Lord Parshuram 3-Panel Split Poster – ‘परशुराम’ | Bharatvarsh Arts

Parshuram Quotes in Sanskrit With Meaning: Bio, WhatsApp Status and Shlokas

Parshuram — Rama of the axe, son of the sage Jamadagni — is the warrior-sage people quote when they want to say they keep their vows, never turn back, and know both the scripture and the weapon. So here are the Parshuram shlokas people use for an Instagram bio, a WhatsApp status or a tattoo — each one complete, never half a verse, with its Hindi and English meaning and its true source in the Mahabharata or the Valmiki Ramayana.

The most shared Parshuram verse of all, “अग्रतः चतुरो वेदाः…”, is not in either epic — we've explained that near the end.

Parshuram Sanskrit shlokas with meaning

Each card is the whole verse: the Sanskrit, how to read it, and its meaning in English and Hindi. The Mahabharata verses are from the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute's critical edition and the Ramayana verses from the Baroda critical edition (the standard scholarly texts), with references as book · chapter.verse. Popular printed Ramayanas number the Parshuram chapters a little differently. The most widely known come first.

कैलासमिव दुर्धर्षं कालाग्निमिव दुःसहम्।
ज्वलन्तमिव तेजोभिर्दुर्निरीक्ष्यं पृथग्जनैः॥
स्कन्धे चासज्य परशुं धनुर्विद्युद्गणोपमम्।
प्रगृह्य शरमुख्यं च त्रिपुरघ्नं यथा हरम्॥
kailāsam iva durdharṣaṃ kālāgnim iva duḥsaham
jvalantam iva tejobhir durnirīkṣyaṃ pṛthagjanaiḥ
skandhe cāsajya paraśuṃ dhanur vidyudgaṇopamam
pragṛhya śaramukhyaṃ ca tripuraghnaṃ yathā haram
“Unassailable as Kailasa, unbearable as the fire at the end of time, blazing with energy, too bright for ordinary eyes — his axe slung on his shoulder, a bow like a mass of lightning, a fine arrow in his hand, like Shiva setting out to destroy Tripura.”
कैलास की तरह अजेय, प्रलय की अग्नि की तरह असहनीय, तेज से धधकते हुए, जिन्हें साधारण लोग देख भी न सकें — कंधे पर फरसा, बिजलियों जैसा धनुष और हाथ में उत्तम बाण, मानो त्रिपुर का नाश करने निकले शिव।
Valmiki Ramayana · Bala Kanda 1.73.17–18 · the narrator
नाहं युधि निवर्तेयमिति मे व्रतमाहितम्।
न निवर्तितपूर्वं च कदाचिद्रणमूर्धनि॥
निवर्त्यतामापगेयः कामं युद्धात्पितामहाः।
न त्वहं विनिवर्तिष्ये युद्धादस्मात्कथंचन॥
nāhaṃ yudhi nivarteyam iti me vratam āhitam
na nivartitapūrvaṃ ca kadācid raṇamūrdhani
nivartyatām āpageyaḥ kāmaṃ yuddhāt pitāmahāḥ
na tv ahaṃ vinivartiṣye yuddhād asmāt kathaṃcana
