Jamadagni Rishi was a sage known for doing severe penance and meditation, which led him to gain divine knowledge. With this he contributed to writing some verses of the Rig Veda.

Jamadagni Rishi, however, was also known for showing immense anger towards anyone who dared disobey or disturb him.

Let’s get to know the story of Jamadagni Rishi.

Jamadagni Rishi – Lineage and legacy

Jamadagni Rishi was from the lineage of the Saptarishis. He was the descendant of Rishi Bhrigu.

Jamadagni Rishi’s wife was Princess Renuka, and together they had six sons. The youngest one was Parshuram, an avatar of Lord Vishnu and the most revered warrior of ancient India.

Jamadagni Rishi was gifted the Kamadhenu cow, a celestial wish-granting cow, by the divine Gods as a reward for his wisdom and the righteous practice of dharma.

Jamadagni’s Anger and Forgiveness

Though Jamadagni Rishi was a revered sage for his knowledge and wisdom, he was also well known for his angry outbursts. He would give a curse to any being, as well as celestial devats, who would have disturbed or wrongly questioned him.

Once, when his wife, Renuka Devi, was fetching water from the lake near their hermitage, she was dazzled and in awe of the celestial devs and devis who were visiting the same lake for some fun and frolic. Though she experienced it for just a fraction of the time, she quickly shook her eyes away from them.

Jamadagni Rishi, through his divine knowledge, got to know about Renuka Devi’s mind drifted and was furious. The moment she came back to the hermitage, he ordered his eldest son to behead her. But he couldn’t do it. None of his sons could comply with his orders.

He finally told his youngest son to follow his orders. Parshuram, being a devout son, carried out his wish and beheaded his mother.

Impressed by his actions, he asked Parshuram to ask for something as a boon. Parshuram immediately asked for his mother to be revived.

Jamadagni obliged and revived his wife back to life. He asked for forgiveness from his wife and immediately set out to do harsh penance for his angry outburst.

Jamadagni Rishi gets angry at the Sun.

While doing his penance in the jungle, he could not bear the heat one day. He felt uncomfortable and dizzy. Due to his discomfort, he was about to curse the sun deity for shining so brightly and spreading so much heat.

Just when he was about to curse the sun, Surya Dev appeared before him and asked him not to curse him.

Surya Dev told Jamadagni that he couldn’t help but shine and exhume so much heat, as such was his power, and without which life in the universe would not be sustained.

However, he presented Jamadagni Rishi with tools that would help him survive the heat. Surya Dev gifted him wooden footwear (paduka) and an umbrella.

Thus started the tradition of walking in footwear and using an umbrella during the different seasons, especially summers.

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