Sloka & Translation

[Khara pacifies Surpanakha -- Surpanakha provokes Khara against Rama.]

स पुनः पतितां दृष्ट्वा क्रोधाच्छूर्पणखां खरः।

उवाच व्यक्तया वाचा तामनर्थार्थमागताम्।।3.21.1।।


सः खरः Khara, पुनः again, पतिताम् fallen down, शूर्पणखाम् Surpanakha, दृष्ट्वा saw, अनर्थार्थम् unfortunate situation, आगताम् who came, ताम् her, व्यक्तया in a clear, वाचा words, क्रोधात् angrily, उवाच spoke.

Seeing Surpanakha collapse, Khara said in clear terms about the unfortunate situation she had created:
मया त्विदानीं शूरास्ते राक्षसा रुधिराशनाः।

त्वत्प्रियार्थं विनिर्दिष्टाः किमर्थं रुद्यते पुनः।।3.21.2।।


मया myself, त्वत्प्रियार्थम् for your pleasure, इदानीम् just now, रुधिराशनाः who feed on blood, शूराः heroes, ते राक्षसाः those demons, विनिर्दिष्टाः commissioned, पुनः again, किमर्थम् for what reason, रुद्यते crying.

The valiant demons who feed on blood have been commissioned for your pleasure. Why are you crying again?
भक्ताश्चैवानुरक्ताश्च हिताश्च मम नित्यशः।

हन्यमाना न हन्यन्ते न न कुर्युर्वचो मम।।3.21.3।।


भक्ताश्चैव devoted, अनुरक्ताश्च fond of me, नित्यशः always, मम to me, हिताश्च wellwishers, हन्यमानाः while they are being attacked, न हन्यन्ते are not killed , मम my, वचः words, न न कुर्युः never fail to carry out my orders.

They are loyal and faithful to me. They are always my wellwishers. Even when attacked, they cannot be killed. They never fail to carry out my orders.
किमेतच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि कारणं यत्कृते पुनः।

हा नाथेति विनर्दन्ती सर्पवल्लुठसि क्षितौ।।3.21.4।।


यत्कृते for what reason, हा नाथ Ha Lord, इति saying like that, विनर्दन्ती lamenting, पुनः again, सर्पवत् like a serpent, क्षितौ on the ground, लुठसि you are rolling, एतत् this, कारणम् reason, किम् why, श्रोतुम् to hear, इच्छामि I wish.

I wish to know what makes you lament and roll on the ground like a serpent and hissing?
अनाथवद्विलपसि नाथे तु मयि संस्थिते।

उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ माभैषीर्वैक्लव्यं त्यज्यतामिह।।3.21.5।।


नाथे as lord, मयि me, संस्थिते is present, अनाथवत् like an orphan, विलपसि you are weeping, उत्तिष्ठ you get up, मा भैषीः do not fear, इह now, वैक्लब्यम् worry, त्यज्यताम् may be given up.

When I am here like a lord to protect you, why do you weep like an orphan? Get up. Give up your anxiety. Be not afraid.
इत्येवमुक्ता दुर्धर्षा खरेण परिसान्त्विता।

विमृज्य नयने सास्रे खरं भ्रातरमब्रवीत्।।3.21.6।।


इत्येवम् thus, उक्ता addressed, खरेण by Khara, परिसान्त्विता pacified, दुर्दर्षा in invincible woman, सास्रे tearful, नयने eyes, विमृज्य wiping, भ्रातरम् to brother, खरम् to Khara, अब्रवीत् said.

Thus consoled by Khara, invincible Surpanakha wiped her tearful eyes and said to her brother:
अस्मीदानीमहं प्राप्ता हृतश्रवणनासिका।

शोणितौघपरिक्लिन्ना त्वया च परिसान्त्विता।।3.21.7।।


हृतश्रवणनासिका with ears and nose sliced off, अहम् I, शोणितौघपरिक्लिन्ना drenched with flow of blood, इदानीम् now, प्राप्ता अस्मि myself having come, त्वया by you, परिसान्त्विता pacified, च also.

