Daśaratha, deeply troubled by the wrathful presence of the great sage Paraśurāma, addressed him with humility and reverence. He implored, “O illustrious sage, you who have calmed your anger against the warrior class and now shine as a supreme ascetic among Brāhmaṇas, I beg you—grant safety to my young sons. You were born of the noble Bhārgava lineage, steadfast in your vows and study, and before mighty Indra you laid aside your weapons. Having turned your heart to righteousness, you gifted the earth to Kaśyapa and, retiring to the forest, made your abode upon Mount Mahendra. O great sage, you have come now, it seems, for the destruction of us all; should Rāma alone be slain, none of us could bear to live.” Yet as Daśaratha spoke, the formidable Jāmadagnya, unfazed by his words, turned his attention solely to Rāma. “Here before you,” he said, “are two divine bows, honored throughout the worlds—mighty, formidable, and masterfully crafted by Viśvakarman. One was bestowed by the gods upon Tryambaka for battle; this is the bow you broke, O descendant of Kakutstha, the very weapon wielded by the destroyer of Tripura. The second, unconquerable bow was given by the best of the gods to Viṣṇu; this is the Vaiṣṇava bow, O Rāma, conqueror of enemy cities. Know, O Kakutstha, that this bow is the equal of Rudra’s bow in power. In ancient times, all the gods approached the Grandfather, Brahmā, desiring to discern the relative strength of Śiva and Viṣṇu. Understanding their wish, Brahmā sowed rivalry between these two foremost upholders of truth, and a tremendous, hair-raising battle ensued between Śiva and Viṣṇu, each seeking the other’s victory. “In the clash, the terrifying bow of Śiva was drawn forth. Yet, as the three-eyed Mahādeva was halted by a mighty roar, the gods, along with sages and celestial beings, assembled. The two supreme deities, entreated for peace, departed from the field, and the assembled gods and sages, witnessing Viṣṇu’s prowess in restraining the bow of Śiva, deemed Viṣṇu superior. Rudra, however, angered by this judgment among the Videhas, gave his bow and arrows to King Devarāta, the royal sage. This bow of Viṣṇu, O Rāma, was entrusted to Ṛcīka Bhārgava, who passed it to his illustrious son. My own father, Jamadagni, received the divine bow when his father, radiant with ascetic power, renounced weapons. “But when Arjuna, acting with ordinary understanding, committed a grievous act, I, upon hearing of my father’s cruel and unjust death, repeatedly destroyed the warrior class in my wrath. Having conquered the entire earth, I gave it as a sacrificial gift to the great Kaśyapa at the end of my rites, O Rāma, as a reward for virtuous deeds. Thereafter, I dwelt at Mahendra, rich in ascetic power. Yet, upon hearing of the breaking of the bow, I hastened here. Thus, O Rāma, this great bow of Viṣṇu has descended through generations from father to son. Now, honoring the warrior’s duty, take up this excellent bow. Fit the conquering arrow to this supreme weapon; if you are able, O descendant of Kakutstha, then I shall grant you a duel.” The assembly was hushed, and the seventy-sixth chapter of this glorious tale begins. Hearing the words of Jāmadagnya, the son of Daśaratha, restrained by respect, spoke first to his father and then addressed Rāma. “O Bhārgava, I have heard of your mighty deeds, and we honor you, O Brāhmaṇa, for you have fulfilled the debt to your father. But you now regard me as powerless, lacking valor, and unable to uphold the warrior’s code. Behold my prowess today, O Bhārgava.” With these words, Rāma, angered yet resolute, seized the formidable bow and arrow from Jāmadagnya’s hands, moving with the swiftness of a true hero. He strung the bow and readied the arrow, his eyes blazing, and spoke to Paraśurāma: “You are a Brāhmaṇa, worthy of my reverence, as is the sage Viśvāmitra. Therefore, O Rāma, I cannot release this deadly arrow against you. Instead, I will destroy either the path you travel, O Rāma, or I will strike down the worlds you have won through ascetic power—this is my vow. For this divine arrow of Viṣṇu, O conqueror of cities, never falls in vain; by its might, it humbles the pride of strength.” As Rāma stood holding the supreme weapon, all the gods, with Brahmā at their head, gathered with the hosts of sages to witness this wondrous event. Gandharvas, Apsarases, Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Kinnaras, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, and Nāgas assembled, eager to see Rāma, the bearer of the celestial bow. The world itself seemed to pause, stilled by the sight of Rāma wielding the supreme weapon. Paraśurāma, his vigor sapped by Rāma’s radiance, gazed at him with a mixture of awe and joy. Humbled, he spoke softly: “Long ago, I gave the earth to Kāśyapa, who instructed me that I must not dwell within my own domain. Thus, obeying my teacher’s command, I have not lived on earth at night from that time, O descendant of Kakutstha. O hero, do not destroy this path of mine, O Rāghava; I will depart swiftly, as thought, to Mahendra, the greatest of mountains. O Rāma, the worlds I have conquered through asceticism—strike them with your arrow, so that the time of destruction may not come.” Thus ended the mighty encounter, with Rāma’s glory shining forth, witnessed by gods and sages, and Paraśurāma departing in peace, honoring his vow and the will of destiny.