Shloka 20

आरण्यकाण्डे चतुस्त्रिंशः सर्गः

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

Devanagari script

तां तु विस्तीर्णजघनां पीनश्रोणिपयोधराम्।भार्यार्थे च तवानेतुमुद्यताहं वराननाम्।।।।विरूपितास्मि क्रूरेण लक्ष्मणेन महाभुज।

Transliteration

tāṁ tu vistīrṇajaghanāṁ pīnaśroṇipayodharām |

bhāryārthe ca tavānetum udyatāhaṁ varānanām ||

virūpitāsmi krūreṇa lakṣmaṇena mahābhuja |

Translation

那女子——臀胯宽阔，双腿与胸乳丰盈，容颜姣美——我本欲将她带来作你的妻子。然而，噢臂力雄伟者，我却被残忍的罗什曼那毁了容。

Word by Word

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; sarvanāma

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: avadhāraṇa/viśeṣa-nipāta (particle: contrast/emphasis)

• विस्तीर्ण-जघनाम्: having broad hips/thighs
• विस्तीर्ण-जघनाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vistīrṇa (कृदन्त, √stṛ/स्तॄ) + jaghana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya/tatpuruṣa sense ‘vिस्तीर्णं जघनं यस्याः’; used as viśeṣaṇa of ताम्

• पीन-श्रोणि-पयोधराम्: with full hips and breasts
• पीन-श्रोणि-पयोधराम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīna (प्रातिपदिक) + śroṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + payodhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; samāhāra-dvandva/tatpuruṣa-like descriptive compound; viśeṣaṇa of ताम्

• भार्या-अर्थे: for (making her) a wife
• भार्या-अर्थे: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; hetu/uddeśya sense ‘for the purpose of (as) wife’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• तव: for you / your
• तव: Sambandha/Ṣaṣṭhī (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; pronoun

• आनेतुम्: to bring
• आनेतुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (नी) with ā- (धातु)
• Form: tumun-anta (infinitive/तुमुन्), ‘to bring’; expresses purpose with उद्यता

• उद्यता: ready, intent
• उद्यता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud + √yam (यम्) (कृदन्त)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; kta/ktavatu sense ‘ready/intent’; agrees with अहम् (speaker as feminine)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā, Ekavacana; pronoun

• वर-आननाम्: beautiful-faced
• वर-आननाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of ताम्

• विरूपिता: disfigured
• विरूपिता: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + √rūp (रूप्) (कृदन्त)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; kta (past passive participle)

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्/present), Uttama-puruṣa (1st person), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• क्रूरेण: by the cruel
• क्रूरेण: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of लक्ष्मणेन

• लक्ष्मणेन: by Lakshmana
• लक्ष्मणेन: Kartṛ (कर्ता) in passive / Agent (कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; agent in passive

• महाबाहो/महाभुज: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो/महाभुज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + bāhu/bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana; bahuvrīhi ‘one whose arms are great’

Context

O mighty-armed one ! I have been disfigured by cruel Lakshmana as I was attempting to bring that lady of broad thighs, pointed breasts, heavy hips and a beautiful face to make her your wife.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (implied as 'tām')
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Rāvaṇa (addressed as mahābhuja)

FAQs

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

It reflects consequences of violating dharma: attempting to seize another’s wife leads to conflict and harm; the Ramayana frames protection of marital integrity as part of righteous order.

What is the narrative situation?

Śūrpaṇakhā recounts to Rāvaṇa that when she tried to bring Sītā for him, Lakṣmaṇa punished her, leaving her disfigured.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Lakṣmaṇa’s protective loyalty to Rāma and Sītā is implied—defending the household’s dharma against an aggressor.