← 3.19 Rāma kills the fourteen · Araṇya Kāṇḍa · 3.21 Khara’s army mobilizes →

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 20: Śūrpaṇakhā challenges Khara

Summary. She reports the fourteen deaths, threatens to die and tells him to fight Rāma or abandon Janasthāna

Sequence

  1. Khara asks why she has returned weeping when he sent loyal, powerful fighters to help her (3.20.1–5)
  2. she explains that Rāma killed all fourteen almost immediately and that witnessing it has terrified her (3.20.6–10)
  3. she again asks Khara to rescue her and avenge the dead (3.20.11–13)
  4. she threatens to die before him unless he kills Rāma (3.20.14)
  5. turning from appeal to insult, she questions whether he can face Rāma at all and calls his reputation for valor empty (3.20.15–16)
  6. she tells him to abandon Janasthāna if he is too weak to defend it, predicting that the brothers will destroy him otherwise. (3.20.17–18)

Verses 3.20.1–18

3.20.1

sa punaḥ patitāṃ dṛṣṭvā krodhāc chūrpaṇakhāṃ kharaḥ
uvāca vyaktatā vācā tām anarthārtham āgatām

Seeing Śūrpaṇakhā fallen once more, Khara, in anger, spoke in distinct words to her, who had come bent on mischief:

Words: sa — he; punaḥ — again; patitāṃ — fallen; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; krodhāc — out of anger; chūrpaṇakhāṃ — Śūrpaṇakhā; kharaḥ — Khara; uvāca — said; vyaktatā — distinctly, clearly; vācā — with words; tām — her; anarthārtham — bent on mischief; āgatām — who had come

3.20.2

mayā tv idānīṃ śūrās te rākṣasā rudhirāśanāḥ
tvatpriyārthaṃ vinirdiṣṭāḥ kimarthaṃ rudyate punaḥ

“Those brave, blood-eating rākṣasas were just now dispatched by me for your sake; why do you weep again?

Words: mayā — by me; tv — indeed; idānīṃ — now, just now; śūrās — brave; te — those; rākṣasā — rākṣasas; rudhirāśanāḥ — blood-eating; tvatpriyārthaṃ — for your sake; vinirdiṣṭāḥ — dispatched, appointed; kimarthaṃ — why, for what; rudyate — is there weeping; punaḥ — again

3.20.3

bhaktāś caivānuraktāś ca hitāś ca mama nityaśaḥ
ghnanto 'pi na nihantavyā na na kuryur vaco mama

Devoted, loyal, and ever well-disposed to me, they were not ones to be slain even while slaying (their foes); nor would they ever fail to do my bidding.

Words: bhaktāś — devoted; caivānuraktāś — and loyal, attached; ca — and; hitāś — well-disposed, benevolent; ca — and; mama — to me; nityaśaḥ — always, ever; ghnanto 'pi — even while slaying; na nihantavyā — not to be slain; na na kuryur — would not fail to do (double neg.); vaco — the word, bidding; mama — my

3.20.4

kim etac chrotum icchāmi kāraṇaṃ yatkṛte punaḥ
hā nātheti vinardantī sarpavad veṣṭase kṣitau

I wish to hear what this reason is, for which, crying ‘Alas, my lord!’, you writhe on the ground like a serpent.

Words: kim — what; etac — this; chrotum — to hear; icchāmi — I wish; kāraṇaṃ — reason, cause; yatkṛte — for the sake of which; punaḥ — again; hā nātheti — 'Alas, O lord!'; vinardantī — crying out, wailing; sarpavad — like a serpent; veṣṭase — you writhe, roll; kṣitau — on the ground

3.20.5

anāthavad vilapasi kiṃ nu nāthe mayi sthite
uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha mā bhaiṣīr vaiklavyaṃ tyajyatām iha

Why do you lament like one without a protector, when I, your protector, stand here? Rise up, rise up, do not fear; let this faint-heartedness be cast off.”

