Surpanakha is Punished

Surpanakha’s encounter with Lord Ram is one that is fuelled by her intense jealousy and uncontrollable desire. Surpanakha, a wretched ogress, first lays her bitter eyes on Sri Ram, Lakshman and Sita on the banks of river Godavari as they return from bathing.She is an ugly person, both in appearance and from within. Her voice creaks with an eerie tone as if every word muttered is a curse. Surpanakha stands in an unfeminine pose, with her stomach bulging with little shame and her eyes haunting like a lost soul. Her hair is a tangled mess of knots, crowning a figure that can only be described as repulsive. Her appearance is made all the more hideous by the fact that she stands before the beautiful Lord Ram, whose beauty shines in every action he performs. Surpanakha asks Sri Ram who he and his companions are, and what brings them to the forest. She is charmed with his characteristically sweet manner of speech. Sri Ram asks her why she has approached them. Surpanakha explains that she is an ogress who can assume any form she likes and belongs to a family of four brothers, one of which is the powerful Ravan, who she expects the prince would have heard of.Surpanakha goes on to describe her lustful desire for Ram, offering herself in any form that will please the prince. After Sri Ram declines the ogress’s advances, she looks upon Sita with devilish envy. She curses Sita as her jealousy takes control of her and throws considerable weight at the beautiful princess, in an attempt to devour her. At this point, Lakshman instinctively draws out his sword and slices off her nose. The ogress screams uncontrollably, blood spewing all over her as she runs off into the forest.In this episode, we are reminded of Sri Ram’s dharma to fight evil, in whatever form it presents itself. Here, evil comes in the form of lust and uncontrollable desire, which Lakshman ruthlessly disfigures under orders from Ram. By cutting off Surpanakha’s nose, the ogress is reminded of the shame of her actions. However, the nose itself can eventually re-grow, which symbolises Lord Ram’s grace of giving the ogress an opportunity to change.

Surpanakha is Punished

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