My ears and nose sliced off, drenched with blood, I came to you and you pacified me.
प्रेषिताश्च त्वया वीर राक्षसास्ते चतुर्दश।

निहन्तुं राघवं क्रोधान्मत्प्रियार्थं सलक्षणम्।।3.21.8।।


वीर O hero, त्वया by you, क्रोधात् out of anger, मत्प्रियार्थम् to please me, सलक्ष्मणम् along with Lakshmana, राघवम् Rama, निहन्तुम् to kill, ते those, चतुर्दश fourteen, राक्षसाः demons, प्रेषिताः were sent.

O warrior you had sent, out of anger, fourteen demons to put an end to Rama along with Lakshmana in order to please me.
ते तु रामेण सामर्षाः शूलपट्टसपाणयः।

समरे निहतास्सर्वे सायकैर्मर्मभेदिभिः।।3.21.9।।


सामर्षाः those spirited ones, शूलपट्टसपाणयः with spears in hands, ते those, सर्वे all, रामेण by Rama, मर्मभेदिभिः hearts pierced, सायकैः by arrows, निहताः killed.

The demons who went with spears in their hands were killed, their hearts pierced by Rama's arrows.
तान्दृष्ट्वा पतितान्भूमौ क्षणेनैव महाबलान्।

रामस्य च महत्कर्म महांस्त्रासोऽभवन्मम।।3.21.10।।


क्षणेनैव in moments, भूमौ on earth, पतितान् fallen down, महाबलान् mighty ones, तान् them, रामस्य Rama's, महत् great, कर्म च action, दृष्ट्वा seeing, मम to me, महान् powerful, त्रासः fear, अभवत् befell.

Seeing the powerful demons collapse on the ground in a moment's time through Rama's action, I was frightened.
अहमस्मि समुद्विग्ना विषण्णा च निशाचर।

शरणं त्वां पुनः प्राप्ता सर्वतोभयदर्शिनी।।3.21.11।।


निशाचर O demon , अहम् I, समुद्विग्ना scared, विषण्णा sad, च and, अस्मि am, सर्वतः all over, भयदर्शिनी fear in sight, पुनः again, त्वाम् your, शरणं प्राप्ता sought refuge in you.

O demon I am scared and sad. To me everything looks frightening. I, therefore, seek refuge in you.
विषादनक्राध्युषिते परित्रासोर्मिमालिनि।

किं मां न त्रायसे मग्नां विपुले शोकसागरे।।3.21.12।।


विषादनक्राध्युषिते by crocodiles of distress, परित्रासोर्मिमालिनि filled with rows of waves of fright, विपुले vast , शोकसागरे in sea of sorrow, मग्नाम् drowned, माम् me, किम् why, न त्रायसे you do not save?

I am drowned in a vast sea of sorrow where crocodiles in the form of distress reside. It is full of rows of waves of fright. Why do you not save me?
एते च निहता भूमौ रामेण निशितैः शरैः।

येऽपि मे पदवीं प्राप्ता राक्षसाः पिशिताशनाः।।3.21.13।।


पिशिताशनाः carnivorous, ये those, राक्षसाः demons, मे my, पदवीम् path, प्राप्ता came, एते च these, रामेण by Rama, भूमौ on the earth, निशितैः by sharp, शरैः arrows, निहताः were killed.

The demons who live on flesh, who came following me fell down on earth and lay dead, shot by the sharp arrows of Rama.
मयि ते यद्यनुक्रोशो यदि रक्षस्सु तेषु च।

रामेण यदि ते शक्तिस्तेजो वास्ति निशाचर।3.21.14।।

दण्डकारण्यनिलयं जहि राक्षसकण्टकम्।


निशाचर O nightranger, ते yours, मयि in me, तेषु among them, रक्षस्सु च on demons, अनुक्रोशः have compassion, अस्ति यदि if you have, ते to you, रामेण equal to Rama, शक्तिः power, तेजो वा or brilliance, अस्ति यदि if you have, दण्डकारण्यनिलयम् living inDandaka forest, राक्षसकण्टकम् enemy of demons, जहि kill.

O demon if you have compassion for me or for the demons, if you have the power and energy to face Rama, kill the enemy of the demons living in Dandaka forest.
यदि रामं ममामित्रं न त्वमद्यवधिष्यसि।।3.21.15।।

तवैव चाग्रतः प्राणांस्त्यक्षामि निरपत्रप।


मम my, अमित्रम् enemy, रामम् that Rama, त्वम् you, अद्य now, न वधिष्यसि यदि if you do not kill, निरपत्रप O shameless one, तव your, अग्रतः presence, प्राणान् life, त्यक्ष्यामि will give up.

If now you do not kill that Rama, my enemy, O shameless one, I will give up my life in your very presence.
बुद्ध्याहमनुपश्यामि न त्वं रामस्य संयुगे।।3.21.16।।

स्थातुं प्रतिमुखे शक्तस्सबलश्च महात्मनः।


त्वम् you, सबलश्च with your army too, संयुगे in an encounter, महात्मनः of the great man, रामस्य Rama's, प्रतिमुखे face to face, स्थातुम् to stand, न शक्तः you are not capable, अहम् I, बुद्ध्या through my intellect, अनुपश्यामि I can foresee.

Instinctively I can foresee that you and your army do not have the capability to encounter that great Rama in a fight.
शूरमानी न शूरस्त्वं मिथ्यारोपितविक्रमः।।3.21.17।।

मानुषौ यो न शक्नोषि हन्तुं तौ रामलक्ष्मणौ।


यः who, मानुषौ two humans, तौ रामलक्ष्मणौ those Rama and Lakshmana, हन्तुम् to kill, न शक्नोषि you are not able to, त्वम् you, शूरमानी calling yourself a hero, नशूरः त्वम् you are not a hero, मिथ्यारोपितविक्रमः your claim to be a hero is false.

You call yourself a hero, yet are not able to kill two humans like Rama and Lakshmana. Your claim to heroism is false. You are not a hero at all.
रामेण यदि ते शक्तिस्तेजो वास्ति निशाचर।।3.21.18।।

दण्डकारण्यनिलयं जहि तं कुलपांसन।


कुलपांसन a disgrace to the family, निशाचर O demon , रामेण by Rama, ते your, शक्तिः power, तेजो वा or brilliance, अस्ति यदि if it is, दण्डकारण्यनिलयम् dwelling in Dandaka forest, तम् him, जहि kill.

O demon you are a disgrace to the family. If you have power or energy, kill that Rama dwelling in Dandaka forest.
निस्सत्वस्याल्प वीर्यस्य वासस्ते कीदृशस्त्विह।।3.21.19।।

अपयाहि जनस्थानातत्वरितस्सहबान्धवः।


निस्सत्वस्य of a man who has no strength, अल्पवीर्यस्य of less valiant one, ते your, इह here, वास: stay, कीदृशः what kind of, सहबान्धव: with your relations, त्वरितः quickly, जनस्थानात् from this Janasthana, अपयाहि go away.

You have little strength and less heroism. You with your relations should immediately leave Janasthana. What kind of position do you have here?
रामतेजोभिभूतो हि त्वं क्षिप्रं विनशिष्यसि।3.21.20।।

स हि तेजस्समायुक्तो रामो दशरथात्मजः।

भ्राता चास्य महावीर्यो येन चास्मि विरूपिता।।3.21.21।।


त्वं you, रामतेजोभिभूतः let down by the brilliance of Rama, क्षिप्रं swiftly, हि indeed, विनशिष्यसि you will be surely destroyed, सः he, हि दशरथात्मजः son of Dasaratha, रामः Rama, तेजस्समायुक्तः endowed with brilliance, येन by whom, विरूपिता अस्मि I am disfigured, अस्य भ्राता च and his brother, महावीर्यः a very valiant man.

Let down by the brilliance of Rama, son of Dasaratha, you will be soon destroyed. He is mighty and his brother who has disfigured me is very valiant.
एवं विलप्य बहुशो राक्षसी विततोदरी।

कराभ्यामुदरं हत्वा रुरोद भृशदुःखिता।।3.21.22।।


विततोदरी big bellied woman, राक्षसी demoness i, बहुशः in several ways, एवम् in that manner, विलप्य weeping, भृशदुःखिता very sad, कराभ्याम् with both her hands, उदरम् belly (here, chest), हत्वा beating, रुरोद cried.

Overcome by sorrow, the bigbellied demoness cried in several ways and being very sad started beating her chest with both hands.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे एकविंशस्सर्गः।
Thus ends the twentyfirst sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.