Words: anāthavad — like one without a protector; vilapasi — you lament; kiṃ nu — why then; nāthe mayi sthite — when I, (your) lord, stand (here); uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha — rise up, rise up; mā bhaiṣīr — do not fear; vaiklavyaṃ — faint-heartedness, agitation; tyajyatām — let it be abandoned; iha — here, now

3.20.6

ity evam uktā durdharṣā khareṇa parisāntvitā
vimṛjya nayane sāsre kharaṃ bhrātaram abravīt

Thus addressed and consoled by Khara, the redoubtable one, wiping her tear-filled eyes, said to her brother Khara:

Words: ity evam uktā — thus addressed; durdharṣā — the redoubtable one, hard to assail; khareṇa — by Khara; parisāntvitā — consoled, comforted; vimṛjya — having wiped; nayane — the (two) eyes; sāsre — tear-filled; kharaṃ — to Khara; bhrātaram — brother; abravīt — said

3.20.7

preṣitāś ca tvayā śūrā rākṣasās te caturdaśa
nihantuṃ rāghavaṃ ghorā matpriyārthaṃ salakṣmaṇam

“Those fourteen brave, dreadful rākṣasas were sent by you, for my sake, to slay Rāghava together with Lakṣmaṇa;

Words: preṣitāś — were sent; ca — and; tvayā — by you; śūrā — brave; rākṣasās — rākṣasas; te — those; caturdaśa — fourteen; nihantuṃ — to slay; rāghavaṃ — Rāghava; ghorā — dreadful; matpriyārthaṃ — for my sake; salakṣmaṇam — together with Lakṣmaṇa

3.20.8

te tu rāmeṇa sāmarṣāḥ śūlapaṭṭiśapāṇayaḥ
samare nihatāḥ sarve sāyakair marmabhedibhiḥ

but all those wrathful ones, spears and paṭṭiśas in hand, were slain in battle by Rāma with arrows that pierce the vitals.

Words: te tu — but those; rāmeṇa — by Rāma; sāmarṣāḥ — wrathful, indignant; śūlapaṭṭiśapāṇayaḥ — spears and paṭṭiśas in hand; samare — in battle; nihatāḥ — slain; sarve — all; sāyakair — with arrows; marmabhedibhiḥ — vital-piercing

3.20.9

tān bhūmau patitān dṛṣṭvā kṣaṇenaiva mahābalān
rāmasya ca mahat karma mahāṃs trāso 'bhavan mama

Seeing those mighty ones fallen to the ground in but a moment, and this great feat of Rāma, a great terror came over me.

Words: tān — those; bhūmau — on the ground; patitān — fallen; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; kṣaṇenaiva — in but a moment; mahābalān — the mighty ones; rāmasya — of Rāma; ca — and; mahat karma — the great deed; mahāṃs — great; trāso — terror, fear; 'bhavan — arose, came to be; mama — my, over me

3.20.10

sāsmi bhītā samudvignā viṣaṇṇā ca niśācara
śaraṇaṃ tvāṃ punaḥ prāptā sarvato bhayadarśinī

So I am frightened, agitated, and dejected, O night-roamer; seeing danger on every side, I have come to you once more for refuge.

Words: sāsmi — so I am; bhītā — frightened; samudvignā — agitated, alarmed; viṣaṇṇā — dejected, despondent; ca — and; niśācara — O night-roamer; śaraṇaṃ — for refuge; tvāṃ — to you; punaḥ — again; prāptā — come, arrived; sarvato — on every side; bhayadarśinī — seeing danger

3.20.11

viṣādanakrādhyuṣite paritrāsormimālini
kiṃ māṃ na trāyase magnāṃ vipule śokasāgare

Why do you not rescue me, sunk in a vast ocean of grief, infested with the crocodiles of despair and garlanded with waves of terror?

Words: viṣādanakrādhyuṣite — infested with the crocodiles of despair; paritrāsormimālini — garlanded with waves of terror; kiṃ — why; māṃ — me; na — not; trāyase — do you rescue; magnāṃ — sunk, drowned; vipule — vast, wide; śokasāgare — in the ocean of grief

3.20.12

ete ca nihatā bhūmau rāmeṇa niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
ye ca me padavīṃ prāptā rākṣasāḥ piśitāśanāḥ

And these flesh-eating rākṣasas who had come along my track lie slain on the ground by Rāma with his sharp arrows.

Words: ete — these; ca — and; nihatā — slain; bhūmau — on the ground; rāmeṇa — by Rāma; niśitaiḥ — sharp, whetted; śaraiḥ — with arrows; ye — who; ca — and; me — my; padavīṃ — the track, path; prāptā — had come to, reached; rākṣasāḥ — rākṣasas; piśitāśanāḥ — flesh-eating

3.20.13

mayi te yady anukrośo yadi rakṣaḥsu teṣu ca
rāmeṇa yadi śaktis te tejo vāsti niśācara
daṇḍakāraṇyanilayaṃ jahi rākṣasakaṇṭakam

If you have compassion for me and for those rākṣasas, if you have the strength or the might against Rāma, O night-roamer, then slay him who dwells in the Daṇḍaka forest, that thorn in the side of the rākṣasas.

