They had four sons and the fifth was Rama.
Though the youngest, he was the most learned and intelligent.
Once Renuka encountered King Chitraratha in the forest and got carried away by his flamboyance.
She felt dejected and unhappy, living the life of an ascetic’s wife.
Her husband sensed her discomfort.
He was enraged. His older sons too had their grouses, against his frugal life. On behalf of their mother, they got into a verbal duel. This made Jamadgani even more furious.
But Rama accused his mother of being unchaste and uncouth. Both of them wished to sever all relationships with her.
Renuka was shaken out of her delusional state of mind.
She begged her husband and son for forgiveness.
Seeing her repentant both of them mellowed.
Once while on a journey, King Kartavirya stopped by. Intoxicated with pride and arrogance, having won many battles he was disrespectful towards the ageing Brahmin.
His soldiers tried to forcibly cart away the cows that provided for the whole family.
The hermitage was pulled down and trampled in Rama’s absence.
Seeing the chaos the king’s soldiers had created in his absence, Rama was furious.
In spite of his father’s remonstrations Rama hunted down the king and chopped his arms.
Kartavirya’s sons killed Jamadgani in Rama’s absence, in retaliation.
The old man refused to fight back but kept calling for his son for help.
Rama felt responsible for his father’s death. He had killed Kartavirya and hence this.
The son was filled with anger, remorse and anguish.
Thus began the decimation of kshatriyas on earth.
The first to leave for heavenly abode was Kartavirya’s sons. Then followed the rest.
This was at the juncture of Treta and Dwapara Yug.
Rama built five lakes at Samantapanchaka in honour of his father and an altar for worship. It became a place for tirtha. Soon after that he left for mount Mahendra.
Again a battle was fought at the juncture of Dwapara and Kali Yuga. Like before it wiped away kshatriyas from the face of earth to establish righteousness.