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Valmiki Ramayana 3.18.25Aranya Kanda, Sarga 18, Shloka 25

शूर्पणखाविरूपणम्

The Disfigurement of Śūrpaṇakhā

ततस्तु सा राक्षससङ्घसंवृतं खरं जनस्थानगतं विरूपिता।उपेत्य तं भ्रातरमुग्रदर्शनं पपात भूमौ गगनाद्यथाऽशनिः।।।।

tatas tu sā rākṣasasaṅghasaṃvṛtaṃ kharaṃ janasthānagataṃ virūpitā |

upetya taṃ bhrātaram ugradarśanaṃ papāta bhūmau gaganād yathāśaniḥ ||

तेव्हा विकृत झालेली ती, राक्षसांच्या संघाने वेढलेल्या जनस्थाननिवासी उग्रदर्शन भाऊ खराकडे जाऊन, आकाशातून कोसळलेल्या वज्राप्रमाणे भूमीवर पडली।

tataḥthen
tataḥ:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरणम्)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottataḥ (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya, adverb of sequence
tuand/but
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपातः)
she
:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
rākṣasasaṅghasaṅvṛtamsurrounded by a host of demons
rākṣasasaṅghasaṅvṛtam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootrākṣasasaṅghasaṅvṛta (प्रातिपदिक) = rākṣasa + saṅgha + saṅvṛta
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc/2nd), Ekavacana; qualifying kharam; tatpuruṣa: 'rākṣasasaṅghena saṅvṛtaḥ' (surrounded by a troop of demons); saṅvṛta = PPP from √vṛ (वृ) with sam-
kharamKhara
kharam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkhara (खर प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc/2nd), Ekavacana; proper name
janasthānagatamdwelling in Jana-sthāna
janasthānagatam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootjanasthānagata (प्रातिपदिक) = janasthāna + gata
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifying kharam; 'gone to/located in Jana-sthāna' (gata = PPP from √gam)
virūpitādisfigured
virūpitā:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootvirūpita (विरूपित प्रातिपदिक) < virūpaya
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate to sā
upetyahaving approached
upetya:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
TypeVerb
Rooti (इ धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), with upasarga upa-; 'having approached'
tamhim
tam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; refers to kharam
bhrātarambrother
bhrātaram:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootbhrātṛ (भ्रातृ प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana
ugradarśanamfierce-looking
ugradarśanam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootugradarśana (उग्रदर्शन प्रातिपदिक) = ugra + darśana
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifying bhrātaram/tam
papātafell
papāta:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpat (पत् धातु)
FormLiṭ lakāra (Perfect), Prathama puruṣa, Ekavacana
bhūmauon the ground
bhūmau:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरणम्)
TypeNoun
Rootbhūmi (भूमि प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga, Saptamī (Loc/7th), Ekavacana
gaganātfrom the sky
gaganāt:
Apādāna (अपादानम्)
TypeNoun
Rootgagana (गगन प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुṃsaka, Pañcamī (Abl/5th), Ekavacana
yathālike
yathā:
Upamā (उपमा)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
FormSimile conjunction, indeclinable
aśaniḥa thunderbolt
aśaniḥ:
Upamāna (उपमानम्)
TypeNoun
Rootaśani (अशनि प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nom/1st), Ekavacana

A disfigured demoness, she fell down like the thunderbolt from the sky on the ground while her fierce-looking brother Khara sat surrounded by demons at Janasthana.

Ś
Śūrpaṇakhā
K
Khara
J
Jana-sthāna
R
Rākṣasas (demon host)

FAQs

When adharma is protected by adharma, violence escalates: the verse sets up how unrighteous networks amplify conflict against the righteous.

Śūrpaṇakhā reaches Khara at Jana-sthāna, where he is surrounded by demons, and collapses dramatically before him.

A cautionary contrast: Khara’s demonic court represents power without dharma, foreshadowing retaliatory aggression.

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