Aranya Kanda · Sarga 17 of 76 · 29 verses
Shurpanakha
Having bathed, Rama, Sita and Saumitri go back from the bank of the Godavari to their hermitage. Reaching it, Raghava with Lakshmana performs the morning rites and goes to the leaf hut. He lives there happily, honoured by the great seers; sitting in the leaf hut with Sita, the mighty-armed one shines like the moon with the star Chitra, and talks of many things with his brother Lakshmana. As Rama sits there, absorbed in conversation, a certain rakshasi comes to the place by chance. She is Shurpanakha, sister of the rakshasa Dashagriva (Ravana). Coming upon Rama, she sees him, like a god: bright-faced, mighty-armed, with long lotus-petal eyes, walking like an elephant, wearing a circle of matted hair, delicate, of great strength, bearing the marks of a king, dark as a blue lotus, radiant like the god of love. Seeing him, like Indra, the rakshasi is overcome with desire. She is ugly-faced, he handsome; she pot-bellied, he slender-waisted; she squint-eyed, he large-eyed; she copper-haired, he with fine hair; she misshapen, he lovely; she harsh-voiced, he sweet-voiced; she old and cruel, he young; she crooked of speech, he straightforward; she wicked, he just; she ugly to look at, he dear. Possessed by desire, the rakshasi says to Rama: “Wearing matted hair, in an ascetic’s dress, with a wife, carrying bow and arrows, how have you come to this place frequented by rakshasas? What is your business in coming? Tell me truly.”
Asked so by the rakshasi Shurpanakha, the scorcher of foes, in his straightforwardness, begins to tell her everything: “There was a king named Dasharatha, of valour like the gods. I am his eldest son, known among people as Rama. This is my younger brother Lakshmana, devoted to me, and this is my wife, Vaidehi, known as Sita. Bound by the command of my father the king and my mother, wishing for dharma, I have come here to live in the forest for dharma’s sake. But I want to know about you: whose are you, who are you, to whom do you belong? You seem to me a rakshasi of lovely form. Tell me truly why you have come here.” Hearing him, the rakshasi, tormented by love, says: “Listen, Rama; I will tell you the truth. I am the rakshasi Shurpanakha, who can take any form she wishes. I roam this forest alone, terrifying to all. My brother is named Ravana, if you have heard of him, the hero, son of Vishravas; and the mighty Kumbhakarna, always deep in sleep; and righteous Vibhishana, who does not behave like a rakshasa; and two brothers famous for valour in battle, Khara and Dushana. I have gone beyond them all, Rama, since I first saw you; I have come to you with love, best of men, as my husband. I have power and can go where I like with my own strength. Be my husband for a long time; what will you do with Sita? She is deformed and ugly; she is not your equal. I alone am fit for you; look on me as your wife. This ugly, unchaste, terrible, hollow-bellied human woman I will eat, together with this brother of yours. Then, full of love, you will roam the Dandakas with me, looking at mountain peaks and forests of many kinds.” Spoken to so, Kakutstha, skilled in speech, laughs and begins to answer the woman with the intoxicated eyes.
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कृताभिषेको रामस्तु सीता सौमित्रिरेव च । तस्माद् गोदावरीतीरात् ततो जग्मुः स्वमाश्रमम् ॥ १ ॥
Having bathed, Rama, Sita and Saumitri then went from that bank of the Godavari to their own hermitage.
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आश्रमं तमुपागम्य राघवः सहलक्ष्मणः । कृत्वा पौर्वाह्णिकं कर्म पर्णशालामुपागमत् ॥ २ ॥
Reaching that hermitage, Raghava with Lakshmana, having performed the morning rites, went to the leaf hut.
