Sloka & Translation

[Khara pacifies Surpanakha -- Surpanakha provokes Khara against Rama.]

sa punaḥ patitāṅ dṛṣṭvā krōdhācchūrpaṇakhāṅ kharaḥ.

uvāca vyaktayā vācā tāmanarthārthamāgatām৷৷3.21.1৷৷


saḥ kharaḥ Khara, punaḥ again, patitām fallen down, śūrpaṇakhām Surpanakha, dṛṣṭvā saw, anarthārtham unfortunate situation, āgatām who came, tām her, vyaktayā in a clear, vācā words, krōdhāt angrily, uvāca spoke.

Seeing Surpanakha collapse, Khara said in clear terms about the unfortunate situation she had created:
mayā tvidānīṅ śūrāstē rākṣasā rudhirāśanāḥ.

tvatpriyārthaṅ vinirdiṣṭāḥ kimarthaṅ rudyatē punaḥ৷৷3.21.2৷৷


mayā myself, tvatpriyārtham for your pleasure, idānīm just now, rudhirāśanāḥ who feed on blood, śūrāḥ heroes, tē rākṣasāḥ those demons, vinirdiṣṭāḥ commissioned, punaḥ again, kimartham for what reason, rudyatē crying.

The valiant demons who feed on blood have been commissioned for your pleasure. Why are you crying again?
bhaktāścaivānuraktāśca hitāśca mama nityaśaḥ.

hanyamānā na hanyantē na na kuryurvacō mama৷৷3.21.3৷৷


bhaktāścaiva devoted, anuraktāśca fond of me, nityaśaḥ always, mama to me, hitāśca well-wishers, hanyamānāḥ while they are being attacked, na hanyantē are not killed , mama my, vacaḥ words, na na kuryuḥ never fail to carry out my orders.

They are loyal and faithful to me. They are always my well-wishers. Even when attacked, they cannot be killed. They never fail to carry out my orders.
kimētacchrōtumicchāmi kāraṇaṅ yatkṛtē punaḥ.

hā nāthēti vinardantī sarpavalluṭhasi kṣitau৷৷3.21.4৷৷


yatkṛtē for what reason, hā nātha Ha! Lord, iti saying like that, vinardantī lamenting, punaḥ again, sarpavat like a serpent, kṣitau on the ground, luṭhasi you are rolling, ētat this, kāraṇam reason, kim why, śrōtum to hear, icchāmi I wish.

I wish to know what makes you lament and roll on the ground like a serpent and hissing?
anāthavadvilapasi nāthē tu mayi saṅsthitē.

uttiṣṭhōttiṣṭha mābhaiṣīrvaiklavyaṅ tyajyatāmiha৷৷3.21.5৷৷


nāthē as lord, mayi me, saṅsthitē is present, anāthavat like an orphan, vilapasi you are weeping, uttiṣṭha you get up, mā bhaiṣīḥ do not fear, iha now, vaiklabyam worry, tyajyatām may be given up.

When I am here like a lord to protect you, why do you weep like an orphan? Get up. Give up your anxiety. Be not afraid.
ityēvamuktā durdharṣā kharēṇa parisāntvitā.

vimṛjya nayanē sāsrē kharaṅ bhrātaramabravīt৷৷3.21.6৷৷


ityēvam thus, uktā addressed, kharēṇa by Khara, parisāntvitā pacified, durdarṣā in invincible woman, sāsrē tearful, nayanē eyes, vimṛjya wiping, bhrātaram to brother, kharam to Khara, abravīt said.

Thus consoled by Khara, invincible Surpanakha wiped her tearful eyes and said to her brother:
asmīdānīmahaṅ prāptā hṛtaśravaṇanāsikā.

śōṇitaughapariklinnā tvayā ca parisātvitā৷৷3.21.7৷৷


hṛtaśravaṇanāsikā with ears and nose sliced off, aham I, śōṇitaughapariklinnā drenched with flow of blood, idānīm now, prāptā asmi myself having come, tvayā by you, parisāntvitā pacified, ca also.

