THE SOORPANAKHA EPISODE

After offering oblations to their ancestors and prayers to the sun, Raama rose transfigured like the Lord Siva and returned to the aashrama with Seeta and Lakshmana.

Their morning duties over, they sat whiling the hours with wistful talk of old days and tales of long ago.

While they were thus recapturing the past in sweet companionship suddenly there came a Raakshasa woman and saw them. She was Soorpanakha, Raavana's sister who was roaming the forest full of the idle thoughts of well-fed ill-taught youth. She was horribly ugly, but bad the magic power to assume any lovely form at will. When she saw the god-like beauty of Raama, she was filled with uncontrollable desire for him and accosted him.

"Who are you, dressed like an ascetic but accompanied by a woman and carrying warlike weapons and arrows? Why are you here in the forest that belongs to the Raakshasas? Speak the truth."

[ Back ] [ Up ] [ Next ]