SAGEJAMADAGNI Sage Jamadagni, a revered Saptarishi (seven sages) and fatherof Parashurama, was the son of the sage Richika and Princess Satyavati.
He belonged to the lineage of Sage Bhrigu and was known forhis extreme asceticism. Key details about hisparentage: Father: Sage Richika, a descendant of Bhrigu. Mother: Satyavati, the daughter of King Gadhi of the Kanyakubja kingdom. Birth Story: The Puranas mention that Jamadagni’s mother, Satyavati,exchanged a sacred potion (charu) prepared by her husband with her mother. Thisled to Jamadagni being born with the qualities of a Brahmin (priest) withKshatriya (warrior) characteristics, while his uncle, Vishwamitra, was born withqualities and characteristics just the opposite. According to Hindu puranicliterature and the Mahabharata, Sage Jamadagni is indeed the nephew ofSage Vishwamitra. The relationship is based on a famous, complex birth storyinvolving the exchange of magical potions (charu) by Sage Richika and his wife,Satyavati. Sage Jamadagni- Nephewof king/sage Viswamithra Here is the breakdown of the relationship: Satyavati's Parentage: Satyavati is the daughter of KingGadhi, a Kshatriya. Vishwamitra's Parentage: Vishwamitra (originally Kaushika) isthe son of King Gadhi, making him Satyavati's brother. Jamadagni's Parentage: Jamadagni is the son of Sage Richikaand Satyavati. The Relationship: BecauseSatyavati is Vishwamitra's sister, her son, Jamadagni, is Vishwamitra's nephew. Lineage: He was a Bhrigu-vamshi, belonging to the directlineage of Bhṛigu, one of the Prajapati. Jamadagni is regarded inHindu tradition to be one of the Saptarishi (Seven Vedic sages) in the 7th, andthe current age of Manvantara. He is a descendant of the sage Bhrigu, one of the Prajapatiscreated by Brahma, the creator deity. Family Jamadagni had six children with his wife, Renuka, theyoungest of whom is Parashurama, an avatar of Vishnu. Five sons and a daughter. Parasurama alone is Chiranjeevi. Legend about the Birthof Jamadagni According to the Bhagavata Purana, the sage Richika was askedby King Gadhi to bring a thousand white horses with black ears to marrySatyavati. Richika, with the help of Varuna, brought those horses and the kingallowed Richika to marry Satyavati. After their wedding, Satyavati, and her mother, demanded fromRichika the blessings for having a son. Accordingly, the sage prepared twoportions of milk boiled rice for each, one with the Brahma mantra (for Satyavati) and other withthe Kṣātra mantra (for his mother-in-law). Giving the respectiveportions, he went to perform his ablutions. Meanwhile, Satyavati's mother asked her daughter to swaptheir portions. Her daughter obeyed. When Richika learned of this exchange, he said thatthe child born of his mother-in-law would be a great Brahmana, but that his sonwould become an aggressive warrior, who would bring a bloodbath to this world. Satyavati prayed to amend this outcome, so that her son wouldbe born as the great Brahmana, but that her grandson would become the aggressivewarrior. This resulted in Jamadagni being born as a sage (out of Satyavati'swomb) and eventually, Parashurama being born as Jamadagni's son, a warrior witha fearful reputation. Thus, Jamadagni was born to Richika and Satyavati. Meanwhile,around the same time as Jamadagni's birth, Gadhi's wife Paurakuthsu(Satyavati's mother) gave birth to a son with Kshatriya traits, named Kaushika.He later becomes the renowned Vishvamitra,who was a Kshatriya by birth, but later ascended to the status of a Brahmarishi. Householder Growing up, Jamadagni studied hard and achieved erudition inhis studies of the Vedas. He is said to have acquired knowledge regarding thescience of weapons without any formal instruction, with the guidance of hisfather. The Aushanasa Dhanurveda,now lost, is about a conversation between Jamadagni and Ushanas on theexercises of warfare. After achieving the status of a rishi, Jamadagni visited anumber of holy sites, and finally reached the palace of King Prasenajit of theSolar dynasty. He fell inlove with his daughter, Princess Renuka, upon seeing her, and asked the kingfor her hand in marriage. Subsequently, the two were married, and had five sons: Ṛumaṇvān, Suhotra, Vasu, Viśvāvasu,and Rama, later known as Parshurama and one daughter named Anjana. Saranga- Celestial bow The couple started toengage in tapasya along the banks of the river Narmada. He receives Sharanga,the celestial bow of Vishnu, from his father, Richika. Sushila/Nandini divinecow According to legends, Sage Jamadagni received the divine cow namedSushila or Nandini) from Lord Indra after performing intense penance(austerities) for one thousand years on the banks of the Ganga River. She provided him with allnecessities to host guests and perform sacrifices. Death of Renuka According to the Brahmanda Purana, Renuka once went to thebanks of the river Narmada to fetch some water. There, sheobserved the king of the Salva kingdom playing with his queen in the water.She stood there, mesmerised by the beauty of the sight. By the timeshe reached the hermitage of her husband with the water, she was quite late. The weary Jamadagni was furious when he heard the reason forher delay, and called forth each of his sons, one after the other, to kill her.Each of them refused to kill their own mother.Parashurama, however, came forth, and beheaded his mother with a single arrow. The