Book III : Aranya Kanda - The Forest Trek
Shuurpanakha comes again to her brother Khara to report that all the fourteen demons sent by him are slain by Rama. She persuades him to wage a war against Rama and Lakshmana and annihilate them for they intruded into Dandaka and there is every possibility of onslaught by them on demons. |
sa punaH patitaam dR^iSTvaa krodhaat shuurpaNakhaam kharaH |
uvaaca vyak{}tataa vaacaa taam anartha artham aagataam || 3-21-1
1. saH kharaH = he, Khara; punaH patitaam shuurpaNakhaam dR^iSTvaa=again, fallen - before him, Shuurpanakha, on seeing; anartha artham aagataam = calamity, for the purpose of, came back - to wreck havoc on; taam= to her; vyaktataa vaacaa= in clear, words; krodhaat uvaaca= furiously, said.
On seeing Shuurpanakha who came back only to wreck havoc on demonic race and again fell before him as before, Khara spoke this sentence to her in clear terms in all his fury. [3-21-1]
mayaa tu idaaniim shuuraaH te raakSasaa pishita ashanaaH |
tvat priyaartham vinirdiSTaaH kim artham rudyate punaH || 3-21-2
2. mayaa= by me; tvat priya artham= your, wish, to fulfill; idaaniim= just now; pishita ashanaaH = flesh, eating, demons; shuuraaH= fearless ones; te raakSasaa= those, demons are; vinirdiSTaaH [vi nir diSTaaH]= very, clearly, directed] commanded; punaH kim artham rudyate= again, what, for, it is wept - you howl.
"What for your are howling again when I have just now commanded those fearless flesh eating demons in order to fulfill your wish? [3-21-2]
bhak{}taaH caiva anurak{}taaH ca hitaaH ca mama nityashaH |
hanyamaanaa api na hanyante na na kuryuH vaco mama || 3-21-3
3. [Those demons are]; bhaktaaH caiva anuraktaaH ca= admirers, also, adherers, also; nityashaH mama hitaaH ca= always, of mine, well-wishers; hanyamaanaa api na hanyante = being killed, even, not, killable; mama vacaH= my, word [order]; na na kuryuH= no, not, doers - no question of not accomplishing my order.
"Those demons are my admirers, adherers and they always remained my well-wishers, hence there is no question of their non-accomplishment of my orders. [3-21-3]
kim etat shrotum icChaami kaaraNam yat kR^ite punaH |
haa naatha iti vinardantii sarpavat ceSTase kSitau || 3-21-4
4. yat kR^ite= what, owing to; haa naatha iti= ha, lord, thus; vi nardantii= verily, bawling; punaH sarpa vat= again, serpent, as with; kSitau ceSTase [luThasi]= on ground, gesturing - wriggling; etat kaaraNam= for this, reason; kim= what is it; shrotum icChaami= to listen, I wish to.
"Owing to what you are highly bawling by saying, 'haa, lord' and wriggle on the ground like a snake? I would like to know the reason for all this, what is it? [3-21-4]
anaatha vat vilapasi kim nu naathe mayi sthite |
uttiSThottiSTha maa maivam vaiklavyam tyajyataam iti || 3-21-5
5. naathe mayi sthite= one who cares for, I am, when I am available; maam= to me; kim nu= why, really; a+naatha vat vilapasi= un, cared-for, like, you cry out; uttiSTha uttiSTha= get up, get up; evam vaiklavyam tyajyataam = this sort, perplexity, ward off, thus; iti= thus he said.
"I am here to take care of you, then why should you really cry out like an uncared-for being, get up...get up, and ward off this sort of perplexity." Thus Khara said to Shuurpanakha. [3-21-5]
iti evam uk{}taa durdharSaa khareNa parisaantvitaa |
vimR^ijya nayane sa asre kharam bhraataram abraviit || 3-21-6
6. iti evam uktaa = thus, that way, she is said; khareNa pari+ saantvitaa= by Khara, wholly, pacified; dur dharSaa= un, assailable one - here, unassuageable one, Shuurpanakha; sa asre nayane = with, tears, eyes; vimR^ijya= on dabbing; bhraataram kharam abraviit = to brother, Khara, she spoke.
