Summary
Shuurpanakha comes again to her brother Khara to report that all the fourteen demons sent by him are slain by Rama. She persuades him to wage a war against Rama and Lakshmana and annihilate them for they intruded into Dandaka and there is every possibility of onslaught by them on demons.
Chapter [Sarga] 21 in Detail
sa punah patitaam dristvaa krodhaat shuurpanakhaam kharah |
uvaaca vyaktataa vaacaa taam anartha artham aagataam || 3-21-1
On seeing Shuurpanakha who came back only to wreck havoc on demonic race and again fell before him as before, Khara spoke this sentence to her in clear terms in all his fury. [3-21-1]
mayaa tu idaaniim shuuraah te raaksasaa pishita ashanaah |
tvat priyaartham vinirdistaah kim artham rudyate punah || 3-21-2
"What for your are howling again when I have just now commanded those fearless flesh eating demons in order to fulfill your wish? [3-21-2]
bhaktaah caiva anuraktaah ca hitaah ca mama nityashah |
hanyamaanaa api na hanyante na na kuryuh vaco mama || 3-21-3
"Those demons are my admirers, adherers and they always remained my well-wishers, hence there is no question of their non-accomplishment of my orders. [3-21-3]
kim etat shrotum icchaami kaaranam yat krite punah |
haa naatha iti vinardantii sarpavat cestase ksitau || 3-21-4
"Owing to what you are highly bawling by saying, 'haa, lord' and wriggle on the ground like a snake? I would like to know the reason for all this, what is it? [3-21-4]
anaatha vat vilapasi kim nu naathe mayi sthite |
uttisthottistha maa maivam vaiklavyam tyajyataam iti || 3-21-5
"I am here to take care of you, then why should you really cry out like an uncared-for being, get up...get up, and ward off this sort of perplexity." Thus Khara said to Shuurpanakha. [3-21-5]
iti evam uktaa durdharsaa kharena parisaantvitaa |
vimrijya nayane sa asre kharam bhraataram abraviit || 3-21-6
She that Shuurpanakha who is otherwise an unassuageable [not capable of pacified] one is wholly pacified when Khara spoke to her thus that way, and she on dabbing her tearful eyes then spoke to her brother Khara. [3-21-6]
asmi idaaniim aham praptaa hata shravana naasikaa |
shonita ogha pariklinnaa tvayaa ca parisamanvitaa || 3-21-7
"I came to you just a while back with my ears and nose chopped off and wet with gushes of blood, and you too have comforted me, isn't it. [3-21-7]
presitaah ca tvayaa shuuraa raaksasaah te catur dasha |
nihantum raaghavam ghoraam mat priyaartham sa laksmanam || 3-21-8
"Oh, valiant brother, for my delight you too have sent fourteen demons to eliminate that atrocious Rama along with Lakshmana, isn't it? [3-21-8]
te tu raamena saamarsaah shuula pattisa paanayah |
samare nihataah sarve saayakaih marma bhedibhih || 3-21-9
"But they all who handled their spears and bolts along with an envious anger are killed in a fight with Rama by his arrows that cleave the crucial parts of his opponents. [3-21-9]
taan bhuumau patitaan dristvaa ksanena eva mahaajavaan |
raamasya ca mahat karma mahaan traaso abhavan mama || 3-21-10
"On seeing those highly impetuous demons falling to earth in a trice, and even on seeing the unusual deed of Rama in felling them, I am highly alarmed. [3-21-10]
saa asmi bhiitaa samudvignaa visannaa ca nishaacara |
sharanam tvaam punah praaptaa sarvato bhaya darshinii || 3-21-11
"Oh me! I am alarmed, fully frenzied, and even despaired, oh, nightwalker Khara, and beholding dread everywhere again I have come seeking your refuge. [3-21-11]
visaada nakra adhyusite paritraasa uurmi maalini |
kim maam na traayase magnaam vipule shoka saagare || 3-21-12
"Why do not you rescue me when I am drowned in a vast ocean called grief, wherein each pervasive crocodile is despair and each swelling wave is fright. [3-21-12]
ete ca nihataa bhuumau raamena nishitaih sharaih |
ye ca me padaviim praaptaa raaksasaah pishita ashanaah || 3-21-13
"Besides, those flesh-eating demons that have followed me are also felled by Rama with his sharp arrows, for whom I have a contrite heart. [3-21-13]
mayi te yadi anukrosho yadi raksahsu tesu ca |
raamena yadi shaktih te tejo vaa asti nishaa cara || 3-21-14
dandakaaranya nilayam jahi raaksasa kantakam |
"If you have mercy on me, and even on those dead demons, and if ability and animation are still left in you to cope with Rama, oh, nightwalker, kill that Rama who is a thorn in the side of demons dwelling in Dandaka forest. [3-21-14, 15a]
yadi raamam amitraghnam na tvam adya vadhisyasi || 3-21-15
tava caiva agratah praanaan tyaksyaami nirapatrapaa |
If you are not going to kill that enemy destroyer Rama now itself, I will give up my life than living a shameless life with these lopped ears and nose. [3-21-15b, 16a]
buddhyaa aham anupashyaami na tvam raamasya sa.myuge || 3-21-16
sthaatum prati mukhe shaktah sa balo api mahaa rane |
shuuramaanii na shuurah tvam mithyaa aaropita vikramah || 3-21-17
"I can perceive instinctually that you are incapable of affronting Rama in a given crucial battle, even if your are with all your forces on the battlefield, and you assert yourself a valiant, but you are just vainglorious [boastful]. [3-21-16b, 17]
apayaahi jana sthaanaat tvaritah saha baandhavah |
jahi tvam samare muudhaan yathaa tu kulapaa.msana || 3-21-18
maanusau tau na shaknosi hantum vai raama laksmanau |
nihsattvasya alpa viiryasya vaasah te kiidrishah tu iha || 3-21-19
"Kill those two, Rama and Lakshmana, as they are just humans, or else, if you are incapable of doing so, really what for is your stay here in Janasthaana with your trivial stamina and trifling sinews like a stupid blemishing his clan, then get out of this Janasthaana at once along with your hench-demons. [3-21-18, 19]
raama tejo abhibhuuto hi tvam ksipram vinashisyasi |
sa hi tejah samaayukto raamo dasharathaatmajah || 3-21-20
"You will completely and quickly evanish, indeed, subjugated by resplendence of Rama, for that Dasharatha's son Rama possess that kind of resplendence, in effect. [3-21-20]
bhraataa ca asya mahaa viiryo yena ca asmi viruupitaa |
evam vilaapya bahusho raakshsii pradarodarii || 3-21-21
bhraatuh samiipe shoka aartaa nasta sa.njnaa babhuuva ha |
karaabhyaam udaram hatvaa ruroda bhrisha duhkhitaa || 3-21-22
"And, by whom I am misshapen that brother of Rama too is a highly vigorous one..." in this way on saying Shuurpanakha bawled variously in the presence of her brother, Khara, and then anguished by her own affliction that demoness with a cave like belly started hitting her paunch with both of her hands, and what is more, she swooned. [3-21-21, 22]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye kiskindha kaande eka vi.mshah sargah
Thus, this is the 21st chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate