Aranya Kanda, Sarga 32

Meaning

Then, seeing fourteen thousand ogres of terrible deeds killed by Rāma single-handed and also perceiving Dūṣaṇa, Khara and Triśirā too killed in battle, Śūrpaṇakhā uttered loud roars like a cloud. (1-2)

Meaning

Extremely perturbed to perceive the feat of Śrī Rāma, hard to accomplish for others, she proceeded to Laṅkā protected by Rāvaṇa. (3)

Meaning

She beheld Rāvaṇa of dazzling glory sitting on the top of his seven-storeyed palace, surrounded by his ministers as Indra by the wind-gods. (4)

Meaning

He was seated on highly excellent golden throne, shining brightly as the sun and looked like a fire fed with abundant ghee and burning on a golden altar. (5)

Meaning

He was unconquerable in battle by gods, Gandharvas, genii and high-souled Ṛṣis and looked fierce like Death with mouth wide open. (6)

Meaning

He bore on his person scars of wounds caused by the thunderbolt and lightning in the course of conflicts between the gods and the demons and his chest was marked with callosities resulting from abrasions caused by the tusks of Airāvata. (7)

Meaning

The hero had twenty arms, ten heads, attractive royal paraphernalia, a broad chest and was distinguished by bodily marks found on the person of a king. (8)

Meaning

He wore the hue of Vaidūryas (cat’s-eye jewels) fastened on his person, was adorned with ornaments of refined gold, had shapely arms, white teeth, an enormous mouth and looked like a mountain. (9)

Meaning

He was struck hundreds of times during the wars with gods with the blows of Viṣṇu’s discus as also with the strokes of other weapons in great conflicts. (10)

Meaning

With all his limbs that could not be injured even with the weapons of gods, he churned up the seas, which could not be churned up by others and was prompt in action. (11)

Meaning

He hurled peaks of mountains by way of missiles and crushed the gods. He uprooted the moral laws and enjoyed others’ wives. (12)

Meaning

He knew the use of all celestial missiles and even caused interruption in sacrifices. Proceeding to the city of Bhogavatī (the capital of the Nāgas), vanquishing Vāsukī (the ruler of the Nāgas) and routing Takṣaka (a leader of Nāgas), he took away the latter’s dear wife. Reaching Mount Kailāsa and fully conquering Kubera (who usually moves on a palanquin carried by men), he took away his aerial car, Puṣpaka, which could go wherever its master liked, the valiant Rāvaṇa in his anger laid waste the celestial garden Caitraratha (of Kubera) and the lake Nalinī (situated in the centre of Caitraratha), the garden Nandana (of Indra, the lord of paradise) as well as the other gardens of gods. Resembling a mountain-peak in size, he intercepted with his arms the highly blessed moon and sun, the tormentors of their enemies, appearing at the horizon. Having practised austerities in a large forest for ten thousand years, the strong-minded man offered to Brahmā (the self-born) in the remote past his ten heads by way of oblation at a sacrifice. As a result of this, immunity was secured by him on the battlefield from fear of death at the hands of gods, demons, Gandharvas, fiends, birds and serpents barring human beings. In the course of sacrifices that ogre of great might used to spill the holy Soma drink glorified through the chanting of sacred texts by Brāhmaṇas in sanctuaries where the Soma juice was extracted. The wicked fellow used to wreck sacrifices which had reached the stage of completion, killed Brāhmaṇas and perpetrated other cruel acts, was rough, pitiless and intent on doing harm to created beings. The said ogress saw her cruel brother, who was possessed of great might, made all living beings cry through his tyranny and persecution and was a source of terror to all the worlds. Approaching him, the celebrated and highly blessed Rāvaṇa, the ruler of ogres, the delight of the race of Rākṣasas (the scions of Pulastya), the slayer of enemies—who was comfortably seated on his throne in celestial robes, adorned with celestial jewels, and decked with heavenly garlands, looked like Kāla (the all-destroying Time-Spirit active at the time of universal dissolution) and was surrounded by his counsellors—the ogress, Śūrpaṇakhā, who was overpowered with fear, proceeded to speak as follows: (13—24)

Meaning

Displaying her disfiguration, Śūrpaṇakhā, who stood bewildered with fear and covetousness for Śrī Rāma and who formerly roamed about fearlessly and had been mutilated by the high-souled Lakṣmaṇa, addressed to Rāvaṇa, who was possessed of large burning eyes, the following exceptionally harsh words. (25)