# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 32 — Śūrpaṇakhā describes Sītā *She recounts Rāma’s victory, praises Sītā’s beauty and urges Rāvaṇa to kill the brothers and take her as his wife* Portion: Śūrpaṇakhā turns Rāvaṇa toward Sītā · Verses: 24 · Ref format: 3.32. ## Sequence - Rāvaṇa asks who Rāma is, why he came to Daṇḍaka, and what weapons enabled him to destroy the army (32.1–3) - Śūrpaṇakhā describes his appearance, bow, and extraordinary speed: she could see the army falling but could not follow the movements by which he shot (32.4–8) - she reports that he fought alone on foot and destroyed Khara and Dūṣaṇa in little more than half a muhūrta → she says she survived because he would not kill a woman (32.9–11) - she describes Lakṣmaṇa as Rāma's devoted, powerful companion (32.12–13) - turning to Sītā, she praises her as more beautiful than any woman she has seen and tells Rāvaṇa that they would be fitting partners (32.14–17) - she now claims that she had intended to bring Sītā to him as a wife (32.18) - she urges him to act at once if he desires her: kill Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, avenge the rākṣasas, and take Sītā after removing her protectors (32.19–24). ## Verses **3.32.1** tataḥ śūrpaṇakhāṃ kruddhāṃ bruvatīṃ paruṣaṃ vacaḥ amātyamadhye saṃkruddhaḥ paripapraccha rāvaṇaḥ Then Rāvaṇa, himself enraged, questioned Śūrpaṇakhā—angry and speaking harsh words—in the midst of his ministers. **3.32.2** kaś ca rāmaḥ kathaṃ vīryaḥ kiṃ rūpaḥ kiṃ parākramaḥ kimarthaṃ daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ praviṣṭaś ca suduścaram Who is this Rāma, what is his valour, what his form, what his prowess? And why has he entered the Daṇḍaka forest, so very hard to traverse? **3.32.3** āyudhaṃ kiṃ ca rāmasya nihatā yena rākṣasāḥ kharaś ca nihataṃ saṃkhye dūṣaṇas triśirās tathā And what is Rāma's weapon, by which the rākṣasas were slain, and Khara slain in battle, and Dūṣaṇa, and Triśiras as well? **3.32.4** ity uktā rākṣasendreṇa rākṣasī krodhamūrchitā tato rāmaṃ yathānyāyam ākhyātum upacakrame Thus addressed by the lord of rākṣasas, the rākṣasī, beside herself with anger, then set about describing Rāma exactly as he was. **3.32.5** dīrghabāhur viśālākṣaś cīrakṛṣṇājināmbaraḥ kandarpasamarūpaś ca rāmo daśarathātmajaḥ Long-armed, wide-eyed, clad in bark-cloth and black antelope-skin, and equal in beauty to Kandarpa, is Rāma, the son of Daśaratha. **3.32.6** śakracāpanibhaṃ cāpaṃ vikṛṣya kanakāṅgadam dīptān kṣipati nārācān sarpān iva mahāviṣān Drawing his bow, which resembles Indra's, and wearing golden armlets, he looses blazing iron arrows like great venomous serpents. **3.32.7** nādadānaṃ śarān ghorān na muñcantaṃ mahābalam na kārmukaṃ vikarṣantaṃ rāmaṃ paśyāmi saṃyuge So swift was he that I could not see mighty Rāma in the fray take up his dread arrows, or loose them, or draw his bow. **3.32.8** hanyamānaṃ tu tat sainyaṃ paśyāmi śaravṛṣṭibhiḥ indreṇaivottamaṃ sasyam āhataṃ tv aśmavṛṣṭibhiḥ I saw only that army being cut down by his showers of arrows, as fine crops are beaten down by Indra with showers of hail. **3.32.9** rakṣasāṃ bhīmavīryāṇāṃ sahasrāṇi caturdaśa nihatāni śarais tīkṣṇais tenaikena padātinā Fourteen thousand rākṣasas of dreadful might were slain with sharp arrows by him alone, and on foot. **3.32.10** ardhādhikamuhūrtena kharaś ca sahadūṣaṇaḥ ṛṣīṇām abhayaṃ dattaṃ kṛtakṣemāś ca daṇḍakāḥ In a little over half a muhūrta, Khara together with Dūṣaṇa was destroyed; safety was granted to the sages, and the Daṇḍaka regions were made secure. **3.32.11** ekā kathaṃ cin muktāhaṃ paribhūya mahātmanā strīvadhaṃ śaṅkamānena rāmeṇa viditātmanā I alone was somehow let go, spurned, by the great-souled Rāma of enlightened spirit, who shrank from the slaying of a woman. **3.32.12** bhrātā cāsya mahātejā guṇatas tulyavikramaḥ anuraktaś ca bhaktaś ca lakṣmaṇo nāma vīryavān And his brother, of great splendour, equal to him in valour by his virtues, devoted and loyal, is the valiant one named Lakṣmaṇa. **3.32.13** amarṣī durjayo jetā vikrānto buddhimān balī rāmasya dakṣiṇe bāhur nityaṃ prāṇo bahiṣcaraḥ Impetuous, invincible, a conqueror, valiant, wise, and strong, he is Rāma's right arm, ever his life-breath moving outside his body. **3.32.14** rāmasya tu viśālākṣī dharmapatnī yaśasvinī sītā nāma varārohā vaidehī tanumadhyamā And Rāma's wide-eyed, lawful, illustrious wife is named Sītā, the Vaidehī, fair-hipped and slender-waisted. **3.32.15** naiva devī na gandharvā na yakṣī na ca kiṃnarī tathārūpā mayā nārī dṛṣṭapūrvā mahītale No goddess, no gandharva woman, no yakṣī, no kinnarī—no woman of such beauty have I ever before seen upon the earth. **3.32.16** yasya sītā bhaved bhāryā yaṃ ca hṛṣṭā pariṣvajet atijīvet sa sarveṣu lokeṣv api puraṃdarāt He whose wife Sītā might be, and whom, delighted, she might embrace, would outlive even Indra, sacker of cities, in all the worlds. **3.32.17** sā suśīlā vapuḥślāghyā rūpeṇāpratimā bhuvi tavānurūpā bhāryā sā tvaṃ ca tasyās tathā patiḥ She of good character, of praiseworthy body, unmatched in beauty on earth, is a fitting wife for you; and you, likewise, are a fitting husband for her. **3.32.18** tāṃ tu vistīrṇajaghanāṃ pīnottuṅgapayodharām bhāryārthe tu tavānetum udyatāhaṃ varānanām I was ready to bring her here for you as your wife—broad-hipped, with full high breasts, and a lovely face. **3.32.19** tāṃ tu dṛṣṭvādya vaidehīṃ pūrṇacandranibhānanām manmathasya śarāṇāṃ ca tvaṃ vidheyo bhaviṣyasi But once you have seen that Vaidehī, whose face is like the full moon, you will become subject to the arrows of Manmatha, the god of love. **3.32.20** yadi tasyām abhiprāyo bhāryārthe tava jāyate śīghram uddhriyatāṃ pādo jayārtham iha dakṣiṇaḥ If a desire for her as your wife arises in you, then let your right foot be lifted at once, here, for the sake of victory. **3.32.21** kuru priyaṃ tathā teṣāṃ rakṣasāṃ rākṣaseśvara vadhāt tasya nṛśaṃsasya rāmasyāśramavāsinaḥ So do a kindness to those rākṣasas, O lord of rākṣasas, by slaying that cruel Rāma who dwells in the hermitage. **3.32.22** taṃ śarair niśitair hatvā lakṣmaṇaṃ ca mahāratham hatanāthāṃ sukhaṃ sītāṃ yathāvad upabhokṣyase Having slain with sharp arrows both him and the great chariot-warrior Lakṣmaṇa, you will freely enjoy Sītā, her protector slain, as you please. **3.32.23** rocate yadi te vākyaṃ mamaitad rākṣaseśvara kriyatāṃ nirviśaṅkena vacanaṃ mama rāghava If this speech of mine pleases you, O lord of rākṣasas, then let my word be carried out without hesitation. **3.32.24** niśamya rāmeṇa śarair ajihmagair hatāñ janasthānagatān niśācarān kharaṃ ca buddhvā nihataṃ ca dūṣaṇaṃ tvam adya kṛtyaṃ pratipattum arhasi Having heard how the night-rangers dwelling in Janasthāna were slain by Rāma with his straight-flying arrows, and learning that Khara and Dūṣaṇa were killed, you ought now to determine your course of action.