rishi exiled his four older sons to the forestsdue to theirdisobedience. Pleased byParashurama's devotion to him, he granted his son any boon of his choice.Parashurama wished for his mother to be restored to life, and this was granted. My note- In some versions,she was mesmerised to see bathing of a Yaksha. Also Jamadagni cursed his sons disobeyed to killmother were to death. Parasurama revived all to life by the boon given by hisfather. In most versionsevery day she brought waterin an unbaked clay vessel due to her Tapasakthi Dharma's test In the Ashvamedha Parva ofthe Mahabharata,Dharma took the form of Anger, and manifested at the ashrama of Jamadagni. Heobserved that the rishi had just milked his cow Sushila and kept her milk in apot. As Anger, Dharma crept into the pot. Despite drinking it, Jamadagni remained calm. Noticingthis, Dharma appeared as a Brahmin before the rishi, and blessed him with theboon that he would always be righteous in the future. Annoying with Sun God According to the Mahabharata, Jamadagni once became annoyedwith the sun god, Surya, for causing too much heat. The warrior-sage shot several arrows into thesky, terrifying Surya. Surya then appeared before the rishi as a Brahmin, and gavehim two inventions that would help mankind deal with his heat - sandals and an umbrella. Death and Revive Jamadagni was once visited by the Haihaya king Kartavirya Arjuna and hisretinue (who was said to have thousand arms/hands), to whom he served a feastoffered by the divine cow, Sushila. The king sent his minister called Chandragupta, who offered a ten millioncows, or even half the kingdom, to purchase this cow of plenty, but Jamadagnirefused to part with her. Not willing to concede, Chandragupta and his men seizedthe cow by force and took her away with them. The helpless rishi, who loved the cow,pursued Chandragupta's party as they traversed the forest, unwilling to allowthem to steal her. Infuriated by his defiance, theminister struck down Jamadagni, and took Kamadhenu to the king's capital cityof Māhiṣmatī. After a long wait, Renuka started to search for her husband,finding him almost dead, surrounded by a pool of his own blood. Renuka fainted at the sight, and when she returned to consciousness,started wailing. When Parashurama and his disciple, Akṛtavraṇa,found her, she turned to him, and beat her breast twenty-one times. Parashurama resolved that he would travel the worldtwenty-one times, and annihilate all the Kshatriya kings he could find. When Jamadagni was to be cremated,the sage Shukra arrived on the scene, and restored the rishi's life with the Mṛtasañjīvanīmantra. Parashurama and Akṛtavraṇa travelled to Māhiṣmatī, intendingto bring Sushila back home. At the gates of the city, they met KartaviryaArjuna and his forces in battle, and slew them. They returned the divine cow to Jamadagni. The rishi instructed his son to perform a penance atMahendragiri in order to cleanse himself of his sins.While Parashurama hadleft for this penance, Shurasena, a son of KartaviryaArjuna, and his men, exacted their vengeance by beheading Jamadagni at hishermitage, and taking his head with them sothat he could not be resurrected again. Death of Jamadagni andRenuka Parashurama andJamadagni's disciples cremated the rishi, and his wife Renuka performed sati. Thence, Parashurama, inheriting hisfallen father's Sharanga, started his twenty-one expeditions to obliterate thekings of the Kshatriya race. Renuka as a Goddess Renuka is primarily known in Hindu mythology as the wife ofthe sage Jamadagni and the mother of Parashurama (the sixth avatar of Vishnu). Revered as a goddess (Renuka Devi orYellamma), she is considered an incarnation of Parvati or Shakti andis worshipped as a mother goddess, particularly in South India. Key details about Renukainclude: Mythological Significance: She is renowned for her purity andfidelity, which allowed her to carry water in a pot made of unbaked clay. The Legend: According to tradition, her husbandsuspected her of infidelity and ordered their son, Parashurama, to behead her.Parashurama obeyed, but later revived her. Worship: She is worshipped as a form ofGoddess Shakti or Kali, often referred to as "Mother of theUniverse," and is aprominent deity in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and TamilNadu. Renuka Lake: The Renuka Lake in Himachal Pradeshis named after her and is considered her embodiment. Details about the sons of sage Jamadagni Sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka had five sons. The youngest and most renowned of theirchildren was Parashurama, who was the sixth avatar of Vishnu. Theother four sons are often named in scriptures as Ṛumaṇvān, Suhotra, Vasu, and Viśvāvasu. Youngest Son: Parashurama (also known as Rama Bhargava orRama with the axe). Context: The family lived in a hermitage, and the sons, alongwith their mother, are central to the legend where Parashurama obeys hisfather's order to behead his mother, only to later request her restoration tolife. About the five sons According to the Puranic accounts of the Gandharva incident(specifically in the Brahmanda Purana), all five sons of Sage Jamadagni andRenuka—Rumanvan, Sushena, Vasu, Vishvavasu, and Parasurama (Rama)—were grown up. The narrative highlights the following: The Incident: Renuka was delayed returning from the riverafter watching a Gandharva (Chitraratha) sport