03.116
Akritavrana said.
Jamadagni, engaged in the study of the Vedas and being a great ascetic, practiced austerities, and by self-restraint, brought the gods under his control. (03-116-1)
He, having approached Prasenajit, O king, the lord of men, chose Renuka, and the king gave her to him. (03-116-2)
Then, having obtained Reṇukā as his wife, the son of Bhṛgu, residing in the hermitage, practiced austerity together with her, who was favorable. (03-116-3)
She bore four sons, with Rāma as the fifth. Among them all, though not apparently last, Rāma was in fact the youngest among them. (03-116-4)
Once, after all her sons who subsisted on fruits had gone out, Reṇukā, steadfast in her vows, went to bathe. (3-116-5)
But she, O king, Reṇukā, saw by chance Citraratha, the king of Mṛttikāvataka, as he was coming. (03-116-6)
Reṇukā, having seen him playing in the water with his wife, adorned with a garland of lotuses and full of prosperity, desired him. (03-116-7)
But due to unchastity, she—unconscious and wet, frightened—entered the hermitage from there; her husband indeed noticed her. (03-116-8)
He, seeing her fallen from courage and deprived of brahmic fortune, censured her with the exclamation 'dhik', he being possessed of great splendor and strength. (03-116-9)
Then the eldest, Rumanvan by name—a descendant of Jamadagni—came there; Suṣeṇa, Vasu, and also Viśvāvasu.
The Blessed Lord incited them, one after another, to kill their mother. But they, being conscious and not overcome by any delusion, did not say anything. (03-116-11)
Then, in his wrath, he cursed them; and those who were cursed lost their consciousness, swiftly becoming like insensible beings, resembling beasts and birds. (03-116-12)
Then Rama, destroyer of enemy heroes, afterward approached the hermitage. To him, the greatly wrathful Jamadagni, who was possessed of great austerity, spoke. (03-116-13)
Destroy this sinful mother; and do not be grieved, son. Then, taking the axe, Rāma cut off his mother's head. (03-116-14)
Then, O great king, anger suddenly arose in the great-souled Jamadagni; and, being pleased, he said this. (03-116-15)
O dear one, by my word, you have accomplished this difficult deed. Choose desires, O knower of dharma, as many as you wish in your heart. (03-116-16)
He chose his mother's revival, forgetfulness, indeed the status of the condemned, impurity by that act, not associating with the brothers, and likewise their nature. (03-116-17)
Jamadagni's son, of great austerity, granted you, O Bhārata, freedom from opposition in battle, long life, and all those desired things. (03-116-18)
Once, O lord, at a time when his sons had gone out, then the heroic Kārtavīrya, the lord of the marsh lands, arrived. (03-116-19)
When he arrived at the hermitage, the sage's wife honoured him; but, intoxicated with the pride of battle, he did not welcome her homage. (03-116-20)
He forcefully drove away the sacrificial cows from that hermitage, seized the crying cow’s calf, and broke down huge trees. (03-116-21)
When Rāma arrived, the father himself then spoke to him. On seeing the cow weeping, anger arose within Rāma. (03-116-22)
He, overcome by anger, attacked Kārtavīrya. Then Bhārgava, the destroyer of enemy heroes, advanced in battle. (03-116-23)
O king, having taken up his splendid bow, he cut off, with sharp arrows, the thousands of arms that resembled iron clubs. (03-116-24)
Then, the descendants of Arjuna, whose anger had been kindled by Rāma, assailed Jamadagni in his hermitage when Rāma was not there. (03-116-25)
They killed that ascetic of great strength as he fought, repeatedly shouting 'Rama, Rama', crying out loudly like one who has no protector. (03-116-26)
O Yudhiṣṭhira, the sons of Kārtavīrya, destroyers of foes, having slain Jamadagni with arrows, went back as they had come. (03-116-27)
When these had departed, and Jamadagni also had thus arrived, the son of Bhṛgu, carrying fuel in his hand, approached the hermitage. (03-116-28)
He, seeing his father—the hero—thus succumbed to death, unworthy of such a fate and in such a condition, lamented with great sorrow. (03-116-29)
