Surpanakha

 Shurpanakha 

She was the daughter of Rishi Vishrava and Kaikasi and a younger sister of Ravana (elder to Vibhishana). She was married to Vidhyujivhaya who was killed by Ravana while killing fourteen thousand Kalakeya Rakshasas. (Uttarakand 12. 2, 24.28). Widow, she was shifted to live with Khar and Dooshan her cousins living in Jansthana (near the forest area of Panchvati). 

Rama Sita and Lakshmana lived for nearly eleven years around the vicinity of Chitrakut mountains and river Mandakini. One year plus at Chirtakut cottage and ten years in Rushi Mandal Ashramas near Rishi Sutikshna Ashrama. Thereafter, they moved out for darshana of Rishi Agastya, which was some three yojan away to the south direction. After walking some distance on the first day of the trip, they reached to the Ashram of Rishi Agastya’s brother where they spent a night. Next day, they walked one yojan and reached Agastya Ashram. The Rishi welcomed them and offered stay but they desired to make their own Ashrama, walked two yojan further and reached Panchavati as directed by the Rishi. On the way, they met bird Jatayu who accompanied them to Panchavati. The place was neither near nor far away from river Godavari (not the present Godavari but a river to the north of Vindhyanchal, not very far away from Mandakini and Chitrakut area). Lakshmana built a cottage of wood and grass in which they stayed for sometime. They passed season Sharad and season Hemant began. 

One day, they took bath in river Godavari early in the morning and returned to the cottage and accidentally Rakshasi Shurpanakha came to the campus. She saw handsome Rama and fell in lust. Rama and Shurpanakha introduced each other. She proposed to marry Rama, calling Sita an ugly lady. Rama laughed at her and told her that he was married but she could marry Lakshmana as he was single. She went to Lakshmana he too made a joke of her and told that he was a servant of Rama and why she would like to become a maid. As Rama’s wife was getting older, she should marry him only. Shurpanakha came again to Rama and told that he was not giving her due respect because of Sita, therefore she attacked Sita with an intention to kill her so that she could marry Rama. Rama shouted at her and told Lakshmana that they shouldn’t make joke of the Anaryas and ordered him to make her ugly. Angry Lakshmana cut her nose and ears and crying loudly in pain she went to her brother Khar and fell down on the ground like lightening fell from the sky. Khar attacked Rama in revenge and was killed along with his fourteen thousand Rakshasas. Shurpanakha went to Lanka and complained to her brother Ravana and provoked him to take revenge of her insult and the Sitayana began. 

Making Joke (परिहास) of the Anarya and cutting her nose and ears were the bad acts of the Kshatriya brothers, which lead them into a misery for a year by the abduction of Sita and a lifelong pain thereafter. Sita became the worst victim. 

Punamchand 

30 November 2020

1. Shrimadvalmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, Sarg 17-18.