My ears and nose sliced off, drenched with blood, I came to you and you pacified me.
prēṣitāśca tvayā vīra rākṣasāstē caturdaśa.

nihantuṅ rāghavaṅ krōdhānmatpriyārthaṅ salakṣaṇam৷৷3.21.8৷৷


vīra O hero, tvayā by you, krōdhāt out of anger, matpriyārtham to please me, salakṣmaṇam along with Lakshmana, rāghavam Rama, nihantum to kill, tē those, caturdaśa fourteen, rākṣasāḥ demons, prēṣitāḥ were sent.

O warrior ! you had sent, out of anger, fourteen demons to put an end to Rama along with Lakshmana in order to please me.
tē tu rāmēṇa sāmarṣāḥ śūlapaṭṭasapāṇayaḥ.

samarē nihatāssarvē sāyakairmarmabhēdibhiḥ৷৷3.21.9৷৷


sāmarṣāḥ those spirited ones, śūlapaṭṭasapāṇayaḥ with spears in hands, tē those, sarvē all, rāmēṇa by Rama, marmabhēdibhiḥ hearts pierced, sāyakaiḥ by arrows, nihatāḥ killed.

The demons who went with spears in their hands were killed, their hearts pierced by Rama's arrows.
tāndṛṣṭvā patitānbhūmau kṣaṇēnaiva mahābalān.

rāmasya ca mahatkarma mahāṅstrāsō.bhavanmama৷৷3.21.10৷৷


kṣaṇēnaiva in moments, bhūmau on earth, patitān fallen down, mahābalān mighty ones, tān them, rāmasya Rama's, mahat great, karma ca action, dṛṣṭvā seeing, mama to me, mahān powerful, trāsaḥ fear, abhavat befell.

Seeing the powerful demons collapse on the ground in a moment's time through Rama's action, I was frightened.
ahamasmi samudvignā viṣaṇṇā ca niśācara.

śaraṇaṅ tvāṅ punaḥ prāptā sarvatōbhayadarśinī৷৷3.21.11৷৷


niśācara O demon !, aham I, samudvignā scared, viṣaṇṇā sad, ca and, asmi am, sarvataḥ all over, bhayadarśinī fear in sight, punaḥ again, tvām your, śaraṇaṅ prāptā sought refuge in you.

O demon ! I am scared and sad. To me everything looks frightening. I, therefore, seek refuge in you.
viṣādanakrādhyuṣitē paritrāsōrmimālini.

kiṅ māṅ na trāyasē magnāṅ vipulē śōkasāgarē৷৷3.21.12৷৷


viṣādanakrādhyuṣitē by crocodiles of distress, paritrāsōrmimālini filled with rows of waves of fright, vipulē vast , śōkasāgarē in sea of sorrow, magnām drowned, mām me, kim why, na trāyasē you do not save?

I am drowned in a vast sea of sorrow where crocodiles in the form of distress reside. It is full of rows of waves of fright. Why do you not save me?
ētē ca nihatā bhūmau rāmēṇa niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ.

yē.pi mē padavīṅ prāptā rākṣasāḥ piśitāśanāḥ৷৷3.21.13৷৷


piśitāśanāḥ carnivorous, yē those, rākṣasāḥ demons, mē my, padavīm path, prāptā came, ētē ca these, rāmēṇa by Rama, bhūmau on the earth, niśitaiḥ by sharp, śaraiḥ arrows, nihatāḥ were killed.

The demons who live on flesh, who came following me fell down on earth and lay dead, shot by the sharp arrows of Rama.
mayi tē yadyanukrōśō yadi rakṣassu tēṣu ca.

rāmēṇa yadi tē śaktistējō vāsti niśācara.3.21.14৷৷

daṇḍakāraṇyanilayaṅ jahi rākṣasakaṇṭakam.


niśācara O night-ranger, tē yours, mayi in me, tēṣu among them, rakṣassu ca on demons, anukrōśaḥ have compassion, asti yadi if you have, tē to you, rāmēṇa equal to Rama, śaktiḥ power, tējō vā or brilliance, asti yadi if you have, daṇḍakāraṇyanilayam living inDandaka forest, rākṣasakaṇṭakam enemy of demons, jahi kill.

O demon ! if you have compassion for me or for the demons, if you have the power and energy to face Rama, kill the enemy of the demons living in Dandaka forest.
yadi rāmaṅ mamāmitraṅ na tvamadyavadhiṣyasi৷৷3.21.15৷৷

tavaiva cāgrataḥ prāṇāṅstyakṣāmi nirapatrapa.


mama my, amitram enemy, rāmam that Rama, tvam you, adya now, na vadhiṣyasi yadi if you do not kill, nirapatrapa O shameless one, tava your, agrataḥ presence, prāṇān life, tyakṣyāmi will give up.