“I do not turn back in battle — that is the vow I have taken. Never before have I turned back at the head of a fight. Turn the river's son back from this battle if you wish, grandfathers; I will not turn back from it, in any way at all.”
मैं युद्ध से पीछे नहीं हटता — यह मेरा व्रत है। रणभूमि में मैं पहले कभी पीछे नहीं हटा। हे पितामहो, चाहें तो गंगापुत्र भीष्म को युद्ध से लौटा दें; मैं इस युद्ध से किसी भी तरह पीछे नहीं हटूँगा।
Mahabharata · Udyoga Parva 5.186.21–22 · Parshuram to his ancestors
गच्छेदानीं न ते स्थानमनृतस्येह विद्यते।
न त्वया सदृशो युद्धे भविता क्षत्रियो भुवि॥
gacchedānīṃ na te sthānam anṛtasyeha vidyate
na tvayā sadṛśo yuddhe bhavitā kṣatriyo bhuvi
“Go now — there is no place here for you, who lied. Yet no warrior on earth will be your equal in battle.”
अब जाओ — यहाँ असत्य बोलने वाले के लिए कोई स्थान नहीं। फिर भी युद्ध में धरती पर तुम्हारे समान कोई क्षत्रिय नहीं होगा।
Mahabharata · Shanti Parva 12.3.32 · Parshuram to Karna, after the curse
Lord Parshuram Mobile Skin – Fierce | Bharatvarsh Arts
Parshuram in your bio — and on the back of your phone.
See the mobile skin →
त्वत्समो नास्ति लोकेऽस्मिन्क्षत्रियः पृथिवीचरः।
गम्यतां भीष्म युद्धेऽस्मिंस्तोषितोऽहं भृशं त्वया॥
tvatsamo nāsti loke 'smin kṣatriyaḥ pṛthivīcaraḥ
gamyatāṃ bhīṣma yuddhe 'smiṃs toṣito 'haṃ bhṛśaṃ tvayā
“There is no warrior walking this earth who is your equal. Go, Bhishma — in this fight you have pleased me greatly.”
इस संसार में धरती पर तुम्हारे समान कोई क्षत्रिय नहीं। जाओ भीष्म, इस युद्ध में तुमने मुझे बहुत प्रसन्न किया है।
Mahabharata · Udyoga Parva 5.186.35 · Parshuram to his pupil Bhishma
हिरण्यं मम यच्चान्यद्वसु किंचन विद्यते।
ब्राह्मणेभ्यो मया दत्तं सर्वमेव तपोधन॥
शरीरमात्रमेवाद्य मयेदमवशेषितम्।
अस्त्राणि च महार्हाणि शस्त्राणि विविधानि च॥
hiraṇyaṃ mama yac cānyad vasu kiṃcana vidyate
brāhmaṇebhyo mayā dattaṃ sarvam eva tapodhana
śarīramātram evādya mayedam avaśeṣitam
astrāṇi ca mahārhāṇi śastrāṇi vividhāni ca
“My gold, and whatever other wealth I had — I have given all of it to brahmins, ascetic. Only this body is left to me now, and my precious astras and weapons of every kind.”
हे तपोधन, मेरा सोना और जो भी धन था, वह सब मैंने ब्राह्मणों को दान कर दिया। अब मेरे पास बस यह शरीर बचा है, और बहुमूल्य अस्त्र तथा तरह-तरह के शस्त्र।
Mahabharata · Adi Parva 1.121.18 and 1.121.20 · Parshuram to Drona, who then asks for the weapons
स वव्रे मातुरुत्थानमस्मृतिं च वधस्य वै।
पापेन तेन चास्पर्शं भ्रातॄणां प्रकृतिं तथा॥
अप्रतिद्वन्द्वतां युद्धे दीर्घमायुश्च भारत।
