Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 4
Chapter 7 — रामायणवर्णनं (Description of the Rāmāyaṇa): Śūrpaṇakhā, Khara’s Defeat, and Sītā-haraṇa Prelude
रामं सुरूपं दृष्ट्वा सा कामिनी वाक्यमब्रवीत् कस्त्वं कस्मात्समायातो भर्ता मे भव चार्थितः
rāmaṃ surūpaṃ dṛṣṭvā sā kāminī vākyamabravīt kastvaṃ kasmātsamāyāto bhartā me bhava cārthitaḥ
ಸುಂದರರೂಪಿಯಾದ ರಾಮನನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ಆ ಕಾಮಿನಿ ಹೀಗೆಂದಳು—“ನೀನು ಯಾರು? ಎಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಬಂದೆ? ನಾನು ಬೇಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತೇನೆ—ನನ್ನ ಪತಿಯಾಗು.”
A kāminī (an unnamed amorous woman) addressing Rāma within the Ramopakhyana narrative (as transmitted in Agni Purana’s discourse).
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Illustrates the dharmic boundary between desire and rightful marriage; useful for teaching restraint, consent, and appropriate speech in courtship contexts.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Śūrpaṇakhā’s proposal to Rāma","lookup_keywords":["Śūrpaṇakhā","kāma","proposal","Rāma","Araṇya episode"],"quick_summary":"Śūrpaṇakhā, struck by desire, questions Rāma’s identity and asks him to be her husband. The moment sets up the ethical and social mismatch that escalates into conflict."}
Alamkara Type: Praśna (interrogative) and direct speech (vākya)
Concept: Kāma must be governed by dharma (right relationship, consent, social propriety); beauty alone is not a license for claim.
Application: Cultivate restraint and discernment in attraction; align relationships with ethical commitments and existing vows.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Katha (Ramopakhyana / Narrative Episode)
Primary Rasa: śṛṅgāra
Secondary Rasa: bībhatsa
Type: Forest/Āśrama vicinity
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Śūrpaṇakhā, enamored, addresses the handsome Rāma near the forest hermitage, asking his identity and pleading to be accepted as wife; Rāma stands composed, the scene charged with uneasy desire.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Rāma serene and radiant, Śūrpaṇakhā with expressive gestures of pleading, forest hut and river hinted, contrasting calm śānta aura of Rāma with restless kāma of the rakṣasī.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, Rāma with gold halo, Śūrpaṇakhā in ornate but wild attire, dramatic hand gestures, rich colors emphasizing the tension between allure and impropriety.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear facial expressions and dialogue moment, Rāma’s dignified stance, Śūrpaṇakhā leaning forward in supplication, instructional clarity of narrative beat.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined forest setting, Rāma in princely garments, Śūrpaṇakhā portrayed with slightly exaggerated features yet detailed textiles, intimate conversational spacing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vākyamabravīt → vākyam + abravīt; kastvaṃ → kaḥ + tvam; kasmātsamāyāto → kasmāt + samāyātaḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Ramayana-khanda: Śūrpaṇakhā–Lakṣmaṇa incident leading to Rāvaṇa’s provocation
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; it is a narrative verse presenting a direct speech-act of desire and solicitation toward Rāma.
Alongside rituals, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves itihāsa-style narratives; such episodes function as ethical case-studies on human impulses (kāma) and the testing of dharma.
The verse foregrounds temptation (kāma) as a moral challenge; the implied spiritual lesson is the cultivation of restraint and discernment so that desire does not override dharmic conduct.