Shloka 16
शूर्पणखाविरूपणम्
The Disfigurement of Śūrpaṇakhā
अद्येमां भक्षयिष्यामि पश्यतस्तव मानुषीम्।त्वया सह चरिष्यामि निस्सपत्ना यथासुखम्।।।।
adyemāṃ bhakṣayiṣyāmi paśyatas tava mānuṣīm | tvayā saha cariṣyāmi nissapatnā yathāsukham ||
Hoje mesmo, diante dos teus olhos, devorarei esta mulher humana; e então andarei contigo feliz, sem esposa rival.
I shall eat up this woman now before your very eyes and I can move about happily with you without a co-wife.
FAQs
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.
Śūrpaṇakhā escalates from insult to an explicit threat to kill Sītā so she can possess Rāma exclusively.
The threatened virtue is Rāma’s duty as protector (rakṣaṇa-dharma), about to be enacted in response to aggression.