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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.30.20

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 30: Śūrpaṇakhā reaches Rāvaṇa’s court. The narrative recalls his conquests, tapas and protection from nonhuman enemies, leaving him vulnerable to a human

In the sequence: against this portrait of his power and violence, the bloodied, disfigured Śūrpaṇakhā presents herself and begins to address him.

3.30.20

āptayajñaharaṃ krūraṃ brahmaghnaṃ duṣṭacāriṇam
karkaśaṃ niranukrośaṃ prajānām ahite ratam
rāvaṇaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ sarvalokabhayāvaham

cruel Rāvaṇa, seizer of completed sacrifices, slayer of brahmins, evil in conduct, harsh, pitiless, bent on the harm of creatures — a terror to all beings and to all the worlds:

Words: āptayajñaharaṃ — seizer of completed sacrifices; krūraṃ — cruel; brahmaghnaṃ — slayer of brahmins; duṣṭacāriṇam — of evil conduct; karkaśaṃ — harsh; niranukrośaṃ — pitiless; prajānām — of creatures; ahite — in the harm; ratam — intent on; rāvaṇaṃ — Rāvaṇa; sarvabhūtānāṃ — of all beings; sarvalokabhayāvaham — bringing fear to all the worlds

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.