She that Shuurpanakha who is otherwise an unassuageable one is wholly pacified when Khara spoke to her thus that way, and she on dabbing her tearful eyes then spoke to her brother Khara. [3-21-6]
asmi idaaniim aham praptaa hata shravaNa naasikaa |
shoNita ogha pariklinnaa tvayaa ca parisamanvitaa || 3-21-7
7. hata shravaNa naasikaa= having chopped, ears, nose; aham= I; shoNita ogha pari+klinnaa= gushes, blood, fully, wetted with; idaaniim= now - just a while back; praaptaa asmi= came here, I am; tvayaa parisaanvitaa [pari+saantvitaa] ca = by you, completely, comforted, also - isn't it.
"I came to you just a while back with my ears and nose chopped off and wet with gushes of blood, and you too have comforted me, isn't it. [3-21-7]
preSitaaH ca tvayaa shuuraa raakSasaaH te catur dasha |
nihantum raaghavam ghoraam mat priyaartham sa lakSmaNam || 3-21-8
8. shuuraa= oh, valiant one; tvayaa= by you; mat priya artham= to my, delight, for the reason of; sa lakSmaNam= with, Lakshmana; ghoram raaghavam nihantum= atrocious, Raghava, to eliminate; te catur dasha raakSasaaH preSitaaH ca= by you, fourteen, demons, sent, isn't it.
"Oh, valiant brother, for my delight you too have sent fourteen demons to eliminate that atrocious Rama along with Lakshmana, isn't it? [3-21-8]
te tu raameNa saamarSaaH shuula paTTisa paaNayaH |
samare nihataaH sarve saayakaiH marma bhedibhiH || 3-21-9
9. sa amarSaaH= with, envious anger; shuula paTTisa paaNayaH= spears, bolts, in hands; te sarve= they, all; raameNa= by Rama; marma bhedibhiH saayakaiH = crucial-parts, cleavers, with arrows; samare nihataaH = in war, killed.
"But they all who handled their spears and bolts along with an envious anger are killed in a fight with Rama by his arrows that cleave the crucial parts of his opponents. [3-21-9]
taan bhuumau patitaan dR^iSTvaa kSaNena eva mahaajavaan |
raamasya ca mahat karma mahaan traaso abhavan mama || 3-21-10
10. kSaNena eva= in a trice; bhuumau patitaan= on earth, fallen; mahaa javaan= highly impetuous ones; taan= them, the demons; raamasya mahat karma ca= Rama's, unusual, deed, also; dR^iSTvaa= on seeing; mama= to me; mahaan traasaH abhavat= great, alarm, became - fell upon me.
"On seeing those highly impetuous demons falling to earth in a trice, and even on seeing the unusual deed of Rama in felling them, I am highly alarmed. [3-21-10]
saa asmi bhiitaa samudvignaa viSaNNaa ca nishaacara |
sharaNam tvaam punaH praaptaa sarvato bhaya darshinii || 3-21-11
11. nishaacara= oh, nightwalker [Khara]; saa= such as I am; bhiitaa sam udvignaa = scared, fully, frenzied; viSaNNaa ca= despaired, also; asmi I became; sarvataH bhaya darshinii= from everywhere, dread, beholding; punaH tvaam sharaNam praaptaa= again, you, for refuge, I sought.
"Oh me! I am alarmed, fully frenzied, and even despaired, oh, nightwalker Khara, and beholding dread everywhere again I have come seeking your refuge. [3-21-11]
viSaada nakra adhyuSite paritraasa uurmi maalini |
kim maam na traayase magnaam vipule shoka saagare || 3-21-12
12. viSaada nakra adhyuSite= despair, [called] crocodile, pervasive; paritraasa uurmi maalini= overly frightening, waves, undulation - a roller = a long swelling wave; vipule shoka= vast, sorrow; saagare magnaam = [called] ocean, drowned; maam kim na traayase= me, why, not, rescue.
