# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 30 — Śūrpaṇakhā reaches Rāvaṇa’s court *The narrative recalls his conquests, tapas and protection from nonhuman enemies, leaving him vulnerable to a human* Portion: Śūrpaṇakhā turns Rāvaṇa toward Sītā · Verses: 22 · Ref format: 3.30. ## Sequence - Seeing the army and its three leaders destroyed, Śūrpaṇakhā cries out and goes to Laṅkā (30.1–3) - she finds Rāvaṇa seated among his ministers on a golden throne in his palace (30.4–5) - the narrator describes his ten heads, twenty arms, royal splendor, and scars from battles with the Devas (30.6–10) - his past exploits include defeating Vāsuki and Takṣaka, abducting Takṣaka's wife, and seizing the Puṣpaka vehicle from Kubera on Kailāsa (30.11–14) - the narrator recalls how he laid waste the Caitraratha and Nandana groves, a divine lotus-pool, and the Devas' gardens (30.15) - he could hold back the rising sun and moon with his arms (30.16) - during ten thousand years of austerity, he offered his own heads to Brahmā (30.17) - he is protected from death in battle at the hands of Devas, dānavas, gandharvas, piśācas, birds, and serpents, but a human can still kill him (30.18) - against this portrait of his power and violence, the bloodied, disfigured Śūrpaṇakhā presents herself and begins to address him (30.19–22). ## Verses **3.30.1** tataḥ śūrpaṇakhā dṛṣṭvā sahasrāṇi caturdaśa hatāny ekena rāmeṇa rakṣasāṃ bhīmakarmaṇām Then Śūrpaṇakhā, seeing that fourteen thousand rākṣasas of dreadful deeds had been slain by Rāma single-handed, **3.30.2** dūṣaṇaṃ ca kharaṃ caiva hataṃ triśirasaṃ raṇe dṛṣṭvā punar mahānādaṃ nanāda jaladopamā and seeing Dūṣaṇa and Khara and Triśiras too slain in battle, she, like a raincloud, once more let out a great roar. **3.30.3** sā dṛṣṭvā karma rāmasya kṛtam anyaiḥ suduṣkaram jagāma paramaudvignā laṅkāṃ rāvaṇapālitām Seeing this deed of Rāma, one hard for others to accomplish, she went, deeply agitated, to Laṅkā, guarded by Rāvaṇa. **3.30.4** sa dadarśa vimānāgre rāvaṇaṃ dīptatejasaṃ upopaviṣṭaṃ sacivair marudbhir iva vāsavam She saw, atop the palace, Rāvaṇa of blazing splendour, seated among his ministers like Vāsava (Indra) among the Maruts. **3.30.5** āsīnaṃ sūryasaṃkāśe kāñcane paramāsane rukmavedigataṃ prājyaṃ jvalantam iva pāvakam seated on a golden, excellent throne bright as the sun, mighty, set upon a golden dais, blazing like fire; **3.30.6** devagandharvabhūtānām ṛṣīṇāṃ ca mahātmanām ajeyaṃ samare śūraṃ vyāttānanam ivāntakam unconquerable in battle by gods, gandharvas, spirits, and the great seers — a hero, like Death with gaping mouth; **3.30.7** devāsuravimardeṣu vajrāśanikṛtavraṇam airāvataviṣāṇāgrair utkṛṣṭakiṇavakṣasaṃ his body scarred by the thunderbolt in the clashes of gods and asuras, his chest ridged with calluses gouged by the tusk-tips of Airāvata; **3.30.8** viṃśadbhujaṃ daśagrīvaṃ darśanīyaparicchadam viśālavakṣasaṃ vīraṃ rājalakṣmaṇalakṣitam twenty-armed, ten-necked, with splendid attire, broad-chested, a hero marked with the signs of royalty; **3.30.9** snigdhavaidūryasaṃkāśaṃ taptakāñcanakuṇḍalam subhujaṃ śukladaśanaṃ mahāsyaṃ parvatopamam resembling glossy