KrishnaUnlimited
Krishna Unlimited
United States
suresh
Slokam 8
In the thick Dhandaka forest, Surpanaka, the demonic sister of Ravanna, was a resident. She meets the three of them accidentally, as they were looking to set up a home in the forest.
Many texts mention that when she first sees Rama in the forest, she is described as "grim of eye and foul of face", "of unlovely figure", with her "dim locks disordered", a "dire form with age... dried", and "hideous fiend, a thing to hate". In her interactions with Rama and Lakshmana, the demonic woman adopted a more attractive form.[2]
The youngest child of Rishi Vishrava and his second wife, Kaikesi, Shurpanakha was given the name of Mīnakṣī "Dīkṣa" at birth, and some also called her "Candraṇakhā" (the one with nails like the moon). Shurpanakha grew up and secretly married the Danava prince of the Kalkeya Danava clan, Vidyutjihva. Ravana became enraged with Shurpanakha for marrying a Danava. The Danavas were the mortal enemies of Rakshasas, and he was about to punish her, but Mandodari convinced him to respect the wishes of his sister. Thus Ravana accepted Shurpanakha, her husband and Danavas as relatives officially.
At the time of conquering Rasatala (the underworld), her brother, Ravana decided to visit his newly married sister, where he discovered Vidyutjihva's true motive to marry Shurpanakha – to kill Ravana. In Shurpanakha's absence, Vidyutjihva attacked Ravana, who in self-defense killed his brother-in-law.[3] This earned Ravana his hurt and miserable sister's great displeasure, and the widowed Shurpanakha then split her time between Lanka and the woods of Southern India, sometimes living with her forest-dwelling Asura relatives, Khara and Dushana, on Ravana's orders. She also had conceived a son by Vidyutjihva known as Shambhri who was accidentally killed by Lakshmana.
According to Valmiki, she met the exiled Prince Rama of Ayodhya, during one such visit to the Forest of Panchavati, and was instantly smitten by his youthful good looks. She adopted a beautiful form to entice him, but Rama meanwhile kindly rejected her advances, telling her that he was faithful to his wife Sita and thus would never take another wife. Rejected, Shurpanakha then approached his younger brother, Lakshmana, who said that he is only second to Ram and therefore not worthy of her. Infuriated by their dismissals, the humiliated and envious Shurpanakha returned to her demonic form and attacked Sita, but was thwarted by Lakshmana, who cut off her nose.
Shurpanakha first went to her brother Khara, who sent seven Rakshasa warriors to attack Rama, who easily despatched them. Khara himself then attacked, along with 14,000 soldiers, all of whom were killed except for Akampana, Sumali's son and Kaikesi's brother, who fled to Lanka. She then fled to Ravana's court and spoke to her brother of the disgrace she had suffered. Her brother, hearing of Sita’s beauty, decided to kidnap Sita. Akampana too played a key role in instigating Sita's kidnapping by Ravana. Despite opposition from their brother, Vibhishana (who is considered as a traitor by some and worshipped as a deity by others), Ravana kidnapped Sita, thus triggering the Battle of Lanka.
Although Shurpanakha receives no further mention from Valmiki, it has been suggested that she continued to live in Lanka after Vibhishana succeeded Ravana as king. She and her half-sister Kumbini are supposed to have perished at sea a few years later.
Shurpanaka is completely bowled over by the demeanor of Sri Rama. All said and done, it is a tribute to Shurpanaka that even with all her asuric qualities, she is attracted by the evidently good qualities of Sri Rama. She does not regard it of any importance that Sri Rama is already married. She tells Him blatantly that she can destroy Sita in a blink !!!!
Sri Rama obviously rejects her advances and directs her to pursue Sri Lakshmana instead. Sri Lakshmana, being very sensitive when it comes to dealing in matters of women, reacts violently and cuts off her nose in terrible anger.
Shurpanaka has a retinue of demonic defenders. They are Khara, Dooshana and Trishiras.
From Wikipedia
Shurpanakha first went to her brother Khara, who sent seven Rakshasa warriors to attack Rama, who easily despatched them. Khara himself then attacked, along with 14,000 soldiers, all of whom were killed except for Akampana, Sumali's son and Kaikesi's brother, who fled to Lanka. She then fled to Ravana's court and spoke to her brother of the disgrace she had suffered. Her brother, hearing of Sita’s beauty, decided to kidnap Sita. Akampana too played a key role in instigating Sita's kidnapping by Ravana. Despite opposition from their brother, Vibhishana (who is considered as a traitor by some and worshipped as a deity by others), Ravana kidnapped Sita, thus triggering the Battle of Lanka.
Although Shurpanakha receives no further mention from Valmiki, it has been suggested that she continued to live in Lanka after Vibhishana succeeded Ravana as king. She and her half-sister Kumbini are supposed to have perished at sea a few years later.
Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana destroy the three demons along with ten thousand of their demonic army.
Demons outnumber the devas within us. The Paramathma singlehandedly maintains the balance. We create the roadblocks to the maintenance of this balance, with our preferences,
May we never resist the efforts of the Paramathma to restore equanimity within us.
Copyright 2012 Krishna Unlimited. All rights reserved.
Krishna Unlimited
United States
suresh