"Why do not you rescue me when I am drowned in a vast ocean called grief, wherein each pervasive crocodile is despair and each swelling wave is fright. [3-21-12]
ete ca nihataa bhuumau raameNa nishitaiH sharaiH |
ye ca me padaviim praaptaa raakSasaaH pishita ashanaaH || 3-21-13
13. pishita ashanaaH= flesh, eaters; ye raakSasaaH= which, demons; me padaviim praaptaa= my, on path, treaded - followed me; ete ca= they, also; raameNa= by Rama; bhuumau= on earth; nishitaiH sharaiH nihataa= with sharp, arrows, felled [adding to my problems, for which I have a contrite spirit.]
"Besides, those flesh-eating demons that have followed me are also felled by Rama with his sharp arrows, for whom I have a contrite heart. [3-21-13]
mayi te yadi anukrosho yadi rakSaHsu teSu ca |
raameNa yadi shak{}tiH te tejo vaa asti nishaa cara || 3-21-14
daNDakaaraNya nilayam jahi raakSasa kaNTakam |
14, 15a. nishaa cara= oh, night, walker Khara; te mayi= to you, on me; teSu rakSaHsu ca= on those, demons, also; anukroshaH asti yadi= mercy, is there, if; te raameNa= to you, with Rama [to fight]; shaktiH= ability; tejoaH vaa= animation, or; asti yadi= is there, if; daNDaka araNya nilayam= in Dandaka, forest, dwellers of; raakSasa kaNTakam= for demons, a thorn; jahi= kill.
"If you have mercy on me, and even on those dead demons, and if ability and animation are still left in you to cope with Rama, oh, nightwalker, kill that Rama who is a thorn in the side of demons dwelling in Dandaka forest. [3-21-14, 15a]
yadi raamam amitraghnam na tvam adya vadhiSyasi || 3-21-15
tava caiva agrataH praaNaan tyakSyaami nirapatrapaa |
15b, 16a. a+mitra+ghnam= un, friendly ones, destroyer; raamam tvam adya= Rama, you, now itself; na vadhiSyasi yadi= not, going to kill, if; nir+apatrapaa= lexically: without, shame; here - unhesitatingly; tava agrataH caiva= in your, before, thus - that too; [adya= now itself]; praaNaan tyakSyaami= lives, I leave off.
"If you are not going to kill that enemy destroyer Rama now itself, I will give up my life unhesitatingly, that too in your fore, that too now itself.
Or
If you are not going to kill that enemy destroyer Rama now itself, now itself I will give up my life than living a shameless life with these lopped ears and nose. [3-21-15b, 16a]
buddhyaa aham anupashyaami na tvam raamasya sa.myuge || 3-21-16
sthaatum prati mukhe shak{}taH sa balo api mahaa raNe |
shuuramaanii na shuuraH tvam mithyaa aaropita vikramaH || 3-21-17
16b, 17. tvam= you; sa balaH api samyuge = with, forces, even with, on battlefield; mahaa raNe= in a crucial, war; raamasya prati mukhe sthaatum= Rama's, opposite faced [affront,] to stay; na shaktaH= not, capable; thus; shuura maanii= as valiant one, you assert; na shuuraH = valiant one, [but you are] not; mithyaa aaropita vikramaH= dubiously, imposed, valour [vainglorious];aham buddhyaa anupashyaami= I, with my perception, I am discerning - instinctually perceiving.
