Aranya Kanda · Sarga 21 of 76 · 22 verses
Shurpanakha Taunts Khara
Seeing Shurpanakha fallen again, come only for harm, Khara says to her angrily in a clear voice: “I have just sent those brave flesh-eating rakshasas to please you; why are you weeping again? They are devoted, loyal and always good to me; even when struck they do not die; they would not fail to do my word. What is this? I want to hear the reason why you writhe on the ground like a snake, crying ‘Ha, my protector!’ Why do you lament like one without a protector, when I, your protector, am here? Get up, get up; do not do this; give up this weakness.” Comforted by Khara, the unassailable one wipes her tearful eyes and says to her brother: “I came to you just now, my ears and nose cut off, flooded with blood, and you comforted me. You sent those fourteen brave rakshasas to kill terrible Raghava and Lakshmana, to please me. But all of them, angry, spears and axes in hand, were killed in battle by Rama with arrows that split the vital parts. Seeing those very swift ones fallen on the ground in a moment, and seeing Rama’s great deed, a great terror came over me. Frightened, alarmed, despairing, seeing danger everywhere, I have come to you again for refuge, night-ranger. Why do you not save me, sunk in a vast ocean of grief, infested with the crocodiles of despair, garlanded with waves of terror? These flesh-eating rakshasas who followed my trail have been killed on the ground by Rama with sharp arrows. If you have any pity for me and for those rakshasas, if you have the power or the courage for Rama, night-ranger, kill this rakshasa-thorn living in the Dandaka forest. If you do not kill Rama, slayer of enemies, today, I will give up my life before your eyes, shamelessly. By my judgement I see that you cannot stand facing Rama in battle, even with your army, in a great fight. You think yourself a hero but you are no hero; your valour is falsely claimed. Leave Janasthana quickly with your kinsmen, or kill those fools in battle, disgrace of the family. If you cannot kill those two men, Rama and Lakshmana, what kind of life is yours here, without courage, of little valour? Overwhelmed by Rama’s power, you will soon perish; for Rama son of Dasharatha is full of power, and his brother, who disfigured me, is very mighty.” Having lamented much in this way, the hollow-bellied rakshasi, grief-stricken beside her brother, loses consciousness, beats her belly with her hands and weeps in great sorrow.
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स पुनः पतितां दृष्ट्वा क्रोधाच्छूर्पणखां पुनः । उवाच व्यक्तया वाचा तामनर्थार्थमागताम् ॥ १ ॥
Seeing Shurpanakha fallen again, he again, out of anger, spoke in a clear voice to her who had come for harm:
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मया त्विदानीं शूरास्ते राक्षसाः पिशिताशनाः । त्वत्प्रियार्थं विनिर्दिष्टाः किमर्थं रुद्यते पुनः ॥ २ ॥
“I have just now appointed those brave flesh-eating rakshasas to please you. Why do you weep again?
भक्ताश्चैवानुरक्ताश्च हिताश्च मम नित्यशः । हन्यमाना न हन्यन्ते न न कुर्युर्वचो मम ॥ ३ ॥
“They are devoted, loyal and always good to me; even when struck they are not killed; they would not fail to do my word.
किमेतच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि कारणं यत्कृते पुनः । हा नाथेति विनर्दन्ती सर्पवच्चेष्टसे क्षितौ ॥ ४ ॥
“What is this? I wish to hear the reason for which, crying ‘Ha, my protector!’, you writhe on the ground like a snake.
अनाथवद् विलपसि किं नु नाथे मयि स्थिते । उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ मा मैवं वैक्लव्यं त्यज्यतामिति ॥ ५ ॥
“Why do you lament like one without a protector, when I, your protector, am here? Rise, rise; not so; let this weakness be given up.”
इत्येवमुक्ता दुर्धर्षा खरेण परिसान्त्विता । विमृज्य नयने सास्रे खरं भ्रातरमब्रवीत् ॥ ६ ॥
Spoken to so and comforted by Khara, the unassailable one, wiping her tearful eyes, said to her brother Khara:
अस्मीदानीमहं प्राप्ता हतश्रवणनासिका । शोणितौघपरिक्लिन्ना त्वया च परिसान्त्विता ॥ ७ ॥
“I have come just now, my ears and nose cut off, drenched with streams of blood, and I have been comforted by you.