ददौ च सर्वान्कामांस्ताञ्जमदग्निर्महातपाः॥
sa vavre mātur utthānam asmṛtiṃ ca vadhasya vai
pāpena tena cāsparśaṃ bhrātṝṇāṃ prakṛtiṃ tathā
apratidvandvatāṃ yuddhe dīrgham āyuś ca bhārata
dadau ca sarvān kāmāṃs tāñ jamadagnir mahātapāḥ
“He chose: that his mother rise again and not remember being killed; that the sin not touch him; that his brothers return to themselves; that he be unmatched in battle, and live long. And the great ascetic Jamadagni granted him all of it.”
उन्होंने वर माँगे: माँ फिर से जीवित हों और उन्हें अपना वध याद न रहे; वह पाप उन्हें न छुए; भाई फिर से स्वस्थ हो जाएँ; युद्ध में कोई उनका सामना न कर सके, और लम्बी आयु। महातपस्वी जमदग्नि ने ये सब वर दे दिए।
Mahabharata · Vana Parva 3.116.17–18 · after his father's order to kill his mother
ममापराधात्तैः क्षुद्रैर्हतस्त्वं तात बालिशैः।
कार्तवीर्यस्य दायादैर्वने मृग इवेषुभिः॥
धर्मज्ञस्य कथं तात वर्तमानस्य सत्पथे।
मृत्युरेवंविधो युक्तः सर्वभूतेष्वनागसः॥
mamāparādhāt taiḥ kṣudrair hatas tvaṃ tāta bāliśaiḥ
kārtavīryasya dāyādair vane mṛga iveṣubhiḥ
dharmajñasya kathaṃ tāta vartamānasya satpathe
mṛtyur evaṃvidho yuktaḥ sarvabhūteṣv anāgasaḥ
“Because of what I did, father, those petty fools — Kartavirya's sons — shot you down with arrows like a deer in the forest. How is such a death fitting for you, father: you who knew dharma, kept to the good path, and wronged no living thing?”
पिताजी, मेरे अपराध के कारण कार्तवीर्य के उन नीच, मूर्ख पुत्रों ने आपको वन में हिरण की तरह बाणों से मार डाला। आप धर्म जानते थे, सत्पथ पर चलते थे, किसी प्राणी का अहित नहीं करते थे — आपकी ऐसी मृत्यु कैसे उचित है?
Mahabharata · Vana Parva 3.117.1–2 · Parshuram, over his father's body
Lord Parshuram Wall Poster – Meditation | Bharatvarsh Arts
“परशु राम” — the warrior-sage at rest, on our Parshuram Meditation poster.
See the poster →
भार्गवाणां कुले जातः स्वाध्यायव्रतशालिनाम्।
सहस्राक्षे प्रतिज्ञाय शस्त्रं निक्षिप्तवानसि॥
bhārgavāṇāṃ kule jātaḥ svādhyāyavrataśālinām
sahasrākṣe pratijñāya śastraṃ nikṣiptavān asi
“You were born in the line of the Bhargavas, rich in Vedic study and vows; you made a promise to thousand-eyed Indra and laid down your weapons.”
आप भृगुवंश में जन्मे हैं, जो वेदाध्ययन और व्रतों से सम्पन्न है; आपने सहस्राक्ष इन्द्र के सामने प्रतिज्ञा करके शस्त्र त्याग दिए थे।
Valmiki Ramayana · Bala Kanda 1.74.7 · King Dasharatha to Parshuram, pleading for his sons
काश्यपाय मया दत्ता यदा पूर्वं वसुंधरा।
विषये मे न वस्तव्यमिति मां काश्यपोऽब्रवीत्॥
सोऽहं गुरुवचः कुर्वन्पृथिव्यां न वसे निशाम्।
