Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 9: Liberation

Chapter 16: Lord Parasurama Destroys the World's Ruling Class. Text 6

रामः सञ्चोदितः पित्रा भ्रातॄन् मात्रा सहावधीत् ।
प्रभावज्ञो मुनेः सम्यक् समाधेस्तपसश्च सः ॥६॥

rÄmaḥ sañcoditaḥ pitrÄ
bhrÄtá¹n mÄtrÄ sahÄvadhÄ«t
prabhÄva-jño muneḥ samyak
samÄdhes tapasaÅ› ca saḥ

 rÄmaḥ - Lord ParaÅ›urÄma; sañcoditaḥ - being encouraged (to kill his mother and brothers); pitrÄ - by his father; bhrÄtá¹n - all his brothers; mÄtrÄ saha - with the mother; avadhÄ«t - killed immediately; prabhÄva-jñaḥ - aware of the prowess; muneḥ - of the great sage; samyak - completely; samÄdheḥ - by meditation; tapasaḥ - by austerity; ca - also; saḥ - he.


Text

Jamadagni then ordered his youngest son, ParaÅ›urÄma, to kill his brothers, who had disobeyed this order, and his mother, who had mentally committed adultery. Lord ParaÅ›urÄma, knowing the power of his father, who was practiced in meditation and austerity, killed his mother and brothers immediately.

Purport

The word prabhÄva-jñaḥ is significant. ParaÅ›urÄma knew the prowess of his father, and therefore he agreed to carry out his father’s order. He thought that if he refused to carry out the order he would be cursed, but if he carried it out his father would be pleased, and when his father was pleased, ParaÅ›urÄma would ask the benediction of having his mother and brothers brought back to life. ParaÅ›urÄma was confident in this regard, and therefore he agreed to kill his mother and brothers.