"I can perceive instinctually that you are incapable of affronting Rama in a given crucial battle, even if your are with all your forces on the battlefield, and you assert yourself a valiant, but you are just vainglorious. [3-21-16b, 17]
apayaahi jana sthaanaat tvaritaH saha baandhavaH |
jahi tvam samare muuDhaan yathaa tu kulapaa.msana || 3-21-18
maanuSau tau na shaknoSi hantum vai raama lakSmaNau |
niHsattvasya alpa viiryasya vaasaH te kiidR^ishaH tu iha || 3-21-19
18, 19. tvam samare jahi = you, kill, in war; maanuSau tau raama lakSmaNau = who are just humans, those two, Rama, Lakshmana; if; hantum na shaknoSi vai = to kill, [if] you are not, capable, really; niH sattvasya= with trivial, stamina; alpa viiryasya= trifling, sinews; te iha vaasaH tu kiidR^ishaH = your, here, living, but, what for; kula paamsana muuDhaan yathaa [??] = clan, blemisher, as like, a stupid fellow; tvaritaH janasthaanaat apayaahi= instantly, from Janasthaana, be gone - get out; saha baandhavaH= with, relatives [hench-demons.]
"Kill those two, Rama and Lakshmana, as they are just humans, or else, if you are incapable of doing so, really what for is your stay here in Janasthaana with your trivial stamina and trifling sinews like a stupid blemishing his clan, then get out of this Janasthaana at once along with your hench-demons. [3-21-18, 19]
The order of the verses from 16 to the last varies with versions and verbatim meanings differ. This is a kind of intimidation Shuurpanakha hurling at Khara. Besides being her brothers, Khara, Trishira and Duushana are the provincial governors of Janasthaana, nominated by Ravana. If they do not come to the rescue of Shuurpanakha, or to that matter of fact should they not eliminate intruders into Janasthaana, there is every possibility of their ouster from their posts by Ravana, because Shuurpanakha has more access to Ravana.
raama tejo abhibhuuto hi tvam kSipram vinashiSyasi |
sa hi tejaH samaayuk{}to raamo dasharathaatmajaH || 3-21-20
20. tvam= you; raama tejaH abhibhuutaH= by Rama's, resplendence, subjugated; kSipram vi+nashiSyasi hi= quickly, completely evanish, indeed; dasharatha aatmajaH saH raamaH = Dasharatha's, son, he, that Rama; tejaH samaayuktaH= resplendence, possesses; hi= in effect.
"You will completely and quickly evanish, indeed, subjugated by resplendence of Rama, for that Dasharatha's son Rama possess that kind of resplendence, in effect. [3-21-20]
bhraataa ca asya mahaa viiryo yena ca asmi viruupitaa |
evam vilaapya bahusho raakshsii pradarodarii || 3-21-21
bhraatuH samiipe shoka aartaa naSTa sa.nj~naa babhuuva ha |
karaabhyaam udaram hatvaa ruroda bhR^isha duHkhitaa || 3-21-22
21, 22. yena= by whom; viruupitaa asmi= misshapen, I am; such; asya bhraata ca= his, brother, too; mahaa viiryaH= highly, vigorous one; evam= this way; shoka aartaa= by affliction, anguished; pradara udarii raakshsii= cave like, bellied, demoness; bhraatuH samiipe = in brother's, presence,; bahushaH vilaapya = variously, on bawling; karaabhyaam udaram hatvaa= with both hands, on paunch, hitting; ruroda bhR^isha duHkhitaa= cried out, loudly, in her distress; naSTa sanj~naa babhuuva ha= lost, awareness, she became - swooned, really.
"And, by whom I am misshapen that brother of Rama too is a highly vigorous one..." in this way on saying Shuurpanakha bawled variously in the presence of her brother, Khara, and then anguished by her own affliction that demoness with a cave like belly started hitting her paunch with both of her hands, and what is more, she swooned. [3-21-21, 22]
The name Khara also stands for a he-ass
iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye kiSkindha kaaNDe eka vi.mshaH sargaH
Thus, this is the 21st chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
© 2002, Desiraju Hanumanta Rao [Revised : June 04]