ततः then, रामः Rama, कामपाशावपाशिताम् to one who was overcome by lust, शूर्पणखाम् to Surpanakha, स्वच्छया with clear, श्लक्ष्णया with lucid, वाचा with words, स्मितपूर्वम् with a smile, अथ then, अब्रवीत् said.
Meaning
To Surpanakha bound by the noose of passion Rama with a smile replied in a clear, lucid manner:
kṛtadāro'smi bhavati bhāryeyṃ dayitā mama| tvadvidhānāṃ tu nārīṇāṃ suduḥkhā sasapatnatā||3.18.2||
Translation
भवति O Lady, कृतदारः married, अस्मि I am, इयम् this woman, मम myself, दयिता dear, भार्या wife, त्वद्विधानाम् of people like you, नारीणाम् for women, ससपत्नता being a cowife, सुदुःखा very painful.
Meaning
O lady I am married and here is my wife who is dear to me. To be a cowife to some one is indeed painful for people like you.
anujastveṣa me bhrātā śīlavānpriyadarśanḥ| śrīmānakṛtadāraśca lakṣmaṇo nāma vīryavān||3.18.3||
Translation
लक्ष्मणो नाम by name Lakshmana, एषः this man, मे my, अनुजः younger, भ्राता brother, शीलवान् a man of good conduct, प्रियदर्शनः goodlooking, श्रीमान् virtuous, अकृतदारश्च single, वीर्यवान् heroic.
Meaning
Here is my younger brother Lakshmana. He is a man of good conduct, good look, valiant and virtuous. (Besides) he is not with his wife.
apūrvī bhāryayā cārthī taruṇḥ priyadarśanḥ| anurūpaśca te bhartā rūpasyāsya bhaviṣyati||3.18.4||
Translation
अपूर्वी not accompanied by his, भार्यया wife, अर्थी a man in need, तरुणः young, प्रियदर्शनः handsome, ते to your, रूपस्य beauty, अनुरूपः worthy of, भर्ता husband, भविष्यति will be.
Meaning
He is not with his wife, and is in need of one. He is young, handsome and worthy. He will be an appropriate husband to you.
विशालाक्षि O largeeyed one, वरारोहे with fine hips, एनम् him, भ्रातरम् my brother, अर्कप्रभा radiance of the Sun, मेरुं यथा like mount Meru, असपत्ना without a cowife, भज serve him.
Meaning
O woman of large eyes and fine hips, my brother is fit for you. You will (with him) shine like the radiant Sun on mount Meru. You will enjoy yourself without a cowife. You may approach him.
रामेण by Rama, इति this way, प्रोक्ता having been told, राक्षसी the demoness, काममोहिता deluded with lust, सहसा suddenly, रामम् Rama, विसृज्य leaving, ततः thereafter, लक्ष्मणम् to Lakshmana, अब्रवीत् said.
Meaning
Thus told by Rama, the demoness, deluded with lust, left him suddenly, and said to Lakshmana:
asya rūpasya te yuktā bhāryāhṃ varavarṇinī| mayā saha sukhṃ sarvāndaṇḍakānvicariṣyasi||3.18.7||
Translation
ते to you, अस्य रूपस्य for your form, वरवर्णिनी a woman of fine complexion, अहम् I am, युक्ता most suitable, भार्या wife, मया सह with me, सुखम् happily, दण्डकान् to Dandaka forest, विचरिष्यसि you can wander about.
Meaning
With my fine complexion, I will be a suitable wife for you. You can happily wander about in Dandaka forest with me.
राक्षस्या by that demoness, एवम् thus, उक्तः spoken, वाक्यकोविदः wellversed in the use of words, सौमित्रिः son of Sumitra, लक्ष्मणः Lakshmana, ततः then, स्मित्वा with a gentle smile, शूर्पणखीम् to Surpanakha, युक्तम् appropriately, अब्रवीत् said.
Meaning
Thus addressed by the demoness Lakshmana, son of Sumitra, wellversed in the use of words gave her a befitting reply :
kathṃ dāsasya me dāsī bhāryā bhavitumicchasi| so'hamāryeṇa paravānbhrātrā kamalavarṇini||3.18.9||
Translation
कमलवणिनि O woman of lotus complexion, दासस्य of a servant, मे myself, भार्या wife, दासी female servant, भवितुम् will become, कथम् how, इच्छसि do you intend to be, सः such Rama, अहम् I am, आर्येण्य to that revered, परवान् dependent upon, भ्रात्रा brother.
Meaning
O lotuscomplexioned woman , how can you act as a maid to a slave ? Why do you intend to be so? I am already dependent on my revered brother.
विशालाक्षि largeeyed, अमलवर्णिनी of clear complexion, त्वम् you, समृद्धार्थस्य lord of great wealth, आर्यस्य to Rama, यवीयसी younger, भार्या wife, सिद्धार्था fulfilled, मुदिता happy, भव you may be.
Meaning
O largeeyed one, you have a clear complexion. You may become the younger wife of my master who is lord of great wealth. And live a happy, fulfilled life.
एषः this man, विरूपाम् deformed, असतीम् unchaste, करालाम् frightful, निर्णतोदरीम् a woman of drooping belly, वृद्धाम् old, एनाम् her, भार्याम् wife, परित्यज्य after discarding, त्वामेव you alone, भजिष्यति he will accept you.
Meaning
He will abandon this uglylooking, unchaste, frightening old woman of drooping belly and accept you alone as his wife.
ko hi rūpamidṃ śreṣṭhṃ sṃtyajya varavarṇini| mānuṣīṣu varārohe kuryādbhāvṃ vicakṣaṇḥ||3.18.12||
Translation
वरवर्णिनि O lady of fair complexion, वरारोहे (lady with beautiful hips)charming, विचक्षणः which wise man, को हि indeed, श्रेष्ठम् best, इदं रूपम् this figure, संत्यज्य giving up, मानुषीषु among females, भावम् love, कुर्यात् how will he have?.
Meaning
O lady of fair complexion and beautiful hips, which wise man will fall in love with any other female giving up a fine figure like you ?
लक्ष्मणेन by Lakshmana, इति thus, उक्ता having spoken, कराला fierce, निर्णतोदरी drooping bellied woman, परिहासाविचक्षणा capable of making fun, सा that Surpanakha, तद्वचः those words, तथ्यम् to be true, मन्यते presumes
Meaning
While Lakshmana was thus making fun of the dreadful, droopingbellied Surpanakha, she presumed his words to be true.
sā rāmṃ parṇaśālāyāmupaviṣṭṃ parantapam| sītayā saha durdarṣamabravītkāmamohitā||3.18.14||
Translation
काममोहिता deluded with passion, सा she, सीतया सह with Sita, पर्णशालायाम् in the leafthatched hut, उपविष्टं seated, परन्तपम् tormentor of foes, Rama, दुर्धर्षम् formidable, रामम् Rama, अब्रवीत् said.
Meaning
Deluded with passion, Surpanakha said to formidable Rama, the scorcher of foes, seated in the leafthatched hut along with Sita:
adyemāṃ bhakṣayiṣyāmi paśyatastava mānuṣīm| tvayā saha cariṣyāmi nissapatnā yathāsukham||3.18.16||
Translation
तव while you, पश्यतः are seeing, अद्य now, इमाम् this, मानुषीम् to this woman, भक्षयिष्यामि I will eat up, निस्सपत्ना without a cowife, त्वया सह with you, यथासुखम् happily, चरिष्यामि I shall move about.
Meaning
I shall eat up this woman now before your very eyes and I can move about happily with you without a cowife.
अलातसदृशेक्षणा a woman of flaming ambercoloured eye, इति this way, उक्त्वा after telling, सुसङ्कृद्धा very angrily, महोल्काम् a giant meteor, रोहिणीमिव as if hurtling towards the constellation Rohini, मृगशाबाक्षीम् the fawneyed lady, अभ्यधावत् rushed towards.
