THE SOORPANAKHA EPISODE

"Two handsome young men," said Soorpanakha, "have come into the forest, dressed like ascetics and accompanied by a girl. They say they are the sons of Dasaratha. These two together, making an excuse of the girl attacked me and have hurt me thus shamefully. I am thirsting for the blood of these villains. Slay them first. Everything else can wait."

Khara ordered his generals: "Go at once, slay these men and bring their lifeless bodies. Drag hither the woman also. Delay not."

Fourteen generals set out to do his bidding. *

In Kamban's Raamaayana, Soorpanakha is delineated as having come in the shape of a beautiful young woman, entirely human, who tried to tempt Raama. Kamban departs widely from Vaalmeeki in this episode and he makes a beautiful episode of it as will be seen in the next chapter.

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