Rāmāyana | Āraṇya Kaṇḍa | Chapter 34

34. Sūrpanakhā's Description of Rāma and Sītā

[To the pointed question from Rāvaṇa, Sūrpanakhā describes the valour and power of Rāma. She also praises the beauty of Sītā and tells Rāvaṇa to make her his own and kill Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. He also tells that she was harmed when she was trying to abduct Sītā for his sake.]

Seeing that Sūrpanakhā speaking those unpalatable words, the angry Rāvaṇa, who was sitting in the middle of his ministers, asked. 34.1

"Who is Rāma? How valorous is he? How does he look like? How brave he is? For what reason has he entered Dandakaranya ?' 34.2

"By using which weapon did Rāma kill those innumerable number Rākṣasas of Kara, Triśirā as well as Dūṣaṇa?" 34.3

When the king of Rākṣasas asked like this, that Rākṣasī in very great anger started describing about that Rāma faithfully. 34.4

"Rāma is the son of Dasaratha who has long arms, broad eyes, dressed in deer skin and bark and has the form like the god of love." 34.5

"His bow which is banded in gold is similar to that of Indra, drawing which he sends glittering iron arrows which are like snake." 34.6

"In that war I could not see Rāma taking those dreadful arrows from the quiver, aiming those arrows and releasing them due to the speed with which it was done." 34.7

"I saw him destroying the great army by the rain of his arrows which was just like Indra destroying the crops by a rain of hailstones." 34.8

"While standing alone on foot only, he killed fourteen thousand Rākṣasas with a gross form within twenty minutes along with Khara and Dūṣaṇa." 34.9

"Rāma gave protection to the sages and made Daṇḍaka a safe place for them and that great one left me only alive but after insulting me because he was not inclined to kill women as he followed laws. 34.10-34.11

"His brother Lakṣmaṇa like him had great lustre and good qualities; equalled him in his valour. That valorous one loved Rāma and was his devotee." 34.12

"He is impatient, invincible, very courageous, wins over all, wise and strong and he is the right hand of Rāma, and the soul of Rāma moving round him." 34.13

"Rāma's wife who has broad eyes and face like full moon is the dear one who was interested only in looking after Rāma's pleasures." 34.14

"She who is famous has pretty hair, pretty nose and a pretty form and looked like a goddess in the forest and was shining like Goddess of wealth." 34.15

"That auspicious one was shining with gold colour and had red coloured nails and she was Sītā, the princess of Videha and had narrow waist." 34.16

"I have not seen a lady with her pretty form earlier in this earth or among devas or among Gandharvas or among Yakṣas or among Kinnaras." 34.17

"If one gets Sītā as wife or if she embraces any one with love, he would live longer in this world than Devendra." 34.18

"She is of good character, praiseworthy in appearance in this world, and incomparable and she would be a matching wife to you and you would be a matching husband to her." 34.19

"Oh great armed one, when I was trying to get her who has broad hips, who has big and erect breasts, for making her who has an auspicious face to be your wife, the very strong Lakṣmaṇa with cruelty disfigured me." 34.20

"If you were to see Vaidehī who has a face like full moon today, you would be affected by the arrows of the God of love." 34.21

"If in your opinion, you want to make her your wife, you quickly raise your right foot, so that you can go there quickly." 34.22

"Oh king of Rākṣasas, do a favourable act to the Rākṣasas by killing that cruel Rāma, who lives in the hermitage." 34.23

"If by your sharp arrows kill that hero Lakṣmaṇa also you can enjoy like with the widowed Sītā as much as you like." 34.24

"Oh King of Rākṣasas, if you like my words, then without any hesitation follow my words, Oh Rāvaṇa." 34.25

"Oh king of Rākṣasas, by your own power, after properly assessing everything, forcefully abduct Sītā who is delicate and charming in all respects and make her your wife." 34.26

"After understanding the unerring power of the arrows of Rāma, after clearing understanding about the killing of Rākṣasas as well as Khara and Dūṣaṇa in Janasṭhāna, I hope you will decide on your future course of action." 34.27

This is the end of Thirty Fourth Sarga of Āraṇya Kanda which occurs in Holy Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki as the First Epic.