Meaning
While speaking this, Surpanakha, with eyes like flaming amber ran to the fawneyed Sita in great anger like a giant meteor hurtling towards the constellation of Rohini :
tāṃ mṛtyupāśapratimāmāpatantīṃ mahābalḥ| nigṛhya rāmḥ kupita stato lakṣmaṇamabravīt||3.18.18||
Translation
महाबलः mighty, रामः Rama, कुपितः enraged, मृत्युपाशप्रतिमामापतन्तीं falling like the noose of death, ताम् her, निगृह्य restraining, ततः after that, लक्ष्मणम् to Lakshmana, अब्रवीत् said.
Meaning
Mighty Rama in a rage restrained her who was falling upon Sita like the noose of death, and said to Lakshmana:
krūrairanāryai ssaumitre parihāsḥ kathañcana| na kāryḥ paśyavaidehīṃ kathañcitsaumya jīvatīm||3.18.19||
Translation
सौम्य O handsome one, सौमित्रे Lakshmana, क्रूरैः by the wicked, अनार्यैः by the uncivilised one, कथञ्चन indeed, परिहासः fun, न not, कार्यः proper, कथञ्चित् somehow, जीवतीम् a living lady, वैदेहीम् Sita, पश्य see.
Meaning
O handsome Lakshmana it is not proper to cut jokes with wicked, uncivilized persons. Now see Sita who has somehow survived.
पुरुषव्याघ्र tiger among men, विरूपाम् uncouth, असतीम् unchaste , अतिमत्ताम् passionate, महोदरीम् big bellied इमां राक्षसीम् this demoness, विरूपयितुम् to deform, अर्हसि you should.
Meaning
O tiger among men, this uncouth, bigbellied, unchaste and highly passionate demoness deserves to be formed.
घोरा dreadful one, सा शूर्पणखा that Surpanakha, निकृत्तकर्णनासा with her ears and nose cut off, विस्वरम् in a hoarse voice, विनद्य च making a loud noise, यथागतम् in the same way as she came from, वनम् forest, प्रदुद्राव ran away.
Meaning
Dreadful Surpanakha with her ears and nose cut off, roared in a hoarse voice and ran away into the forest in the same direction as she came.
विरूपा disfigured, महाघोरा very dreadful, शोणितोक्षिता drenched in blood, सा राक्षसी that demoness, प्रावृषि in rainy season, तोयदः यथा like a cloud, विविधान् different, नादान् sounds, ननाद released.
Meaning
The dreadful demoness who thus was disfigured. Drenched in blood, she thundered like a cloud in rainy season.
घोरदर्शना of frightful look, सा she, बहुधा in many ways, रुधिरम् blood, विक्षरन्ती dripping, बाहू प्रगृह्य holding her arms, गर्जन्ती while roaring, महावनम् great forest, प्रविवेश entered.
Meaning
Dripping blood profusely, the frightful demoness lifted her arms and entered the great forestroaring.
ततः after that, विरूपिता a disfigured woman, सा she, राक्षससङ्घसंवृतम् surrounded by demons, जनस्थानगतम् living in Janasthana, उग्रदर्शनम् fiercelooking, भ्रातरम् brother, तं खरम् to Khara, उपेत्य approaching, गगनात् from the sky, अशनिः thunderbolt, यथा like that, भूमौ on the ground, पपात fell down.
Meaning
A disfigured demoness, she fell down like the thunderbolt from the sky on the ground while her fiercelooking brother Khara sat surrounded by demons at Janasthana.
ततः thereafter, खरस्य to Khara, भगिनी a sister, सा she, भयमोहमूर्छिता a woman who was wild with fear and delusion, शोणितोक्षिता drenched in blood, वनम् forest, आगतम् reached, सभार्यम् with wife, सलक्ष्मणम् with Lakshmana, राघवम् Rama, आत्मनि at her, विरूपणं च disfigurement, सर्वम् all, शशंस narrated.
Meaning
Thereafter the sister of Khara, wild with fear and delusion and drenched in blood, narrated all about the arrival of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana in the forest and her disfigurement. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे अष्टादशस्सर्ग।। Thus ends the eighteenth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.