इति प्रतिज्ञा काकुत्स्थ कृता वै काश्यपस्य ह॥
kāśyapāya mayā dattā yadā pūrvaṃ vasuṃdharā
viṣaye me na vastavyam iti māṃ kāśyapo 'bravīt
so 'haṃ guruvacaḥ kurvan pṛthivyāṃ na vase niśām
iti pratijñā kākutstha kṛtā vai kāśyapasya ha
“When I gave the earth to Kashyapa long ago, Kashyapa told me: “You must not live in my domain.” So, keeping my guru's word, I do not spend a night on this earth — that is the promise I made to Kashyapa, Kakutstha.”
जब मैंने पहले यह पृथ्वी कश्यप को दान कर दी थी, तब कश्यप ने मुझसे कहा — 'मेरे राज्य में तुम्हें नहीं रहना चाहिए।' इसलिए गुरु का वचन निभाते हुए मैं पृथ्वी पर रात नहीं बिताता। हे काकुत्स्थ, यह प्रतिज्ञा मैंने कश्यप से की थी।
Valmiki Ramayana · Bala Kanda 1.75.13–14 · Parshuram to Rama of Ayodhya
लोकास्त्वप्रतिमा राम निर्जितास्तपसा मया।
जहि ताञ्शरमुख्येन मा भूत्कालस्य पर्ययः॥
अक्षय्यं मधुहन्तारं जानामि त्वां सुरेश्वरम्।
धनुषोऽस्य परामर्शात्स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु परंतप॥
lokās tv apratimā rāma nirjitās tapasā mayā
jahi tāñ śaramukhyena mā bhūt kālasya paryayaḥ
akṣayyaṃ madhuhantāraṃ jānāmi tvāṃ sureśvaram
dhanuṣo 'sya parāmarśāt svasti te 'stu paraṃtapa
“The peerless worlds I have won by tapas, Rama — strike them with your finest arrow; let no time be lost. By the way you took up this bow, I know you: the imperishable slayer of Madhu, lord of the gods. May all go well with you, scorcher of foes.”
हे राम, तप से मैंने जो अनुपम लोक जीते हैं, उन्हें अपने श्रेष्ठ बाण से नष्ट कर दो; देर न हो। इस धनुष को उठाने से मैंने तुम्हें पहचान लिया — तुम अविनाशी मधुसूदन, देवताओं के स्वामी हो। हे शत्रुओं को तपाने वाले, तुम्हारा कल्याण हो।
Valmiki Ramayana · Bala Kanda 1.75.16–17 · Parshuram to Rama of Ayodhya
न चेयं मम काकुत्स्थ व्रीडा भवितुमर्हति।
त्वया त्रैलोक्यनाथेन यदहं विमुखीकृतः॥
na ceyaṃ mama kākutstha vrīḍā bhavitum arhati
tvayā trailokyanāthena yad ahaṃ vimukhīkṛtaḥ
“There is no shame in this for me, Kakutstha — that I have been turned back by you, the lord of the three worlds.”
हे काकुत्स्थ, इसमें मेरे लिए कोई लज्जा नहीं कि तीनों लोकों के स्वामी, तुमने मुझे लौटा दिया है।
Valmiki Ramayana · Bala Kanda 1.75.19 · Parshuram to Rama of Ayodhya
Lord Parshuram Wall Poster – ‘शस्त्रशास्त्रैः शौर्येण’ | Bharatvarsh Arts
Our Parshuram poster carries the line “शस्त्रशास्त्रैः शौर्येण च सुसज्जाः युद्धकाले प्रस्तुताः” — शस्त्रशास्त्र और वीरता से तैयार रहना, अब समय युद्ध का है।
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The other side of the story

