Aranya Kanda · Sarga 32 of 76 · 25 verses
Shurpanakha Comes to Ravana
Seeing fourteen thousand rakshasas of terrible deeds killed by Rama alone, and Dushana, Khara and Trishiras killed in battle, Shurpanakha roars great roars again like a rain-cloud. Seeing Rama’s deed, very hard for others to do, she goes, deeply troubled, to Lanka, protected by Ravana. She sees Ravana of blazing splendour on the top of his palace, seated among his ministers like Vasava among the Maruts, on an excellent golden throne bright as the sun, like a great fire blazing on a golden altar. Unconquerable in battle by gods, gandharvas, spirits and great seers, terrible like Death with mouth open; bearing wounds made by thunderbolts and lightning in the wars of gods and asuras, his chest scarred by the tips of Airavata’s tusks; twenty-armed, ten-necked, splendidly attired, broad-chested, heroic, marked with the signs of kingship, shining like set beryl, adorned with refined gold, with fine arms, white teeth and a huge mouth, like a mountain; struck hundreds of times by the falls of Vishnu’s discus and by other weapons in the great wars of the gods, his limbs unhurt by all the weapons of the gods; swift to act, stirring up the unstirrable oceans, hurling mountain peaks, crushing the gods, uprooting dharma, violating other men’s wives; user of all divine weapons, always obstructing sacrifices. He went to the city of Bhogavati, defeated Vasuki, and carried off Takshaka’s beloved wife; he went to Mount Kailasa, conquered Kubera, who rides on men, and carried off his flying chariot Pushpaka that goes where one wishes; in his anger the mighty one destroys the divine Caitraratha forest, the lotus pool, the Nandana forest and the gardens of the gods; like a mountain peak, he holds back with his arms the fortunate sun and moon, scorchers of foes, as they rise. Having practised austerity for ten thousand years in the great forest, the steady one once offered his heads to the Self-born; he has safety in battle from gods, danavas, gandharvas, pishachas, birds and serpents, but not from death at the hands of men. The mighty one destroys the soma praised with mantras by the twice-born at sacrifices, pressed in the oblation sheds; he steals sacrifices that are about to be completed; wicked, a killer of brahmanas, cruel in deed, harsh, without pity, devoted to the harm of creatures: Ravana, terror of all beings and all worlds. The rakshasi sees her brother, cruel, very mighty, in divine clothes and ornaments, adorned with divine garlands, well seated on his throne like Time risen at the end of time, the fortunate king of rakshasas, delight of the Paulastya family. Approaching Ravana, slayer of enemies, surrounded by his ministers, the rakshasi, overwhelmed with fear, speaks. Showing herself, disfigured by the great soul, deluded by fear and greed, Shurpanakha, who goes about without fear, speaks very harsh words to him of the blazing, large eyes.
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ततः शूर्पणखा दृष्ट्वा सहस्राणि चतुर्दश । हतान्येकेन रामेण रक्षसां भीमकर्मणाम् ॥ १ ॥
Then Shurpanakha, seeing fourteen thousand rakshasas of terrible deeds killed by Rama alone,
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Shurpanakha Comes to Ravana 1 min read.
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दूषणं च खरं चैव हतं त्रिशिरसं रणे । दृष्ट्वा पुनर्महानादान् ननाद जलदोपमा ॥ २ ॥
and seeing Dushana and Khara and Trishiras killed in battle, roared great roars again, like a cloud.
सा दृष्ट्वा कर्म रामस्य कृतमन्यैः सुदुष्करम् । जगाम परमोद्विग्ना लङ्कां रावणपालिताम् ॥ ३ ॥
Seeing the deed done by Rama, very hard for others to do, she went, deeply troubled, to Lanka protected by Ravana.
