Shloka 17

आरण्यकाण्डे चतुस्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Śūrpaṇakhā Reports to Rāvaṇa; Rāma’s Might and Sītā’s Description

Devanagari script

नैव देवी न गन्धर्वी न यक्षी न च किन्नरी।नैवंरूपा मया नारी दृष्टपूर्वा महीतले।।।।

Transliteration

naiva devī na gandharvī na yakṣī na ca kinnarī |

naivaṁrūpā mayā nārī dṛṣṭapūrvā mahītale ||

Translation

她既非天女，也非乾闼婆女，亦非夜叉女或紧那罗女；在大地之上，我从未见过如此容色的女子。

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Niṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• eva: indeed/at all
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

• devī: goddess
• devī: Pratiṣedhya (प्रतिषेध्य/Negated predicate class)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: nor
• na: Niṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• gandharvī: Gandharva-woman
• gandharvī: Pratiṣedhya (प्रतिषेध्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandharvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: nor
• na: Niṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• yakṣī: Yakṣa-woman
• yakṣī: Pratiṣedhya (प्रतिषेध्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yakṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: nor
• na: Niṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (here with na = ‘nor’)

• kinnarī: Kinnara-woman
• kinnarī: Pratiṣedhya (प्रतिषेध्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kinnarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Niṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• evaṃ-rūpā: of such beauty
• evaṃ-rūpā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: evaṃ (अव्यय) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘of such form’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nārī-विशेषणम्

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता/Experiencer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• nārī: woman
• nārī: Karma (कर्म/Object of seeing, with PPP)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dṛṣṭa-pūrvā: seen before
• dṛṣṭa-pūrvā: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predication via adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛṣṭa (√dṛś, धातु; कृदन्त) + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘seen before’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nārī-विशेषणम्

• mahī-tale: on the earth
• mahī-tale: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘surface of the earth’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Context

I had not seen such a beautiful woman earlier, among the gandharvas, or yakshas, or kinneras. I have not seen such a beauty among the humans on earth.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharvas (gandharvī)
• Yakṣas (yakṣī)
• Kinnaras (kinnarī)
• Earth (mahītala)

FAQs

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

The verse itself is descriptive praise used as persuasion; ethically, it illustrates how uncontrolled desire and flattery can be used to provoke adharma (unrighteous action) by inflaming another’s passions.

What is the narrative situation?

After being humiliated and disfigured, Śūrpaṇakhā approaches Rāvaṇa and extols Sītā’s beauty to incite him toward abducting her and attacking Rāma.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

No virtue is directly praised; instead, the verse highlights the danger of kāma-driven speech—persuasive admiration that aims to manipulate rather than uphold dharma.