गुरोरप्यवलिप्तस्य कार्याकार्यमजानतः।
उत्पथप्रतिपन्नस्य कार्यं भवति शासनम्॥
guror apy avaliptasya kāryākāryam ajānataḥ
utpathapratipannasya kāryaṃ bhavati śāsanam
“Even a guru — if he is arrogant, does not know right from wrong, and has taken a wrong path — must be corrected.”
गुरु भी यदि अहंकारी हो जाए, उचित-अनुचित न जाने और कुमार्ग पर चल पड़े, तो उसे भी रोकना-टोकना कर्तव्य है।
Mahabharata · Udyoga Parva 5.178.24 · Bhishma to his guru Parshuram

The epics never make Parshuram simply a hero. His vengeance for his father's murder grew into a vow to destroy the warrior class — the Mahabharata says he emptied the earth of kshatriyas twenty-one times (Vana Parva 3.117.9). When he threatened his own pupil Bhishma, Bhishma answered with this verse and fought him. In the end it was Parshuram's ancestors who stopped him: war is a kshatriya's dharma, they told him, and study and vows are a brahmin's true wealth (Udyoga Parva 5.186.11). That is part of why he still moves people: fearless and generous, and also a man whose anger had to be answered.

Famous "Parshuram quotes" that aren't from the Mahabharata or Ramayana

  • अग्रतः चतुरो वेदाः पृष्ठतः सशरं धनुः…
    "The four Vedas in front, a bow and arrows behind: here is brahmin power, here is kshatriya power — by curse or by arrow." The most shared Parshuram verse, often labelled "Mahabharata". We searched the critical Mahabharata, the Valmiki Ramayana and the Bhagavata and Brahmanda Puranas and could not find it. It's a fine devotional verse about Parshuram; its source is unknown.
    Popular verse · source not traced
  • शस्त्रशास्त्रैः शौर्येण च सुसज्जाः…
    The line on our own Parshuram poster: be ready with weapons, learning and courage — the time is one of war. It is modern Sanskrit, written in his spirit, not a quotation from the epics.
    Modern Sanskrit line
  • लक्ष्मण–परशुराम संवाद
    The famous quarrel between Lakshmana and Parshuram at Sita's swayamvar comes from Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas (in Awadhi) and the Ramlila. In Valmiki's Ramayana, Parshuram meets Rama on the road home to Ayodhya, and Lakshmana does not speak at all.
    Ramcharitmanas, Bal Kand · not Valmiki
  • अश्वत्थामा बलिर्व्यासो…
    The verse naming Parshuram among the seven chiranjeevis (the ever-living) is widely recited, but we could not find it in the critical edition of the Mahabharata. Its source is unknown to us.
    Popular verse · source not traced

Questions people ask

Is “agratah chaturo vedah, prishthatah sasharam dhanuh” from the Mahabharata?

Not as far as we can find. We searched the critical edition of the Mahabharata, including passages that edition sets aside, the Valmiki Ramayana, and the Bhagavata and Brahmanda Puranas, and it isn't in any of them. Every page we found shares it on Parshuram Jayanti without a chapter or verse number. Treat it as a popular verse of unknown source.

Why did Parshuram kill the kshatriyas 21 times?

Because of his father. King Kartavirya Arjuna raided Jamadagni's hermitage and carried off the calf of his sacred cow; Parshuram cut off the king's thousand arms; then the king's sons came back and killed Jamadagni while Parshuram was away. Over his father's body, Parshuram vowed to destroy all kshatriyas, and the Mahabharata says he emptied the earth of them “thrice seven times” (Vana Parva 3.116–117).

Why did Parshuram curse Karna?

Karna came to him saying he was a Bhargava brahmin, to learn the brahmastra. When an insect bored into Karna's thigh and he bore the pain without moving, Parshuram knew no brahmin could do that. Because Karna had lied to get the weapon, he cursed him: the brahmastra would fail him when he faced his equal at the time of his death. In the same breath he told Karna no warrior on earth would match him (Shanti Parva 12.3).

Who were Parshuram's students?

The Mahabharata names three famous ones: Bhishma, who says “you taught me the fourfold science of arms” (Udyoga Parva 5.178.16); Drona, to whom he gave his weapons (Adi Parva 1.121); and Karna (Shanti Parva 12.3).

Did Parshuram fight Rama?

Not in Valmiki's Ramayana. After Rama broke Shiva's bow, Parshuram met him on the road home and challenged him to string Vishnu's bow. Rama strung it at once; Parshuram recognised him as Vishnu, said there was no shame in being turned back by the lord of the three worlds, and went back to Mount Mahendra (Bala Kanda 1.74–75).

Where do these meanings come from?

The Sanskrit is from the critical editions of the Mahabharata (Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute) and the Valmiki Ramayana (Baroda), as published on GRETIL (University of Göttingen). The English and Hindi meanings are our own renderings of those verses.

Take him to work

Lord Parshuram Laptop Skin – Meditation | Bharatvarsh Arts
The Parshuram Meditation laptop skin — the warrior-sage, calm, on the machine you open every day.
See the laptop skin →
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