Shloka 3.18.23

शूर्पणखाविरूपणम् (The Disfigurement of Śūrpaṇakhā)

Devanagari script

सा विरूपा महाघोरा राक्षसी शोणितोक्षिता।ननाद विविधान्नादान्यथा प्रावृषि तोयदः।।।।

Transliteration

sā virūpā mahāghorā rākṣasī śoṇitokṣitā |

nanāda vividhān nādān yathā prāvṛṣi toyadaḥ ||

Translation

Disfigured and most dreadful, drenched in blood, the rākṣasī bellowed with many kinds of cries, like a rain-cloud in the monsoon season.

Context

The dreadful demoness who thus was disfigured. Drenched in blood, she thundered like a cloud in rainy season.

Characters & Entities

• Śūrpaṇakhā
• Rākṣasī (demoness)
• Monsoon cloud (toyada)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The verse underscores karmic consequence in narrative form: wrongdoing culminates in suffering and public exposure of one’s violent intent.

What is the narrative situation?

Śūrpaṇakhā, bleeding and disfigured, cries out thunderously as she flees.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a virtue but a warning: uncontrolled passion and aggression lead to ruin.