अकृतव्रण उवाच स वेदाध्ययने युक्तो जमदग्निर्महातपाः। तपस्तेपे ततो देवान् नियमाद् वशमानयत्॥
Akritavrana said: The greatly ascetic Jamadagni devoted himself to the study of the Vedas. Thereupon he performed great austerities. Pursuing a methodical course of study, he got a mastery over the Vedas.
स प्रसेनजितं राजन्नधिगम्य नराधिपम्। रेणुकां वरयामास स च तस्मै ददौ नृपः॥
O king, going to the ruler of men, Prasenjit, he asked Renuka in marriage; and the king bestowed her upon him.
रेणुकां त्वथ सम्प्राप्य भार्यां भार्गवनन्दनः। आश्रमस्थस्तया सार्धं तपस्तेपेऽनुकूलया॥
Having got Renuka as his wife, that son of Bhrigu came with her to the hermitage; and assisted by her he began to practise asceticism.
तस्याः कुमाराश्चत्वारो जज्ञिरे रामपञ्चमाः। सर्वेषामजघन्यस्तु राम आसीज्जघन्यजः॥
Four sons were born of her, Rama being the fifth. Though the youngest, Rama became superior to all in merit.
फलाहारेषु सर्वेषु गतेष्वथ सुतेषु वै। रेणुका स्नातुमगमत् कदाचिन्नियतव्रता॥
Once upon a time when her sons had all gone away to gathering fruits, Renuka of rigid vows went to bathe. saw
सा तु चित्ररथं नाम मार्तिकावतकं नृपम्। ददर्श रेणुका राजन्नागच्छन्ती यदृच्छया।॥ क्रीडन्तं सलिले दृष्ट्वा सभार्यं पद्ममालिनम्। ऋद्धिमन्तं ततस्तस्य स्पृहयामास रेणुका॥
O king, when, she was going at pleasure, Renuka Chitraratha, the king of Martikavata. Seeing the king adorned with garlands of lotus sporting in the water with his wives, Renuka was filled with desire.
व्यभिचाराच्च तस्मात् सा क्लिन्नाम्भसि विचेतना। प्रविवेशाश्रमं त्रस्ता तां वै भर्तान्वबुध्यत॥
Being unable to control her this unlawful desire, she became polluted; she then returned to the hermitage much frightened at heart.
स तां दृष्ट्वा च्युतां धैर्याद् ब्राह्मया लक्ष्म्या विवर्जिताम्। धिकछब्देन महातेजा गर्हयामास वीर्यवान्॥
Having seen her deprived of the lustre of chastity and full of giddiness, that greatly effulgent and mighty Rishi reproached her by crying “fie".
ततो ज्येष्ठो जामदग्न्यो रुमण्वान् नाम नामतः। आजगाम सुषेणश्च वसुर्विश्वावसुस्तथा॥
There came then the eldest of Jamadagni's son, named Rumanvan and then Sushena, then Vasu and then Vishvavasu.
तानानुपूर्व्याद् भगवान् वधे मातुरचोदयत्। न च ते जातसंस्नेहाः किंचिदूचुर्विचेतसः॥
The exalted Rishi one after the other asked them to kill their mother. But they were confounded and could not utter a word.
ततः शशाप तान् क्रोधात् ते शप्ताश्चेतना जहुः। मृगपक्षिसधर्माणः क्षिप्रमासञ्जडोपमाः॥
Then he cursed them in great anger; and having been thus cursed they lost their sense and became like inanimate objects. They became in conduct like beasts and birds.
ततो रामोऽभ्ययात् पश्चादाश्रमं परवीरहा। तमुवाच महाबाहुर्जमदग्निर्महातपाः॥
Then that slayer of hostile heroes, Rama, came to the hermitage last of all. To him said the greatly ascetic, the mighty armed Jamadagni,
जहीमां मातरं पापां मा च पुत्र व्यथां कृथाः। तत आदाय परशुं रामो मातुः शिरोऽहरत्॥
“O son, kill your this sinful mother without the least compunction.” Thereupon Rama took up an axe and cut off his mother's head.