withhis wives. The Order: Enraged by her distraction, Jamadagni ordered hissons, one by one, to behead their mother. The Disobedience: The four older sons refusedto obey this command, citing that killing a woman was a great sin. The Action: Only the youngest son, Parashurama, obeyed hisfather's order. The Consequence: Because the four older sons were matureenough to make a conscious decision to disobey, they were cursed by Jamadagnito become "fools" or "idiots" (or, in some versions, turnedto stone or foresters). The Restoration: After Parashurama complied, Jamadagni waspleased and granted him boons, includingreviving his mother and restoring his brothers to their original state. Therefore, at the time of the incident, all the sons were adultsenough to receive and understand the command, and the four elder sons weremature enough to be held accountable for their disobedience. Puranas do not indicate that all sons of Jamadagni weremarried. Key details regarding thesons during this incident: Disobedience: When Jamadagni ordered his sons to kill theirmother for her lapse in judgment, the first four sons refused. The Curse: Due to their refusal, Jamadagni cursed the fourelder sons to become mentally incapacitated, or in some versions, to becomeforesters/animals. Parashurama's Act: Only the youngest son, Parashurama, obeyedhis father's command and killed his mother and brothers. Resurrection: Parashurama subsequently asked for the boonthat his mother and brothers be restored to life, which was granted. The texts focus on the sons' obedience and subsequentpunishment/blessing by their father, rather than their marital status, implyingthey were young ascetics living in the hermitage with their parents at the time After the death of the sage Jamadagni, his wife Renuka andtheir five sons (including Parashurama) experienced a series of dramaticevents, leading to their deification and the commencement of Parashurama'scampaign against the warrior class. Key Events FollowingJamadagni's Death: Death and Sati: When the sons of Kartavirya Arjuna (Sahasrarjuna) murderedJamadagni in his hermitage while Parashurama was away, Renuka wasgrief-stricken. According to the Brahmanda Purana, she wailed and beat herbreast twenty-one times. Upon Parashurama's return and cremation of theirfather, Renuka committedSati (self-immolation on her husband's funeral pyre). In some traditions, she was seen as having lost herabsolute purity due to a moment of desire. After her death (sati)following Jamadagni's final murder, she became a goddess who protects the marginalized, includingtransgender communities. In some legends, after her resurrection, Renuka moved toEastern India to meditate, and she eventually merged with the divine, becoming a worshippeddeity Parashurama's Vow: Enraged by his father's death, Parashurama took a vow todestroy the Kshatriya kings twenty-onetimes, as a response to his mother beating her breast twenty-one times.Parashurama then became a Chiranjeevi (immortal) and continued to live on earthdoing penance. Elder brothers assistingwith the Last Rites: When Parasurama returned to the ashram and found his fathermurdered, he entrusted thedead body of Jamadagni to his brothers. They, along with Renuka,facilitated the funeral and last rites while Parasurama left to annihilate the Kshatriyas. The four brothers generally continued their lives asrishis, while Parasuramaundertook his 21 campaigns to destroy the corrupt Kshatriyas. The brothers are recognized as sons of a Saptarishi and livedin the lineage of Bhrigu, but they did not engage in the warrior actions oftheir younger brother, Parasurama Jamadagni Gothra Sage Jamadagni is recognized as one of the primary 18 RishiGanas (lineages). As a descendant of the Bhrigu dynasty, the Jamadagni gotra exists, withpravaras including Jamadagni, Aurv, and Vashishth. His five sons—Rumanvanta, Suhotra, Vasu, Viswavasu, andParashurama—share the same paternal lineage, often referred to as Bhargava(descendant of Bhrigu) or Jamadagnya.Jamadagni Gotra:This is a major Brahmanical gotra, sometimes listed under the Bhrigu lineage.FiveSons' Lineage: While all five sons are descendants of Jamadagni, they arecollectively known as Bhargavanshi. Daughter Anjana According to some traditional accounts, Rishi Jamadagni andhis wife Renuka had adaughter named Anjana in addition to their five sons (including Parashurama). If following the version where she is the daughter ofJamadagni and Renuka, she was known as Anjana Devi. She was the sister ofParashurama. Marriage: She marriedKesari, a mighty vanara (monkey) chief. Hanuman's Birth: Anjana and Kesari were childless for a time,so they performed intense penance (tapasya) to Lord Shiva to beget a child. Divine Intervention: As a result of their prayers, and withthe help of Vayu (the Wind God) who carried divine prasadam from a Yagna toher, she gave birth toHanuman. Curse Redemption: As a celestial nymph cursed to liveon Earth, she was freed from her curse upon giving birth to Hanuman, anincarnation of Shiva, and subsequently returned to heaven. Compiled from internet sources and posted. Since some memberspreferred my old style of writing the information by QA in Google search issuitably modified and summarised. R. Gopalakrishnan 14-02-2025 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/180372510.192211.1771067730792%40mail.yahoo.com.
