Jamadagni was a powerful sage of the Bhargava (Bhrigu) lineage and is counted among the Saptarishi of the present Manvantara. He was the son of the sage Richika and Satyavati (daughter of King Gadhi). Through a ritual mix-up involving consecrated rice, Satyavati’s son was destined to be a Brahmana of great calmness while her grandson would be a fierce warrior; thus Jamadagni was born a serene sage and his youngest son Parashurama became the warrior-avatar of Vishnu. Jamadagni married Renuka, daughter of King Prasenajit, and they had five sons, the youngest of whom was Parashurama.
Jamadagni is remembered for his mastery of the Vedas and for possessing the celestial bow Sharanga. The most famous episode of his life involves ordering his sons to kill Renuka after she momentarily lost her purity of mind; only Parashurama obeyed, after which Jamadagni restored her to life. Later, the sons of the Haihaya king Kartavirya Arjuna killed Jamadagni while Parashurama was away, prompting Parashurama’s famous campaign of destroying the Kshatriyas twenty-one times. The Jamadagni gotra belongs to the Bhargava group and shares the five-rishi pravara Bhargava–Chyavana–Apnavana–Aurva–Jamadagni.
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Often read as "one whose fire (agni) blazes" or "born of fire", reflecting the sage's strong association with sacred fire rituals in the Puranas. Remembered as the father of Parashurama.
No. Gotra and surname are separate systems. Families with many different surnames, across many regions and communities, can share the same gotra, and families with the same surname can belong to different gotras.
Many communities traditionally avoid marriage between people of the same gotra, based on the idea that they share a common patrilineal ancestor. Exact customs vary widely by community and region.