---
title: "Aranya Kanda, Sarga 20"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/aranya-kanda/sarga-20"
lang: "en"
---

# Aranya Kanda, Sarga 20

> ततः शूर्पणखा घोरा राघवाश्रममागता।  
> राक्षसानाचचक्षे तौ भ्रातरौ सह सीतया॥ १॥

Having reached the hermitage of Rāghava, the dreadful Śūrpaṇakhā then pointed out to the ogres the two brothers with Sītā. (1)

> ते रामं पर्णशालायामुपविष्टं महाबलम्।  
> ददृशुः सीतया सार्धं लक्ष्मणेनापि सेवितम्॥ २॥

They saw the exceptionally mighty Śrī Rāma seated with Sītā in his hut thatched with leaves and waited upon by Lakṣmaṇa. (2)

> तां दृष्ट्वा राघवः श्रीमानागतांस्तांश्च राक्षसान्।  
> अब्रवीद् भ्रातरं रामो लक्ष्मणं दीप्ततेजसम्॥ ३॥

Seeing her as well as those ogres come, the glorious Rāma, a scion of Raghu, said to his brother, Lakṣmaṇa of resplendent lustre: (3)

> मुहूर्तं भव सौमित्रे सीतायाः प्रत्यनन्तरः।  
> इमानस्या वधिष्यामि पदवीमागतानिह॥ ४॥

“Remain, O son of Sumitrā, by the side of Sītā for a while. I shall make short work of these ogres, who have come here to back the ogress”. (4)

> वाक्यमेतत् ततः श्रुत्वा रामस्य विदितात्मनः।  
> तथेति लक्ष्मणो वाक्यं राघवस्य प्रपूजयन्॥ ५॥

Hearing these words of Rāma, the knower of his own Self, and bowing his head to the utterance of Rāghava, Lakṣmaṇa said ‘Amen !’ (5)

> राघवोऽपि महच्चापं चामीकरविभूषितम्।  
> चकार सज्यं धर्मात्मा तानि रक्षांसि चाब्रवीत्॥ ६॥

The pious-minded Rāghava too strung his mighty bow ornamented with gold and said to those ogres : (6)

> पुत्रौ दशरथस्यावां भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ।  
> प्रविष्टौ सीतया सार्धं दुश्चरं दण्डकावनम्॥ ७॥

“We two brothers, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, sons of Daśaratha, have entered with Sītā the forest of Daṇḍaka, which is difficult to pass through. (7)

> फलमूलाशनौ दान्तौ तापसौ ब्रह्मचारिणौ।  
> वसन्तौ दण्डकारण्ये किमर्थमुपहिंसथ॥ ८॥

“Why do you seek to injure us, who subsist on fruits and roots, are self-disciplined, practise austerities and continence and are living in the Daṇḍaka forest? (8)

> युष्मान् पापात्मकान् हन्तुं विप्रकारान् महाहवे।  
> ऋषीणां तु नियोगेन सम्प्राप्तः सशरासनः॥ ९॥

“Armed with a bow, I for my part have duly come here at the behest of sages to kill in a major conflict you, whose mind is given to sin and who have offended against the sages. (9)

> तिष्ठतैवात्र संतुष्टा नोपवर्तितुमर्हथ।  
> यदि प्राणैरिहार्थो वो निवर्तध्वं निशाचराः॥ १०॥

“Halt where you stand, if you love war and you should not run away. If, however, you love your life, go back, O night-stalkers !” (10)

> तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा राक्षसास्ते चतुर्दश।  
> ऊचुर्वाचं सुसंक्रुद्धा ब्रह्मघ्नाः शूलपाणयः॥ ११॥  
> संरक्तनयना घोरा रामं संरक्तलोचनम्।  
> परुषा मधुराभाषं हृष्टा दृष्टपराक्रमम्॥ १२॥

Highly enraged and delighted (at the same time) to hear the aforesaid challenge of Śrī Rāma, those fourteen dreadful ogres, the slayers of Brāhmaṇas, who were armed with lances and had bloodshot eyes, spoke harshly as follows to Rāma, who had naturally deep red eyes, who always spoke sweet words and whose prowess had been seen by them : (11-12)