cat's-eye gem, with earrings of refined gold, fine-armed, white-toothed, large-mouthed, like a mountain; **3.30.10** viṣṇucakranipātaiś ca śataśo devasaṃyuge āhatāṅgaṃ samastaiś ca devapraharaṇais tathā his body struck a hundredfold in battles with the gods by the falling of Viṣṇu's discus, and by all the weapons of the gods as well; **3.30.11** akṣobhyāṇāṃ samudrāṇāṃ kṣobhaṇaṃ kṣiprakāriṇam kṣeptāraṃ parvatāgrāṇāṃ surāṇāṃ ca pramardanam a disturber of the unshakable oceans, swift in action, a hurler of mountain-peaks, and a crusher of the gods; **3.30.12** ucchettāraṃ ca dharmāṇāṃ paradārābhimarśanam sarvadivyāstrayoktāraṃ yajñavighnakaraṃ sadā a destroyer of the sacred laws, a molester of others' wives, a wielder of all divine weapons, ever a maker of obstacles to sacrifices; **3.30.13** purīṃ bhogavatīṃ gatvā parājitya ca vāsukim takṣakasya priyāṃ bhāryāṃ parājitya jahāra yaḥ who, going to the city Bhogavatī and defeating Vāsuki, and defeating Takṣaka, carried off Takṣaka's beloved wife; **3.30.14** kailāsaṃ parvataṃ gatvā vijitya naravāhanam vimānaṃ puṣpakaṃ tasya kāmagaṃ vai jahāra yaḥ who, going to Mount Kailāsa and conquering Kubera (whose bearers are men), carried off his Puṣpaka car that goes at will; **3.30.15** vanaṃ caitrarathaṃ divyaṃ nalinīṃ nandanaṃ vanam vināśayati yaḥ krodhād devodyānāni vīryavān who in his might, out of wrath, lays waste the divine Caitraratha grove, the lotus-pool, the Nandana grove, and the gardens of the gods; **3.30.16** candrasūryau mahābhāgāv uttiṣṭhantau paraṃtapau nivārayati bāhubhyāṃ yaḥ śailaśikharopamaḥ who, resembling a mountain-peak, with his arms holds back the illustrious, foe-scorching Moon and Sun as they rise; **3.30.17** daśavarṣasahasrāṇi tapas taptvā mahāvane purā svayambhuve dhīraḥ śirāṃsy upajahāra yaḥ who of old, steadfast, having performed austerities for ten thousand years in the great forest, offered up his own heads to the Self-existent (Brahmā); **3.30.18** devadānavagandharvapiśācapatagoragaiḥ abhayaṃ yasya saṃgrāme mṛtyuto mānuṣād ṛte who has, in battle, no fear of death from gods, dānavas, gandharvas, piśācas, birds, or serpents — save only from a human; **3.30.19** mantrar abhituṣṭaṃ puṇyam adhvareṣu dvijātibhiḥ havirdhāneṣu yaḥ somam upahanti mahābalaḥ who, mighty, snatches from the soma-vessels the holy Soma, propitiated with mantras by the twice-born at sacrifices; [mantrar: source spelling for mantrair, 'with mantras'.] **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: **3.30.21** rākṣasī bhrātaraṃ krūraṃ sā dadarśa mahābalam taṃ divyavastrābharaṇaṃ divyamālyopaśobhitam rākṣasendraṃ mahābhāgaṃ paulastya kulanandanam The rākṣasī beheld her cruel, mighty brother — clad in divine garments and ornaments, adorned with divine garlands, lord of the rākṣasas, illustrious, the delight of Pulastya's line. **3.30.22** tam abravīd dīptaviśālalocanaṃ pradarśayitvā bhayamohamūrchitā sudāruṇaṃ vākyam abhītacāriṇī mahātmanā śūrpaṇakhā virūpitā Śūrpaṇakhā — she who moves about fearlessly, yet now stupefied with fear and confusion, disfigured by the great one (Lakṣmaṇa) — displaying herself, spoke a most dreadful word to him of the blazing, wide eyes.