उवास सुखितस्तत्र पूज्यमानो महर्षिभिः । स रामः पर्णशालायामासीनः सह सीतया ॥ ३ ॥
He lived there happily, honoured by the great seers. That Rama, sitting in the leaf hut with Sita,
विरराज महाबाहुश्चित्रया चन्द्रमा इव । लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा चकार विविधाः कथाः ॥ ४ ॥
the mighty-armed one, shone like the moon with Chitra. He held many kinds of conversation with his brother Lakshmana.
तदासीनस्य रामस्य कथासंसक्तचेतसः । तं देशं राक्षसी काचिदाजगाम यदृच्छया ॥ ५ ॥
Then, as Rama sat with his mind absorbed in conversation, a certain rakshasi came to that place by chance.
सा तु शूर्पणखा नाम दशग्रीवस्य रक्षसः । भगिनी राममासाद्य ददर्श त्रिदशोपमम् ॥ ६ ॥
She, named Shurpanakha, sister of the rakshasa Dashagriva, coming upon Rama, saw him, like one of the thirty gods:
दीप्तास्यं च महाबाहुं पद्मपत्रायतेक्षणम् । गजविक्रान्तगमनं जटामण्डलधारिणम् ॥ ७ ॥
bright-faced and mighty-armed, with long eyes like lotus petals, walking with an elephant’s gait, wearing a circle of matted hair,
सुकुमारं महासत्त्वं पार्थिवव्यञ्जनान्वितम् । राममिन्दीवरश्यामं कंदर्पसदृशप्रभम् ॥ ८ ॥
delicate, of great strength, endowed with the marks of a king, Rama, dark as a blue lotus, with radiance like the god of love.
बभूवेन्द्रोपमं दृष्ट्वा राक्षसी काममोहिता । सुमुखं दुर्मुखी रामं वृत्तमध्यं महोदरी ॥ ९ ॥
Seeing him, like Indra, the rakshasi became deluded by desire. She was ugly-faced, Rama handsome-faced; he slender-waisted, she big-bellied;
विशालाक्षं विरूपाक्षी सुकेशं ताम्रमूर्धजा । प्रियरूपं विरूपा सा सुस्वरं भैरवस्वना ॥ १० ॥
he large-eyed, she squint-eyed; he fine-haired, she copper-haired; he of lovely form, she misshapen; he sweet-voiced, she with a terrible voice;
तरुणं दारुणा वृद्धा दक्षिणं वामभाषिणी । न्यायवृत्तं सुदुर्वृत्ता प्रियमप्रियदर्शना ॥ ११ ॥
he young, she old and cruel; he straight of speech, she crooked of speech; he of just conduct, she of very bad conduct; he dear, she unpleasant to look at.
शरीरजसमाविष्टा राक्षसी राममब्रवीत् । जटी तापसवेषेण सभार्यः शरचापधृक् ॥ १२ ॥
Possessed by the body-born god, the rakshasi said to Rama: “Wearing matted hair, in an ascetic’s dress, with a wife, bearing arrows and bow,
आगतस्त्वमिमं देशं कथं राक्षससेवितम् । किमागमनकृत्यं ते तत्त्वमाख्यातुमर्हसि ॥ १३ ॥
“how have you come to this place frequented by rakshasas? What is the purpose of your coming? You should tell me truly.”
एवमुक्तस्तु राक्षस्या शूर्पणख्या परंतपः । ऋजुबुद्धितया सर्वमाख्यातुमुपचक्रमे ॥ १४ ॥
Spoken to so by the rakshasi Shurpanakha, the scorcher of foes, in his straightforwardness, began to tell everything:
आसीद् दशरथो नाम राजा त्रिदशविक्रमः । तस्याहमग्रजः पुत्रो रामो नाम जनैः श्रुतः ॥ १५ ॥
“There was a king named Dasharatha, of valour like the gods. I am his eldest son, known among people by the name of Rama.
भ्रातायं लक्ष्मणो नाम यवीयान् मामनुव्रतः । इयं भार्या च वैदेही मम सीतेति विश्रुता ॥ १६ ॥
“This is my brother named Lakshmana, the younger, devoted to me; and this is my wife, Vaidehi, known as Sita.
