ब्राह्मणोऽसीति पूज्यो मे विश्वामित्रकृतेन च। तस्माच्छक्तो न ते राम मोक्तुं प्राणहरं शरम्।
Meaning
'Since you are a Brahmin, honoured through your kinship with Vishwamitra, I am not able to loose this life-taking arrow at you.'
Word-by-word (pada-artha)
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| brāhmaṇa: | ब्राह्मणः | a Brahmin | nominative |
| asi | असि | you are | verb, present |
| iti | इति | thus | particle |
| pūjya: | पूज्यः | worthy of worship/honor | nominative |
| me | मे | to me | dative |
| viśvāmitrakṛtena | विश्वामित्रकृतेन | by reason connected with Vishvamitra | instrumental |
| ca | च | and | conjunction |
| tasmāt | तस्मात् | therefore | adverb |
| śakta: | शक्तः | able | nominative |
| na | न | not | negation |
| te | ते | your | genitive |
| rāma | राम | O Rama (Parashurama) | vocative |
| moktum | मोक्तुम् | to release | infinitive |
| prāṇaharam | प्राणहरम् | life-taking | accusative adjective |
| śaram | शरम् | arrow | accusative |
Scholar commentary
valmikiramayan.net Prose Commentary
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao's prose rendering with embedded explanatory notes
The source explains why Rama can even consider taking aim at a Brahmin: while killing a Brahmin is ordinarily a grave sin, an armed and warring Brahmin forfeits that protection. It cites the Mahabharata's Shanti Parva, where Bhishma tells Krishna it is no sin to kill even fathers, grandfathers, or teachers in battle if they have taken up arms under delusion -- the same reasoning by which the Pandavas later kill Drona, Kripa, and Ashvatthama. Since Parashurama has offered a duel, he has forfeited his immunity as a Brahmin, though Rama's mercy, owing to his kinship with Vishvamitra, still stays his hand from a lethal shot.
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Reference: 1.76.6 · Bāla Kāṇḍa