరల అత్యంత ఉగ్రమైన, భయంకర స్వభావముగల కుమారుని జన్మింపజేసెను।

Word by Word

• {'Ṛcīkaḥ': 'Ṛcīka (a sage

• ancestor in the Bhṛgu line)', 'janayāmāsa': 'begot, caused to be born (causative perfect)', 'Jamadagniḥ': 'Jamadagni (sage

• father of Paraśurāma)', 'tapo-nidhiḥ': 'treasure/abode of austerity

• one rich in tapas', 'so ’pi': 'he too

• and he in turn', 'putram': 'a son', 'hūjanayat (janayat)': 'begot/produced (textual variant/orthography

• sense: ‘caused to be born’)', 'sudāruṇam': 'very fierce, exceedingly terrible/formidable', 'Paraśurāmaḥ': 'Rāma with the axe

• Bhārgava warrior-sage', 'dhanurveda': 'science of archery/weaponry', 'kṣatriya-hantā': 'slayer of kṣatriyas (in the sense of punishing oppressive rulers)'}

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Ṛcīka
• Jamadagni
• Paraśurāma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how tapas (austerity and discipline) and lineage can generate immense spiritual and martial potency; when rulers violate dharma, that potency may manifest as a fierce corrective force. It frames Paraśurāma not merely as violent, but as an instrument arising in response to adharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva recounts a genealogy: the sage Ṛcīka fathers Jamadagni, famed for austerity; Jamadagni then fathers a very fierce son—Paraśurāma—celebrated for mastery of learning and archery and known for destroying oppressive kṣatriyas.