> क्रोधमुत्पाद्य नो भर्तुः खरस्य सुमहात्मनः।  
> त्वमेव हास्यसे प्राणान् सद्योऽस्माभिर्हतो युधि॥ १३॥

“Having provoked the anger of our extremely high-souled master, Khara, you will surely give up your ghost in no time, when struck by us on the battlefield. (13)

> का हि ते शक्तिरेकस्य बहूनां रणमूर्धनि।  
> अस्माकमग्रतः स्थातुं किं पुनर्योद्धुमाहवे॥ १४॥

“Indeed what power have you to stand single-handed in front of us, who are so many, in the van of a fight, much less to give fight in a battle? (14)

> एभिर्बाहुप्रयुक्तैश्च परिघैः शूलपट्टिशैः।  
> प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्यसि वीर्यं च धनुश्च करपीडितम्॥ १५॥

“Under the pressure of these iron clubs, darts and Paṭṭiśas (a kind of sharp-edged sword) hurled by our arms, you will give up the ghost, your valour too as well as the bow pressed in your hands.” (15)

> इत्येवमुक्त्वा संरब्धा राक्षसास्ते चतुर्दश।  
> उद्यतायुधनिस्तिं्रशा राममेवाभिदुद्रुवुः॥ १६॥

Saying so, those fourteen ogres ran in their zeal towards Rāma alone, their weapons, including swords, uplifted. (16)

> चिक्षिपुस्तानि शूलानि राघवं प्रति दुर्जयम्।  
> तानि शूलानि काकुत्स्थः समस्तानि चतुर्दश॥ १७॥  
> तावद्भिरेव चिच्छेद शरैः काञ्चनभूषितैः।  
> ततः पश्चान्महातेजा नाराचान् सूर्यसंनिभान्॥ १८॥  
> जग्राह परमक्रुद्धश्चतुर्दश शिलाशितान्।  
> गृहीत्वा धनुरायम्य लक्ष्यानुद्दिश्य राक्षसान्॥ १९॥  
> मुमोच राघवो बाणान् वज्रानिव शतक्रतुः।  
> ते भित्त्वा रक्षसां वेगाद् वक्षांसि रुधिरप्लुताः॥ २०॥  
> विनिष्पेतुस्तदा भूमौ वल्मीकादिव पन्नगाः।  
> तैर्भग्नहृदया भूमौ छिन्नमूला इव द्रुमाः॥ २१॥  
> निपेतुः शोणितस्नाता विकृता विगतासवः।  
> तान् भूमौ पतितान् दृष्ट्वा राक्षसी क्रोधमूर्छिता॥ २२॥  
> उपगम्य खरं सा तु किंचित्संशुष्कशोणिता।  
> पपात पुनरेवार्ता सनिर्यासेव वल्लरी॥ २३॥

They threw those darts at Rāghava, who was difficult to conquer. Kākutstha cut down all those fourteen darts with as many arrows decked with gold. Possessed of tremendous energy and highly enraged, Śrī Rāma after that took out fourteen pointless arrows sharpened on a stone and shining brightly as the sun and, stretching his bow, discharged the arrows aiming them at the ogres as the target, as Indra would hurl thunderbolts. Having pierced the chests of the ogres and being soaked in blood, they then dashed against the ground like serpents rushing out of an ant-hill. With their hearts rent by them, and bathed in blood, the ogres fell down on the ground, maimed and dead, like uprooted trees. Blinded with rage to see them fallen on the ground and approaching Khara, that ogress, for her part, the blood on her person having now somewhat dried up, once again fell agonized like a climber with resin sticking to it. (17—23)

> भ्रातुः समीपे शोकार्ता ससर्ज निनदं महत्।  
> सस्वरं मुमुचे बाष्पं विवर्णवदना तदा॥ २४॥  
> निपातितान् प्रेक्ष्य रणे तु राक्षसान्  
> प्रधाविता शूर्पणखा पुनस्ततः।  
> वधं च तेषां निखिलेन रक्षसां  
> शशंस सर्वं भगिनी खरस्य सा॥ २५॥

Palefaced and stricken with grief, she raised a great alarm in the presence of her brother and shed tears accompanied with sobs. On seeing the ogres killed in battle, Śūrpaṇakhā for her part darted once more from that place and the said sister of Khara reported to him the wholesale destruction of all those ogres and everything connected with it. (24-25)

Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana

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