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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.17.21

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: Lakṣmaṇa draws his sword and cuts off her ears and nose

3.17.21

ity ukto lakṣmaṇas tasyāḥ kruddho rāmasya paśyataḥ
uddhṛtya khaḍgaṃ ciccheda karṇanāsaṃ mahābalaḥ

Thus addressed, mighty Lakṣmaṇa, enraged, as Rāma looked on, drew his sword and cut off her ears and nose.

Words: ity ukto — thus addressed; lakṣmaṇas — Lakṣmaṇa; tasyāḥ — her; kruddho — enraged; rāmasya paśyataḥ — as Rāma looked on; uddhṛtya — having drawn; khaḍgaṃ — sword; ciccheda — cut off; karṇanāsaṃ — ears and nose; mahābalaḥ — the mighty one

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. 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.