Valmiki Ramayana 3.18.16 — Aranya Kanda, Sarga 18, Shloka 16

शूर्पणखाविरूपणम्

The Disfigurement of Śūrpaṇakhā

Devanagari script

अद्येमां भक्षयिष्यामि पश्यतस्तव मानुषीम्।त्वया सह चरिष्यामि निस्सपत्ना यथासुखम्।।।।

Transliteration

adyemāṃ bhakṣayiṣyāmi paśyatas tava mānuṣīm | tvayā saha cariṣyāmi nissapatnā yathāsukham ||

Translation

今日この場で、あなたが見ている前でこの人間の女を喰らい尽くす。そうして私は、 rival（対抗する妻）なきまま、あなたと共に安らかに楽しく歩もう。

Word by Word

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today/now)

• इमाम्: this (woman)
• इमाम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भक्षयिष्यामि: I will devour
• भक्षयिष्यामि: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhakṣ (भक्ष् धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पश्यतः: while (you) look on
• पश्यतः: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (Genitive absolute-like: ‘in your seeing’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश् धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; ‘while (you) are seeing’

• तव: of you/your
• तव: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• मानुषीम्: the human woman
• मानुषीम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānuṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्वया: with you
• त्वया: सहयोग (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: सहयोग (Accompaniment marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक

• चरिष्यामि: I will roam/live
• चरिष्यामि: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (चर् धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• निस्सपत्ना: without a co-wife
• निस्सपत्ना: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject ‘I’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nis + sapatnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्/निस्-तत्पुरुष: सपत्ना (co-wife/rival wife) न अस्ति यस्याः

• यथासुखम्: at ease/as one pleases
• यथासुखम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā + sukha (अव्ययीभाव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverbial): यथा सुखम् (as happily as one likes)

Context

I shall eat up this woman now before your very eyes and I can move about happily with you without a co-wife.

Characters & Entities

• Śūrpaṇakhā
• Rāma
• Sītā

FAQs

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

The verse starkly opposes dharma: it voices हिंसा (violence) and adharma born of desire; dharma demands protection of the innocent and restraint of predatory impulses.

What is the narrative situation?

Śūrpaṇakhā escalates from insult to an explicit threat to kill Sītā so she can possess Rāma exclusively.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The threatened virtue is Rāma’s duty as protector (rakṣaṇa-dharma), about to be enacted in response to aggression.