Words: mayi — for me; te — your; yady — if; anukrośo — compassion, pity; yadi — if; rakṣaḥsu — for the rākṣasas; teṣu — those; ca — and; rāmeṇa — against Rāma; yadi — if; śaktis — strength, power; te — your; tejo — energy, might; vāsti — or there is; niśācara — O night-roamer; daṇḍakāraṇyanilayaṃ — (him) dwelling in the Daṇḍaka forest; jahi — slay, strike down; rākṣasakaṇṭakam — the thorn in the side of the rākṣasas

3.20.14

yadi rāmaṃ mamāmitram adya tvaṃ na vadhiṣyasi
tava caivāgrataḥ prāṇāṃs tyakṣyāmi nirapatrapā

If today you will not slay Rāma, my enemy, then I, past all shame, shall give up my life-breaths before your very eyes.

Words: yadi — if; rāmaṃ — Rāma; mamāmitram — my enemy; adya — today; tvaṃ — you; na — not; vadhiṣyasi — will slay; tava — your; caivāgrataḥ — and in front, before; prāṇāṃs — life-breaths; tyakṣyāmi — I shall give up; nirapatrapā — shameless, past all shame

3.20.15

buddhyāham anupaśyāmi na tvaṃ rāmasya saṃyuge
sthātuṃ pratimukhe śaktaḥ sacāpasya mahāraṇe

By my judgement I foresee that you are not able to stand face to face with Rāma, bow in hand, in the great battle.

Words: buddhyāham — by (my) intellect I; anupaśyāmi — I perceive, foresee; na — not; tvaṃ — you; rāmasya — of/against Rāma; saṃyuge — in combat; sthātuṃ — to stand; pratimukhe — face to face, in front; śaktaḥ — able; sacāpasya — of (Rāma) with bow in hand; mahāraṇe — in the great battle

3.20.16

śūramānī na śūras tvaṃ mithyāropitavikramaḥ
mānuṣau yan na śaknoṣi hantuṃ tau rāmalakṣmaṇau

You fancy yourself a hero but are no hero; your valour is falsely claimed — since you cannot slay those two men, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.

Words: śūramānī — fancying yourself a hero; na śūras — no hero; tvaṃ — you; mithyāropitavikramaḥ — whose valour is falsely attributed; mānuṣau — two men, mortals; yan — since, in that; na śaknoṣi — you cannot; hantuṃ — to slay; tau — those two; rāmalakṣmaṇau — Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa

3.20.17

apayāhi janasthānāt tvaritaḥ sahabāndhavaḥ
niḥsattvasyālpavīryasya vāsas te kīdṛśas tv iha

Depart quickly from Janasthāna together with your kinsmen; for one so feeble and of little valour, what sort of dwelling is there for you here?

Words: apayāhi — depart, go away; janasthānāt — from Janasthāna; tvaritaḥ — quickly, hastily; sahabāndhavaḥ — together with (your) kinsmen; niḥsattvasyālpavīryasya — of (you) feeble and of little valour; vāsas — dwelling, abode; te — your; kīdṛśas — of what sort; tv — indeed; iha — here

3.20.18

rāmatejo'bhibhūto hi tvaṃ kṣipraṃ vinaśiṣyasi
sa hi tejaḥsamāyukto rāmo daśarathātmajaḥ
bhrātā cāsya mahāvīryo yena cāsmi virūpitā

For, overwhelmed by Rāma's splendour, you will swiftly perish; for that Rāma, son of Daśaratha, is endowed with great might, as is his brother of great valour, by whom I was disfigured.”

Words: rāmatejo'bhibhūto — overwhelmed by Rāma's splendour; hi — for; tvaṃ — you; kṣipraṃ — swiftly; vinaśiṣyasi — will perish; sa hi — for that (one); tejaḥsamāyukto — endowed with splendour, might; rāmo — Rāma; daśarathātmajaḥ — son of Daśaratha; bhrātā — brother; cāsya — and his; mahāvīryo — of great valour; yena — by whom; cāsmi — and I was; virūpitā — disfigured

← 3.19 Rāma kills the fourteen · Araṇya Kāṇḍa · 3.21 Khara’s army mobilizes →

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.

Plain text: /text/3/20.md · JSON: /data/3/20.json