Shloka 8

शूर्पणखाया आगमनम्

Surpanakha Approaches Rama

Devanagari script

सिंहोरस्कं महाबाहुं पद्मपत्रनिभेक्षणम्।आजानुबाहुं दीप्तास्यमतीव प्रियदर्शनम्।।3.17.7।।गजविक्रान्तगमनं जटामण्डलधारिणम्।सुकुमारं महासत्त्वं पार्थिवव्यञ्जनान्वितम्।।3.17.8।।राममिन्दीवरश्यामं कन्दर्पसदृशप्रभम्।बभूवेन्द्रोपमं दृष्ट्वा राक्षसी काममोहिता।।3.17.9।।

Transliteration

siṃhoraskaṃ mahābāhuṃ padmapatranibhekṣaṇam | ājānubāhuṃ dīptāsyam atīva priyadarśanam || gajavikrāntagamanaṃ jaṭāmaṇḍaladhāriṇam | sukumāraṃ mahāsattvaṃ pārthivavyañjanānvitam || rāmam indīvaraśyāmaṃ kandarpasadṛśaprabham | babhūvendropamaṃ dṛṣṭvā rākṣasī kāmamohitā ||

Translation

เมื่อเห็นพระรามผู้มีอกผายไหล่ผึ้งดั่งราชสีห์ มีพระเนตรดั่งกลีบบัว และงดงามดั่งกามเทพ นางยักษ์ก็หลงใหลด้วยความรัก

Word by Word

• sumukham: handsome-faced
• sumukham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (śobhanaṃ mukham yasya)

• durmukhī: the ugly-faced (woman)
• durmukhī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dur (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + mukhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; कर्तृपद (the ugly-faced one)

• rāmam: Rama
• rāmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• vṛtta-madhyam: slender-waisted
• vṛtta-madhyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛtta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (vṛttaṃ madhyaṃ yasya)

• mahodarī: the big-bellied (woman)
• mahodarī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + udarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (mahat udaram yasyāḥ)

• viśāla-akṣam: large-eyed
• viśāla-akṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśāla (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (viśāle akṣī yasya)

• virūpa-akṣī: the deformed-eyed (woman)
• virūpa-akṣī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: virūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (virūpe akṣī yasyāḥ)

• sukeśam: with beautiful hair
• sukeśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय) + keśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (śobhanāḥ keśāḥ yasya)

• tāmra-mūrdhajā: the copper-haired (woman)
• tāmra-mūrdhajā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāmra (प्रातिपदिक) + mūrdhaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (tāmraḥ mūrdhajaḥ yasyāḥ)

• prīti-rūpam: lovely in appearance
• prīti-rūpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prīti (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; तत्पुरुषः (prītyā yuktaṃ rūpam)

• virūpā: ugly
• virūpā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: virūpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; सर्वनाम

• susvaram: sweet-voiced
• susvaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय) + svara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (śobhanaḥ svaraḥ yasya)

• bhairava-svarā: the shrill-voiced (woman)
• bhairava-svarā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhairava (प्रातिपदिक) + svarā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (bhairavaḥ svaraḥ yasyāḥ)

• taruṇam: young
• taruṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: taruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• dāruṇā: cruel, dreadful
• dāruṇā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• vṛddhā: old woman
• vṛddhā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• dakṣiṇam: kind, favorable
• dakṣiṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• vāma-bhāṣiṇī: the perverse-speaking (woman)
• vāma-bhāṣiṇī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāma (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāṣinī (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (vāmaṃ bhāṣate iti)

• nyāya-vṛttam: righteous in conduct
• nyāya-vṛttam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nyāya (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛtta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; तत्पुरुषः (nyāyena vṛttaḥ)

• su-durvṛttā: very wicked (woman)
• su-durvṛttā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (अव्यय) + durvṛtta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (atiśayena durvṛttā)

• priyam: dear, pleasing
• priyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• a-priya-darśanā: unpleasant to look at
• a-priya-darśanā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a (नञ्) + priya (प्रातिपदिक) + darśanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; नञ्-समास/कर्मधारयः (apriyaṃ darśanam yasyāḥ)

• śarīra-ja-samāviṣṭā: overcome by lust
• śarīra-ja-samāviṣṭā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + sam-ā-viṣṭa (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; तत्पुरुषः: śarīraja = 'bodily-born' (lust), tena samāviṣṭā = possessed/overcome

• rākṣasī: the demoness
• rākṣasī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• vākyam: words, speech
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ (लङ्, Imperfect/Past), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

Context

Thus addressed, Rama, skilled in speech, laughed and started speaking to that woman of bewitching eyes.इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे सप्तदशस्सर्गः।।Thus ends the seventeenth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Śūrpaṇakhā (implied as rākṣasī)
• Indra
• Kandarpa (Kāma)

FAQs

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

Uncontrolled kāma (desire) clouds discernment; dharma requires mastery over attraction and the ability to see persons rightly, not as objects of impulse.

What is the narrative situation?

The poet describes Rāma’s appearance in detail to explain why Śūrpaṇakhā becomes infatuated and approaches him with improper intent.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s royal-luminous bearing even in exile—outer splendour reflecting inner steadiness—contrasted with Śūrpaṇakhā’s desire-driven delusion.