If now you do not kill that Rama, my enemy, O shameless one, I will give up my life in your very presence.
buddhyāhamanupaśyāmi na tvaṅ rāmasya saṅyugē৷৷3.21.16৷৷

sthātuṅ pratimukhē śaktassabalaśca mahātmanaḥ.


tvam you, sabalaśca with your army too, saṅyugē in an encounter, mahātmanaḥ of the great man, rāmasya Rama's, pratimukhē face to face, sthātum to stand, na śaktaḥ you are not capable, aham I, buddhyā through my intellect, anupaśyāmi I can foresee.

Instinctively I can foresee that you and your army do not have the capability to encounter that great Rama in a fight.
śūramānī na śūrastvaṅ mithyārōpitavikramaḥ৷৷3.21.17৷৷

mānuṣau yō na śaknōṣi hantuṅ tau rāmalakṣmaṇau.


yaḥ who, mānuṣau two humans, tau rāmalakṣmaṇau those Rama and Lakshmana, hantum to kill, na śaknōṣi you are not able to, tvam you, śūramānī calling yourself a hero, naśūraḥ tvam you are not a hero, mithyārōpitavikramaḥ your claim to be a hero is false.

You call yourself a hero, yet are not able to kill two humans like Rama and Lakshmana. Your claim to heroism is false. You are not a hero at all.
rāmēṇa yadi tē śaktistējō vāsti niśācara৷৷3.21.18৷৷

daṇḍakāraṇyanilayaṅ jahi taṅ kulapāṅsana.


kulapāṅsana a disgrace to the family, niśācara O demon !, rāmēṇa by Rama, tē your, śaktiḥ power, tējō vā or brilliance, asti yadi if it is, daṇḍakāraṇyanilayam dwelling in Dandaka forest, tam him, jahi kill.

O demon ! you are a disgrace to the family. If you have power or energy, kill that Rama dwelling in Dandaka forest.
nissatvasyālpa vīryasya vāsastē kīdṛśastviha৷৷3.21.19৷৷

apayāhi janasthānātatvaritassahabāndhavaḥ.


nissatvasya of a man who has no strength, alpavīryasya of less valiant one, tē your, iha here, vāsa: stay, kīdṛśaḥ what kind of, sahabāndhava: with your relations, tvaritaḥ quickly, janasthānāt from this Janasthana, apayāhi go away.

You have little strength and less heroism. You with your relations should immediately leave Janasthana. What kind of position do you have here?
rāmatējōbhibhūtō hi tvaṅ kṣipraṅ vinaśiṣyasi.3.21.20৷৷

sa hi tējassamāyuktō rāmō daśarathātmajaḥ.

bhrātā cāsya mahāvīryō yēna cāsmi virūpitā৷৷3.21.21৷৷


tvaṅ you, rāmatējōbhibhūtaḥ let down by the brilliance of Rama, kṣipraṅ swiftly, hi indeed, vinaśiṣyasi you will be surely destroyed, saḥ he, hi daśarathātmajaḥ son of Dasaratha, rāmaḥ Rama, tējassamāyuktaḥ endowed with brilliance, yēna by whom, virūpitā asmi I am disfigured, asya bhrātā ca and his brother, mahāvīryaḥ a very valiant man.

Let down by the brilliance of Rama, son of Dasaratha, you will be soon destroyed. He is mighty and his brother who has disfigured me is very valiant.
ēvaṅ vilapya bahuśō rākṣasī vitatōdarī.

karābhyāmudaraṅ hatvā rurōda bhṛśaduḥkhitā৷৷3.21.22৷৷


vitatōdarī big- bellied woman, rākṣasī demoness i, bahuśaḥ in several ways, ēvam in that manner, vilapya weeping, bhṛśaduḥkhitā very sad, karābhyām with both her hands, udaram belly (here, chest), hatvā beating, rurōda cried.

Overcome by sorrow, the big-bellied demoness cried in several ways and being very sad started beating her chest with both hands.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē araṇyakāṇḍē ēkaviṅśassargaḥ.
Thus ends the twentyfirst sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.