ततस्तस्य महाराज जमदग्नेर्महात्मनः। कोपोऽभ्यगच्छत् सहसा प्रसन्नश्चाब्रवीदिदम्॥
O great king, the anger of the illustrious Jamadagni was then suddenly appeased; and being much pleased he thus spoke,
ममेदं वचनात् तात कृतं ते कर्म दुष्करम्। वृणीष्व कामान्धर्मज्ञ यावतो वाञ्छसे हृदा॥ स वव्रे मातुरुत्थानमस्मृतिं च वधस्य वै। पापेन तेन चास्पर्श भ्रातृणां प्रकृति तथा॥ अप्रतिद्वन्द्वतां युद्धे दीर्घमायुश्च भारत। ददौ च सर्वान् कामांस्ताञ्जमदग्निर्महातपाः॥
"O child, O virtuous man, you have performed this difficult task at my bidding. Ask me, I shall grant you whatever you desire in your heart.” There upon he asked that his mother might be restored to life, that he might not be haunted by the remembrance of this cruel deed, that he might not be touched by any sin and that his brothers might be restored to their former state that he might be unrivalled in battle and that he might obtain long life. O descendant of Bharata, the greatly ascetic Jamadagni granted him all that he desired.
कदाचित् तु तथैवास्य विनिष्क्रान्ताः सुताः प्रभो। अथानूपपतिर्वीरः कार्तवीर्योऽभ्यवर्तत॥
O lord, once at a time when his sons had again gone out (to gather fruits), the mighty son of Kirtavirya, the king of the country near the sea-shore, came to the hermitage.
तमाश्रमपदं प्राप्तमृर्भार्या समार्चयत्। स युद्धमदसम्मत्तो नाभ्यनन्दत् तथार्चनम्॥ प्रमथ्य चाश्रमात् तस्माद्धोमधेनोस्तथा बलात्। जहार वत्सं क्रोशन्त्या बभञ्ज च महादुमान्॥
When he came to the hermitage, he was hospitably received by the Rishi's wife. But proud of prowess, he was not pleased with the reception. By force and in defiance of all resistance, he seized and carried off from the hermitage the chief cow whose milk supplied the sacred Ghee, not at all heeding the loud lowing of her calf. And he wantongly pulled down the trees of the forest.
आगताय च रामाय तदाचष्ट पिता स्वयम्। गां च रोरुदतीं दृष्ट्वा कोपो रामं समाविशत्॥
When Rama came home, his father told him all that had happened. And seeing the calf lowing piteously, Rama became exceedingly angry.
स मृत्युवशमापन्नं कार्तवीर्यमुपाद्रवत्। तस्याथ युधि विक्रम्य भार्गवः परवीरहा॥ चिच्छेद निशितैर्भल्लैर्वाहून् परिघसंनिभान्। सहस्रसम्मितान् राजन् प्रगृह्य रुचिरंधनुः॥
He rushed towards the son of Kartavirya who was under the shadow of death. The slayer of the hostile heroes, the descendant of Bhrigu, displayed his prowess in battle. O king, with sharpened arrows which were shot from a beautiful bow, he cut down Arjuna's one thousand arms each of which was like a massive iron bolt (for barring the door).
अभिभूतः स रामेण संयुक्तः कालधर्मणा। अर्जुनस्याथ दायादा रामेण कृतमन्यवः॥
Being under the shadow of death, he was overpowered by Rama. Then the relatives of Arjuna, with their wrath excited against Rama.
आश्रमस्थं विना रामं जगदग्निमुपाद्रवन्। ते तं जघ्नुर्महावीर्यमयुध्यन्तं तपस्विनम्॥
Rushed at Jamadagni (one day, when Rama was absent from the hermitage. Although he was powerful they killed him for he was engaged in asceticism.
असकृद् रामरामेति विक्रोशन्तमनाथवत्। कार्तवीर्यस्य पुत्रास्तु जमदग्निं युधिष्ठिर।॥ पीडयित्वा शरैर्जग्मुर्यथागतमरिदमाः। अपक्रान्तेषु वै तेषु जमदग्नौ तथा गते॥ समित्पाणिरुपागच्छदाश्रमं भृगुनन्दनः। स दृष्ट्वा पितरं वीरस्तथा मृत्युवशं गतम्। अनर्हन्तं तथाभूतं विललाप सुदुःखितः॥
O Yudhishthira, attacked by them he again and again piteously uttered the name of Rama. The sons of Kirtavirya pierced Jamadagni with their arrows; and having thus persecuted their enemy, they went their way. When they had gone away and when Jamadagni had breathed his last. Rama, the descendant of the Bhrigu's race, came back to the hermitage with fuels for religious rites. The hero saw his father who had been killed. Being exceedingly grieved, he lamented for the sad fate that had befallen his father.