August 5 - Sargas 18 and 19 of Aranya Kanda.
Valmiki describes a very worldly scene. Here is a rakshasi overcome with passion and unable to see sense. She, naturally, comes to grief. Then she sets in motion a series of unsavoury happenings that form the core of drama in Ramayana.
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तां तु शूर्पनखां रामः कामपाशावपाशिताम् ।
स्वेच्छया श्लक्ष्णया वाचा स्मितपूर्वमथाब्रवीत् ॥
"Then Sri Rama addressed that rakshasi Surpanakha, totally bound up in the coils of uncontrolled passion, these words, with a smile, conveying his response clearly and lucidly. "
कृतदारोऽस्मि भवति भार्येयं दयिता मम ।
त्वद्विधानां तु नारीणां सुदःखा ससपत्नता ॥
"Oh lady, here is by my side, my dear wife. I am a married man. For women like you, being a second wife will only bring great misery."
अनुजस्त्वेष मे भ्राता शीलवान् प्रियदर्शनः ।
श्रीमानकृतदारश्च लक्ष्मणो नाम वीर्यवान् ॥
अपूर्वी भार्यया चार्थी तरुणः प्रियदर्शनः ।
अनुरूपश्च ते भर्ता रूपस्यास्य भविष्यति ॥
एनं भज विशालाक्षि भर्तारं भ्रातरं मम ।
असपत्ना वरारोहे मेरुमर्कप्रभा यथा ॥
"But here is my brother, full of virtue and handsome. This gent is unmarried, and his name is Lakshmana. He is full of valour.
"Having had no wife, he is desires connubial bliss. Young and good-looking, he suits you in looks and will make a good husband.
"So, oh large-eyed one, you take my brother here as your husband. You will not be a second wife then. With your attractive figure, you will shine with him like the sun casting his brilliance on the Meru peak."
We can see a bit of a tease here. That was inescapable since Shurpanakha did not appear to have cooled off even after Sri Rama told her he was not available. There is also some poetic justice here, as Lakshmana was in the forest for long in total self-abnegation.
Shurpanakha was so blinded by carnal passion that she at once left Sri Rama and rushed to Lakshmana. She presented herself as one ardently wooing him claiming that she was beautiful and would make a lovely wife for him. They would sportingly roam the forest at will.
I am reminded of what Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavadgita. काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः महाशनो महापाप्मा विध्येनमिह वैरिणम् । "Know that this lust and hatred are qualities springing from rajas. They lead to great sin, are unquenchable, and are man's worst enemies."
Laksmana at once tells her that he would make a terrible husband for her. He is but a servant to Sri Rama. Would she reconcile to life as a servant, too? "You would make a wonderful wife with your beauty for my elder brother and master here. In fact, he will discard, for your sake, his current wife as ugly, unchaste, and frightening." It is the stuff of comedy that Shurpanakha again pounces on the suggestion and pressures Sri Rama to accept her. She says Sita is indeed ugly, unchaste, flat-bellied, and aged. So Sri Rama should at once accept Shurpakankha.
Seeing Sri Rama is unmoved, she says that the right thing for her is to get rid of Sita by eating her up. She pounces with burning eyes on the doe-eyed Sita like a meteor. An enraged Sri Rama holds Shurpanakha and restrains her firmly. He says,
क्रूरैरनार्यैः सौमित्रे परिहासः कथञ्चन ।
न कार्यः पश्य वैदेहीं कथञ्चित् सौम्य जीवतीम् ॥
इमां विरूपामसतीमतिमत्तां महोदरीम् ।
राक्षसीं पुरुषव्याघ्र विरूपयितुमर्हसि ॥
"Oh Lakshmana, it is indeed wise not to try and be humorous or light-hearted with people who are cruel and uncivilised. Oh Lakshmana, you’re a man of tenderness, see how Sita was saved in the nick of time from death.
"Oh tiger among men, I ask you to disfigure this ugly, unchaste, fat-bellied, rakshasi who is totally lost to reason by her passion."
In an instant, Lakshmana flashes his sword and lops off Shurpanakha's lips and ears. She utters a roar like thunder and rushes away bleeding all over profusely, uttering fierce cries true to her nature.
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The rakshasa Khara, terrible in reputation and terrible in looks, is in his assembly inside the Dandaka forest. His profusely bleeding, mutilated, and screaming sister descends and drops like a huge cloud on the floor in front of Khara, True to the stereotype, he flies into a terrible rage. He says not even Indra dare do something like this to his sister. So this has to be someone who is powerful, and he shall reap the whirlwind by this audacious act.
Khara compares the man who has incited his revenge to be like someone who goes and touches a King Cobra and challenges it to bite him. Such a man's life is going to ebb away shortly. That culprit is like someone who has garlanded himself with the noose of death.
Shurpanakha narrates how two powerful warrior brothers, sons of King Dasharatha, dressed as ascetics, have come to Dandakaranya with the elder one's extremely beautiful wife. The brothers did this to her, on account of that lady in their midst.
तस्याश्चानृजुवृ्त्तायास्तयोश्च हतयोरहम् ।
सफेनं पातुमिच्छामि रुधिरं रणमूर्धनि ॥
"Oh brother Khara, I wish to drink the foamy blood of that crooked woman and those two brothers after they have been killed by you in battle!"
Like sister, like brother. Khara immediately orders his best fourteen men to go without delay and kill those three who have committed this heinous mutilation of Shurpanakha. Valmiki says those raskhasa warriors spelt death like Yama.
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
