Character

Shurpanakha

शूर्पणखाŚūrpaṇakhā

verses
224
books
15
chapters
49
Sibling of
Ravana

What the texts say

In the Ramayana, Shurpanakha is a rakshasi and sister of the rakshasa Ravana. Ramayana 3.17.6, 3.36.2 In the forest she approaches Rama, who presents his younger brother Lakshmana and his wife Sita. Ramayana 6.95.6, 3.17.17 At Rama's command, Lakshmana cuts off her ears and nose with a sword. Ramayana 6.129.16, 3.18.21 Seeing Rama alone slay fourteen thousand rakshasas, and Ravana's brother Khara too, she roars with a great cry. Ramayana 3.32.1 She then tells Ravana that Sita is unmatched in beauty and a fitting wife for him. Ramayana 3.34.19, 3.34.15 Ravana resolves to abduct Sita, citing his sister's mutilation. Ramayana 3.36.12

Where to read

Every verse that names Shurpanakha, book by book.

  1. Ramayana

    160 verses · 19 chapters

    All 160 verses in the Ramayana
    • 3.18.1

      Phir Ram ne Shurpanakha ko dekha. Woh pyaar ke jaal mein phansi hui thi. Ram muskura ke usse baat karne laga. Uski awaaz saaf thi aur naram thi.

    • 3.34.1

      Ravan ne dekha ki Shurpanakha bahut gusse mein bol rahi hai. Uske saare mantri wahin baithe the. Ravan bhi gussa ho gaya aur usne Shurpanakha se poocha ki aakhir baat kya hai.

    • 3.20.1

      Phir Shurpanakha wahan aayi. Usne raakshason ko bataya ki wahan do bhai hain, Sita ke saath.

  2. Narasimha Purana

    19 verses · 1 chapter

    • 1.49.36

      Usne dekha Ram jungle mein baitha hai. Sita uske paas hai. Phir Shurpanakha aayi. Woh darrane wali thi. Par usne ek sundar roop pehna hua tha.

    • 1.49.38

      Shurpanakha ne kaha ki jo aurat ko thukra de jab woh khud aage aaye, uska bada paap hota hai. Yeh sun ke Rama ne usse baat ki.

    • 1.49.59

      Shurpanakha ro rahi thi. Woh Ravan ke paas gayi. Ravan ne dekha ki uski behen ki naak kaat di gayi hai.

  3. Mahabharata

    9 verses · 2 chapters

    Also in the Gita Press edition: 7 verses

    • 3.261.41

      Ram wahan reh raha tha tab Shurpanakha ka ek haadsa hua. Uske wajah se Khara se bada jhagda ho gaya. Khara Janasthan mein rehta tha.

    • 3.259.8

      Malini ka ek beta hua jiska naam Vibhishan tha. Raka ke yahan do bacche paida hue, Khara aur Shurpanakha.

    • 3.261.44

      Jab woh rakshas mar gaye, Shurpanakha phir se chali gayi. Uski naak aur honth kat chuke the. Woh Lanka gayi apne bhai ke paas.

  4. Ramcharitmanas

    8 verses · 4 chapters

    • 3.2.66

      bhakti ki baat sunkar Lakshman ko bahut khushi hui. unhone apna sir Ram ke charno mein jhuka diya. Kuch din aise hi bit gaye. wo log vairagya, gyan, gun aur niti ki baatein karte rahe. Ravan ki bahin Shurpanakha thi. uska dil kharab tha…

    • 3.3.76

      Jab Ram ne dushmano ko jung me hara diya, tab devta, insaan aur rishi sab ka darr khatam ho gaya. Tab Lakshman Sita ko le ke aaye. Prabhu ke paer chhoote hi unhe khushi se dil se laga liya. Sita ne unke kale aur komal shareer ko ghoorta…

    • 6.4.53

      Mere pati, apne dimag mein soch lo aur ye buri baat chhod do. Ram ke saath ladna tumhe shobha nahi deta. Ram ke chhote bhai ne ek patli line kheenchi, aur tum usse bhi paar nahi kar sake. Ye tumhari mardangi hai! Mere pyare, jiske doot ne…

Also named in

Key chapters

The chapters where Shurpanakha matters most.

  1. The Disfigurement of Śūrpaṇakhā

    Ramayana 3.18 · 25 verses

    Embodiment of ungoverned kāma turning to krodha

  2. Śūrpaṇakhā Reports to Rāvaṇa; Rāma’s Might and Sītā’s Description

    Ramayana 3.34 · 25 verses

    Messenger-survivor

  3. The Events of Aranya Kanda: Sita's Abduction and Rama's Journey

    Narasimha Purana 1.49 · 19 verses

  4. The Slaying of the Fourteen Demons Sent by Śūrpaṇakhā

    Ramayana 3.20 · 7 verses

    Instigator and escalation-agent

  5. Śūrpaṇakhā’s Report to Rāvaṇa and the Panegyric of His Might

    Ramayana 3.32 · 6 verses

    Narrative relay and instigator: flees from Janasthāna to Laṅkā…

  6. The Ogresses’ Threats to Sita and Her Vow of Fidelity

    Ramayana 5.24 · 2 verses

    Notorious instigator figure

  7. Rāma’s Abhiṣeka Plan, Kaikeyī’s Boon, and the Initiation of the Exile (Mārkaṇḍeya’s Account)

    Mahabharata 3.261 · 6 verses

    Bridge from forest episode to Laṅkā’s retaliation

  8. Sarga 95: Lamentation in Laṅkā and the Causal Chain of Enmity

    Ramayana 6.95 · 4 verses

    Causal trigger in the lament’s chain-of-enmity analysis

  9. This Sopāna is the ‘Vana-sādhanā’ step: the soul leaves the social city (rājya, maryādā) and enters the inner forest where desire, fear, and deception appear unclothed. The wilderness becomes a crucib

    Ramcharitmanas 3.2 · 2 verses

  10. Śrī Rāmacandra-avatāra: Vow, Exile, Laṅkā-vijaya, and Rāma-rājya (Concise Bhāgavata Account)

    Bhagavatam 9.10 · 1 verse

    Trigger for escalation

Key episodes

  1. Shurpanakha at Panchavati

    Ramayana 3.17-3.18

Also known to Wikipedia · Wikidata Q1969788