Araṇya Kāṇḍa 17: Śūrpaṇakhā attacks Sītā · 3.17.2 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.17.1

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 17: Śūrpaṇakhā attacks Sītā. The brothers’ teasing turns to danger, Rāma orders her disfigurement, Lakṣmaṇa cuts off her ears and nose and she flees

In the sequence: Rāma says he already has a beloved wife and that Śūrpaṇakhā would dislike having a rival

3.17.1

tāṃ tu śūrpaṇakhāṃ rāmaḥ kāmapāśāvapāśitām
svecchayā ślakṣṇayā vācā smitapūrvam athābravīt

Then Rāma addressed that Śūrpaṇakhā, bound fast in the noose of desire, of his own accord, with a smile, in gentle words:

Words: tāṃ — her; tu — then; śūrpaṇakhāṃ — Śūrpaṇakhā; rāmaḥ — Rāma; kāmapāśāvapāśitām — bound fast in the noose of desire; svecchayā — of his own accord, playfully; ślakṣṇayā — gentle, smooth; vācā — with words; smitapūrvam — with a smile; athābravīt — then said

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.