प्रेषिताश्च त्वया शूरा राक्षसास्ते चतुर्दश । निहन्तुं राघवं घोरं मत्प्रियार्थं सलक्ष्मणम् ॥ ८ ॥
“And those fourteen brave rakshasas were sent by you to kill terrible Raghava with Lakshmana, to please me.
ते तु रामेण सामर्षाः शूलपट्टिशपाणयः । समरे निहताः सर्वे सायकैर्मर्मभेदिभिः ॥ ९ ॥
“But all of them, angry, with spears and axes in hand, were killed in battle by Rama with arrows that split the vital parts.
तान् भूमौ पतितान् दृष्ट्वा क्षणेनैव महाजवान् । रामस्य च महत्कर्म महांस्त्रासोऽभवन्मम ॥ १० ॥
“Seeing those of great speed fallen on the ground in an instant, and Rama’s great deed, a great terror came over me.
सास्मि भीता समुद्विग्ना विषण्णा च निशाचर । शरणं त्वां पुनः प्राप्ता सर्वतो भयदर्शिनी ॥ ११ ॥
“I am frightened, alarmed and despairing, night-ranger; seeing danger everywhere, I have come to you again for refuge.
विषादनक्राध्युषिते परित्रासोर्मिमालिनि । किं मां न त्रायसे मग्नां विपुले शोकसागरे ॥ १२ ॥
“Why do you not save me, sunk in the vast ocean of grief, inhabited by the crocodiles of despair, garlanded with waves of terror?
एते च निहता भूमौ रामेण निशितैः शरैः । ये च मे पदवीं प्राप्ता राक्षसाः पिशिताशनाः ॥ १३ ॥
“And these flesh-eating rakshasas who followed my trail have been killed on the ground by Rama with sharp arrows.
मयि ते यद्यनुक्रोशो यदि रक्षःसु तेषु च । रामेण यदि शक्तिस्ते तेजो वास्ति निशाचर ॥ १४ ॥
“If you have pity for me and for those rakshasas, if you have the power or the courage for Rama, night-ranger,
दण्डकारण्यनिलयं जहि राक्षसकण्टकम् । यदि रामममित्रघ्नं न त्वमद्य वधिष्यसि ॥ १५ ॥
“kill this thorn of the rakshasas dwelling in the Dandaka forest. If you do not kill Rama, slayer of enemies, today,
तव चैवाग्रतः प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्यामि निरपत्रपा । बुद्ध्याहमनुपश्यामि न त्वं रामस्य संयुगे ॥ १६ ॥
“I will give up my life before your eyes, shamelessly. By my judgement I see that you, in battle with Rama,
स्थातुं प्रतिमुखे शक्तः सबलोऽपि महारणे । शूरमानी न शूरस्त्वं मिथ्यारोपितविक्रमः ॥ १७ ॥
“cannot stand face to face even with your army in a great fight. Thinking yourself a hero, you are no hero; your valour is falsely claimed.
अपयाहि जनस्थानात् त्वरितः सहबान्धवः । जहि त्वं समरे मूढान्यथा तु कुलपांसन ॥ १८ ॥
“Go away quickly from Janasthana with your kinsmen; or else kill those fools in battle, disgrace of the family.
मानुषौ तौ न शक्नोषि हन्तुं वै रामलक्ष्मणौ । निःसत्त्वस्याल्पवीर्यस्य वासस्ते कीदृशस्त्विह ॥ १९ ॥
“If you cannot kill those two men, Rama and Lakshmana, what kind of living here is yours, without courage, of little valour?
रामतेजोऽभिभूतो हि त्वं क्षिप्रं विनशिष्यसि । स हि तेजःसमायुक्तो रामो दशरथात्मजः ॥ २० ॥
“Overwhelmed by Rama’s splendour, you will quickly perish. For that Rama, son of Dasharatha, is full of splendour,
भ्राता चास्य महावीर्यो येन चास्मि विरूपिता । एवं विलप्य बहुशो राक्षसी प्रदरोदरी ॥ २१ ॥
“and his brother, by whom I was disfigured, is of great valour.” Having lamented much in this way, the rakshasi with the hollow belly,
भ्रातुः समीपे शोकार्ता नष्टसंज्ञा बभूव ह । कराभ्यामुदरं हत्वा रुरोद भृशदुःखिता ॥ २२ ॥
grief-stricken near her brother, lost consciousness; beating her belly with her hands, she wept, deeply grieved.