Valmiki Ramayana 3.18.8 — Aranya Kanda, Sarga 18, Shloka 8

शूर्पणखाविरूपणम्

The Disfigurement of Śūrpaṇakhā

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्तु सौमित्री राक्षस्या वाक्यकोविदः।ततश्शूर्पणखीं स्मित्वा लक्ष्मणो युक्तमब्रवीत्।।।।

Transliteration

evam uktas tu saumitrī rākṣasyā vākyakovidaḥ | tataḥ śūrpaṇakhīṃ smitvā lakṣmaṇo yuktam abravīt ||

Translation

രാക്ഷസി ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ, വാക്കിൽ നിപുണനായ സൗമിത്രിയായ ലക്ഷ്മണൻ ശൂർപ്പണഖയെ നോക്കി പുഞ്ചിരിച്ച് യുക്തമായ മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• उक्तः: having been addressed/spoken to
• उक्तः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vac वच्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• सौमित्री: Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa)
• सौमित्री: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saumitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• राक्षस्या: by the demoness
• राक्षस्या: करण/हेतु (Agent/instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वाक्यकोविदः: skilled in words
• वाक्यकोविदः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vākya + kovida (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: वाक्येषु कोविदः (skilled in speech)

• ततः: then
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (then/thereupon)

• शूर्पणखीम्: Śūrpaṇakhā
• शूर्पणखीम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūrpaṇakhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्मित्वा: having smiled
• स्मित्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smi (स्मि धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), ‘having smiled’

• लक्ष्मणः: Lakṣmaṇa
• लक्ष्मणः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• युक्तम्: what was appropriate
• युक्तम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj युज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मरूपेण (as object: ‘proper thing/appropriate words’)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

Context

Thus addressed by the demoness Lakshmana, son of Sumitra, well-versed in the use of words gave her a befitting reply :

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Sumitrā
• Śūrpaṇakhā

FAQs

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

Appropriate speech (yukta-vāk) is part of dharma: one responds to provocation with composure and fitting words rather than aggression.

What is the narrative situation?

The narrator frames Lakṣmaṇa’s response: he is about to answer Śūrpaṇakhā’s proposal.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Lakṣmaṇa’s discernment and rhetorical skill—he can speak aptly under pressure.