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
ਸੋਹਣੇ ਰੂਪ ਵਾਲੇ ਰਾਮ ਨੂੰ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ ਉਹ ਕਾਮਾਤੁਰ ਇਸਤਰੀ ਬੋਲੀ—“ਤੂੰ ਕੌਣ ਹੈਂ? ਕਿੱਥੋਂ ਆਇਆ ਹੈਂ? ਮੈਂ ਬੇਨਤੀ ਕਰਦੀ ਹਾਂ—ਮੇਰਾ ਪਤੀ ਬਣ।”
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.