नियोगात् तु नरेन्द्रस्य पितुर्मातुश्च यन्त्रितः । धर्मार्थं धर्मकांक्षी च वनं वस्तुमिहागतः ॥ १७ ॥
“Bound by the command of the lord of men, my father, and of my mother, wishing for dharma, I have come here to live in the forest for dharma’s sake.
त्वां तु वेदितुमिच्छामि कस्य त्वं कासि कस्य वा । त्वं हि तावन्मनोज्ञाङ्गी राक्षसी प्रतिभासि मे ॥ १८ ॥
“But I wish to know about you: whose are you, who are you, to whom do you belong? For you seem to me a rakshasi with lovely limbs.
इह वा किंनिमित्तं त्वमागता ब्रूहि तत्त्वतः । साब्रवीद् वचनं श्रुत्वा राक्षसी मदनार्दिता ॥ १९ ॥
“Or why have you come here? Tell me truly.” Hearing these words, the rakshasi, tormented by love, said:
श्रूयतां राम तत्त्वार्थं वक्ष्यामि वचनं मम । अहं शूर्पणखा नाम राक्षसी कामरूपिणी ॥ २० ॥
“Listen, Rama; I will speak my words with their true meaning. I am the rakshasi named Shurpanakha, who takes any form at will.
अरण्यं विचरामीदमेका सर्वभयंकरा । रावणो नाम मे भ्राता यदि ते श्रोत्रमागतः ॥ २१ ॥
“I roam this forest alone, terrifying to all. My brother is named Ravana, if he has come to your hearing,
वीरो विश्रवसः पुत्रो यदि ते श्रोत्रमागतः । प्रवृद्धनिद्रश्च सदा कुम्भकर्णो महाबलः ॥ २२ ॥
“the hero, son of Vishravas, if he has come to your hearing; and mighty Kumbhakarna, whose sleep is always long,
विभीषणस्तु धर्मात्मा न तु राक्षसचेष्टितः । प्रख्यातवीर्यौ च रणे भ्रातरौ खरदूषणौ ॥ २३ ॥
“and righteous Vibhishana, who does not behave like a rakshasa; and two brothers famed for valour in battle, Khara and Dushana.
तानहं समतिक्रान्तां राम त्वापूर्वदर्शनात् । समुपेतास्मि भावेन भर्तारं पुरुषोत्तमम् ॥ २४ ॥
“I have gone beyond them all, Rama, since I first saw you; I have come to you with love, as my husband, best of men.
अहं प्रभावसम्पन्ना स्वच्छन्दबलगामिनी । चिराय भव भर्ता मे सीतया किं करिष्यसि ॥ २५ ॥
“I am endowed with power and go where I like with my own strength. Be my husband for a long time; what will you do with Sita?
विकृता च विरूपा च न सेयं सदृशी तव । अहमेवानुरूपा ते भार्यारूपेण पश्य माम् ॥ २६ ॥
“She is deformed and ugly; she is not your equal. I alone am fit for you; look on me in the form of a wife.
इमां विरूपामसतीं करालां निर्णतोदरीम् । अनेन सह ते भ्रात्रा भक्षयिष्यामि मानुषीम् ॥ २७ ॥
“This ugly, unchaste, terrible, hollow-bellied human woman I will eat, together with this brother of yours.
ततः पर्वतशृङ्गाणि वनानि विविधानि च । पश्यन् सह मया कामी दण्डकान् विचरिष्यसि ॥ २८ ॥
“Then, looking at mountain peaks and forests of many kinds, you, full of love, will roam the Dandakas with me.”
इत्येवमुक्तः काकुत्स्थः प्रहस्य मदिरेक्षणाम् । इदं वचनमारेभे वक्तुं वाक्यविशारदः ॥ २९ ॥
Spoken to so, Kakutstha, skilled in speech, laughing, began to say these words to the woman with intoxicated eyes.