Jamadagni

Jamadagni is a figure from Hindu mythology commonly identified as a sage or rishi. He is most often noted as the father of Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, and is associated with a lineage of ascetic learning. The name Jamadagni is also used as a Brahmin gotra, and communities that trace their ancestry to the sage sometimes refer to themselves as of the Jamadagni lineage.

In myth and religious literature, Jamadagni is described as a learned and devoted ascetic who lived with his wife Renuka and their son Parashurama at a hermitage. A well-known element of the stories surrounding Jamadagni is the possession of Kamadhenu, the wish-granting cow. Various retellings recount a later incident in which a king seized Kamadhenu, prompting Parashurama to avenge his father. The details of this episode vary across sources, but the core theme is the protection of the hermitage and the honor of the family.

Jamadagni’s figure contributes to the broader Parashurama tradition within Hindu myth, illustrating themes of devotion, ascetic discipline, and familial duty. His name persists in cultural and regional religious histories and, beyond myth, as a surname or gotra designation among certain Hindu communities that acknowledge the Jamadagni lineage.

In modern contexts, Jamadagni may appear as a given name or surname in various parts of India, particularly among communities that recognize the Jamadagni gotra. The figure is also referenced in discussions of Parashurama and related Puranic narratives.

See also: Parashurama, Renuka, Kamadhenu, Gotra, Puranas.