# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 18 — Khara sends fourteen rākṣasas *Śūrpaṇakhā demands the blood of Rāma, Sītā & Lakṣmaṇa and leads Khara’s warriors to their hermitage* Portion: Śūrpaṇakhā and the first retaliation · Verses: 21 · Ref format: 3.18. ## Sequence - Khara sees his bleeding sister and demands to know who has dared injure her → he boasts that he will kill the offender and asks her to recover enough to explain (18.1–9) - she describes two powerful, handsome young men dressed in bark and deerskin, with a beautiful woman between them → she says they disfigured her on the woman's account and asks to drink the blood of all three (18.10–16) - Khara sends fourteen powerful rākṣasas with orders to kill the travelers and satisfy his sister's demand (18.17–20) - Śūrpaṇakhā leads them to the hermitage (18.21). ## Verses **3.18.1** tāṃ tathā patitāṃ dṛṣṭvā virūpāṃ śoṇitokṣitām bhaginīṃ krodhasaṃtaptaḥ kharaḥ papraccha rākṣasaḥ Seeing his sister thus fallen, disfigured, and drenched in blood, the rākṣasa Khara, burning with rage, questioned her: **3.18.2** balavikramasaṃpannā kāmagā kāmarūpiṇī imām avasthāṃ nītā tvaṃ kenāntakasamā gatā “You, endowed with strength and valour, able to go where you will and to take any form at will, and a very match for Death — by whom have you been brought to this state? **3.18.3** devagandharvabhūtānām ṛṣīṇāṃ ca mahātmanām ko 'yam evaṃ mahāvīryas tvāṃ virūpāṃ cakāra ha Among gods, gandharvas, and beings, and among the great-souled seers — who is this one of such great might that he has disfigured you? **3.18.4** na hi paśyāmy ahaṃ loke yaḥ kuryān mama vipriyam antarena sahasrākṣaṃ mahendraṃ pākaśāsanam For I see no one in the world who could do me such injury — save the thousand-eyed great Indra, chastiser of Pāka. **3.18.5** adyāhaṃ mārgaṇaiḥ prāṇān ādāsye jīvitāntakaiḥ salile kṣīram āsaktaṃ niṣpibann iva sārasaḥ Today I shall take his life-breaths with my life-ending arrows, as a sārasa crane drinks off the milk mixed in water. **3.18.6** nihatasya mayā saṃkhye śarasaṃkṛttamarmaṇaḥ saphenaṃ rudhiraṃ raktaṃ medinī kasya pāsyati Whose red, foaming blood — his vital parts pierced by my arrows, slain by me in battle — shall the earth drink up? **3.18.7** kasya patrarathāḥ kāyān māṃsam utkṛtya saṃgatāḥ prahṛṣṭā bhakṣayiṣyanti nihatasya mayā raṇe Of whom slain by me in battle shall the birds, gathering, tear the flesh from his body and joyfully devour it? **3.18.8** taṃ na devā na gandharvā na piśācā na rākṣasāḥ mayāpakṛṣṭaṃ kṛpaṇaṃ śaktās trātuṃ mahāhave That wretch, once dragged down by me in the great battle — neither gods, nor gandharvas, nor piśācas, nor rākṣasas are able to save him. **3.18.9** upalabhya śanaiḥ saṃjñāṃ taṃ me śaṃsitum arhasi yena tvaṃ durvinītena vane vikramya nirjitā Regaining your senses gradually, you ought to tell me who that ill-mannered one is, by whom you were assailed and vanquished in the forest. **3.18.10** iti bhrātur vacaḥ śrutvā kruddhasya ca viśeṣataḥ tataḥ śūrpaṇakhā vākyaṃ sabāṣpam idam abravīt Hearing these words of her brother, who was especially enraged, Śūrpaṇakhā then spoke this speech in tears: **3.18.11** taruṇau rūpasaṃpannau sukūmārau mahābalau puṇḍarīkaviśālākṣau cīrakṛṣṇājināmbarau “(There are) two young men, endowed with beauty, delicate, of great strength, with eyes broad as white lotuses, clad in bark and black antelope-skin garments, **3.18.12** gandharvarājapratimau pārthivavyañjanānvitau devau vā mānuṣau vā tau na tarkayitum utsahe resembling the king of the gandharvas, endowed with royal marks; whether those two are gods or men, I cannot make out. **3.18.13** taruṇī rūpasaṃpannā sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā dṛṣṭā tatra mayā nārī tayor madhye sumadhyamā A young woman, endowed with beauty, adorned with every ornament, slender-waisted, was seen by me there between those two. **3.18.14** tābhyām ubhābhyāṃ saṃbhūya pramadām adhikṛtya tām imām avasthāṃ nītāhaṃ yathānāthāsatī tathā The two of them together, on account of that woman, brought me to this state, as though I were some unprotected, worthless creature. **3.18.15** tasyāś cānṛjuvṛttāyās tayoś ca hatayor aham saphenaṃ pātum icchāmi rudhiraṃ raṇamūrdhani I wish to drink, on the front of battle, the foaming blood of that crooked-natured woman and of those two, once they are slain. **3.18.16** eṣa me prathamaḥ kāmaḥ kṛtas tāta tvayā bhavet tasyās tayoś ca rudhiraṃ pibeyam aham āhave This is my foremost wish; may it be granted by you, brother — that I may drink the blood of her and of those two in battle.” **3.18.17** iti tasyāṃ bruvāṇāyāṃ caturdaśa mahābalān vyādideśa kharaḥ kruddho rākṣasān antakopamān As she spoke thus, the enraged Khara dispatched fourteen mighty rākṣasas, like unto Death: **3.18.18** mānuṣau śastrasaṃpannau cīrakṛṣṇājināmbarau praviṣṭau daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ ghoraṃ pramadayā saha “Two men armed with weapons, clad in bark and black antelope-skins, have entered the fearsome Daṇḍaka forest with a woman. **3.18.19** tau hatvā tāṃ ca durvṛttām upāvartitum arhatha iyaṃ ca rudhiraṃ teṣāṃ bhaginī mama pāsyati Having slain those two and that ill-conducted woman, you should return; and this my sister will drink their blood. **3.18.20** manoratho 'yam iṣṭo 'syā bhaginyā mama rākṣasāḥ śīghraṃ saṃpadyatāṃ gatvā tau pramathya svatejasā This is the cherished desire of my sister, O rākṣasas; let it swiftly be accomplished — go and crush those two by your own might.” **3.18.21** iti pratisamādiṣṭā rākṣasās te caturdaśa tatra jagmus tayā sārdhaṃ ghanā vāteritā yathā Thus commanded, those fourteen rākṣasas went there together with her, like clouds driven by the wind.