सा ददर्श विमानाग्रे रावणं दीप्ततेजसम् । उपोपविष्टं सचिवैर्मरुद्भिरिव वासवम् ॥ ४ ॥
She saw on the top of his palace Ravana of blazing splendour, seated near his ministers, like Vasava with the Maruts,
आसीनं सूर्यसंकाशे काञ्चने परमासने । रुक्मवेदिगतं प्राज्यं ज्वलन्तमिव पावकम् ॥ ५ ॥
seated on an excellent golden throne like the sun, like an abundant fire blazing on a golden altar,
देवगन्धर्वभूतानामृषीणां च महात्मनाम् । अजेयं समरे घोरं व्यात्ताननमिवान्तकम् ॥ ६ ॥
unconquerable in battle by gods, gandharvas, beings and great-souled seers, terrible, like Death with mouth open,
देवासुरविमर्देषु वज्राशनिकृतव्रणम् । ऐरावतविषाणाग्रैरुत्कृष्टकिणवक्षसम् ॥ ७ ॥
with wounds made by thunderbolt and lightning in the clashes of gods and asuras, his chest scored with scars from the tips of Airavata’s tusks,
विंशद्भुजं दशग्रीवं दर्शनीयपरिच्छदम् । विशालवक्षसं वीरं राजलक्षणलक्षितम् ॥ ८ ॥
twenty-armed, ten-necked, with splendid attire, broad-chested, heroic, marked with the signs of kingship,
नद्धवैदूर्यसंकाशं तप्तकाञ्चनभूषणम् । सुभुजं शुक्लदशनं महास्यं पर्वतोपमम् ॥ ९ ॥
like set beryl, with ornaments of refined gold, with fine arms, white teeth and a great mouth, like a mountain,
विष्णुचक्रनिपातैश्च शतशो देवसंयुगे । अन्यैः शस्त्रैः प्रहारैश्च महायुद्धेषु ताडितम् ॥ १० ॥
struck by the falls of Vishnu’s discus hundreds of times in the battles with the gods, and by other weapons and blows in great wars,
अहताङ्गैः समस्तैस्तं देवप्रहरणैस्तदा । अक्षोभ्याणां समुद्राणां क्षोभणं क्षिप्रकारिणम् ॥ ११ ॥
with limbs unharmed by all the weapons of the gods then, swift in action, the stirrer of the unstirrable oceans,
क्षेप्तारं पर्वताग्राणां सुराणां च प्रमर्दनम् । उच्छेत्तारं च धर्माणां परदाराभिमर्शनम् ॥ १२ ॥
the hurler of mountain tops, the crusher of the gods, the uprooter of dharmas, the violator of other men’s wives,
सर्वदिव्यास्त्रयोक्तारं यज्ञविघ्नकरं सदा । पुरीं भोगवतीं गत्वा पराजित्य च वासुकिम् ॥ १३ ॥
the user of all divine weapons, always a maker of obstacles to sacrifices; who, going to the city of Bhogavati and defeating Vasuki,
तक्षकस्य प्रियां भार्यां पराजित्य जहार यः । कैलासं पर्वतं गत्वा विजित्य नरवाहनम् ॥ १४ ॥
carried off the dear wife of Takshaka, having defeated him; who, going to Mount Kailasa and conquering the one who rides on men,
विमानं पुष्पकं तस्य कामगं वै जहार यः । वनं चैत्ररथं दिव्यं नलिनीं नन्दनं वनम् ॥ १५ ॥
carried off his chariot Pushpaka, which goes where one wishes; who, mighty, in anger, destroys the divine Caitraratha forest, the lotus pool, the Nandana forest,
विनाशयति यः क्रोधाद् देवोद्यानानि वीर्यवान् । चन्द्रसूर्यौ महाभागावुत्तिष्ठन्तौ परंतपौ ॥ १६ ॥
the gardens of the gods; who, like a mountain peak, holds back with his arms the fortunate moon and sun, scorchers of foes, as they rise;
निवारयति बाहुभ्यां यः शैलशिखरोपमः । दशवर्षसहस्राणि तपस्तप्त्वा महावने ॥ १७ ॥
पुरा स्वयंभुवे धीरः शिरांस्युपजहार यः । देवदानवगन्धर्वपिशाचपतगोरगैः ॥ १८ ॥
who, steady, having practised austerity for ten thousand years in the great forest, once offered his heads to the Self-born; for whom there is safety in battle from gods, danavas, gandharvas, pishachas, birds and serpents,
अभयं यस्य संग्रामे मृत्युतो मानुषादृते । मन्त्रैरभिष्टुतं पुण्यमध्वरेषु द्विजातिभिः ॥ १९ ॥
from death, except from men; who, very mighty, destroys the holy soma praised with mantras by the twice-born at sacrifices,
हविर्धानेषु यः सोममुपहन्ति महाबलः । प्राप्तयज्ञहरं दुष्टं ब्रह्मघ्नं क्रूरकारिणम् ॥ २० ॥
in the oblation sheds; the stealer of sacrifices that are being reached, wicked, killer of brahmanas, doer of cruel deeds,
कर्कशं निरनुक्रोशं प्रजानामहिते रतम् । रावणं सर्वभूतानां सर्वलोकभयावहम् ॥ २१ ॥
harsh, pitiless, devoted to the harm of creatures, Ravana, bringer of fear to all beings and all worlds:
राक्षसी भ्रातरं क्रूरं सा ददर्श महाबलम् । तं दिव्यवस्त्राभरणं दिव्यमाल्योपशोभितम् ॥ २२ ॥
the rakshasi saw that cruel, very mighty brother, in divine clothes and ornaments, adorned with divine garlands,
आसने सूपविष्टं तं काले कालमिवोद्यतम् । राक्षसेन्द्रं महाभागं पौलस्त्यकुलनन्दनम् ॥ २३ ॥
well seated on his throne, like Time risen at the time, the fortunate lord of the rakshasas, delight of the Paulastya line.
उपगम्याब्रवीद् वाक्यं राक्षसी भयविह्वला । रावणं शत्रुहन्तारं मन्त्रिभिः परिवारितम् ॥ २४ ॥
Approaching him, the rakshasi, overwhelmed with fear, spoke to Ravana, slayer of enemies, surrounded by his ministers.
तमब्रवीद् दीप्तविशाललोचनं प्रदर्शयित्वा भयलोभमोहिता । सुदारुणं वाक्यमभीतचारिणी महात्मना शूर्पणखा विरूपिता ॥ २५ ॥
Showing herself, deluded by fear and greed, Shurpanakha, who moved about without fear, disfigured by the great soul, said very harsh words to him of the blazing, large eyes.