Surpanakha
Encyclopedia
Surpanakha or Shurpanakha is one of the most important characters in the Ramayana
. Indeed, Valmiki
comes close to claiming that if there had been no Kaikeyi
and no Surpanakha, then there would have been no Ramayana and no war with Ravana
. In fact, Surpanakha was the arrow that set in motion the chain of events leading directly to the destruction of Ravana. Soorpanaka, therefore, like Kaikeyi before her, often gets the blame from Hindus as being the evil genius behind, and the sole cause of the Ramayana war.
The youngest child of Rishi Vishrava
and his second wife, Kaikesi
, Surpanakha was given the name of "Minakshi" (the fish-eyed one) at birth. As beautiful as her mother Kaikesi
and her grandmother Thataka
had been before her, Surpanakha grew up to marry the Asura
Dushtabuddhi. Initially, Surpanakha's husband enjoyed high favor with her brother Ravana, the King of Lanka, and they were privileged members of Ravana's court, but the three fell out eventually due to Dushtabuddhi's scheming for more power. Ravana had Dushtabuddhi killed, an act which earned Ravana his sister's great displeasure.
The widowed Surpanakha spent her time between Lanka and the forests of Southern India, visiting her Asura, forest-dwelling relatives, from time to time. According to the Valmiki Ramayana, during one such visit, she met the exiled Rama
, the young Prince of Ayodhya, and was immediately smitten by his youthful good looks. Rama, however, spurned her advances, telling her that he was devoted to his wife, Sita
, and that he would never take another wife. Rama then slyly suggested that she approach his younger brother, Lakshmana
, with her proposition. Lakshmana reacted in a similar manner, deriding Surpanakha and telling her that she was not what he desired in a wife. Realizing eventually that the brothers were making fun of her, the humiliated and jealous Surpanakha attacked Sita
but was thwarted by Lakshmana
, who cut off her nose and sent her back to Lanka.
Surpanakha first reacted by going to her brother Khara who sent seven Rakshasa
warriors to attack Rama, but were easily dispatched. Khara then attacked with 700,000 soldiers including himself, who were all killed. She then reacted by going straight to Ravana's court and extolling Sita's virtues and beauty, praising Sita as a worthy wife for Ravana, and inciting him to abduct her by force and marry her. Ravana, despite advices to the contrary from his brother, Vibhishana
, kidnapped Sita
resulting in the Ramayana war.
There are a few versions of the Ramayana that claim that Surpanakha had no real romantic interest in the brothers and that she had orchestrated the war for no reason other than to seek revenge against Ravana for her husband's murder. After many years of scheming for his downfall, she realized that Ravana had more than a match in Rama, the young Prince of Ayodhya. Rama had killed both her grandmother, the ferocious Thataka
, and her uncle, Subahu
. Her cousins were terrified of the young Prince and Surpanakha decided to pit her brother against Rama, knowing that no one else was powerful enough to slay Ravana. Accordingly, she orchestrated her encounter with Rama, the kidnapping of Sita
by Ravana and the resulting war between Ravana and Rama, all with the sole intention of having her brother killed.
Although Surpanakha is not mentioned in the Ramayana again and Valmiki does not comment on her eventual fate, it has been suggested that she continued to live at her brother Vibhishana's court, when he succeeded Ravana as King of Lanka. She, and her half-sister, Kumbini, are supposed to have both perished at sea a few years later.
Valmiki's description of Surpanakha:
Kamban's description of Surpanakha:
The Tamil poet, Kamban, however differs in his description of Surpanakha from Valmiki, describing Surpanakha instead as a very beautiful woman with long, beautiful, fish-shaped eyes (validating her given name of "Minakshi" at birth), a slender shape and a bewitching personality. In addition, she possessed magical powers and could assume any shape or form and his version of the Ramayana asserts that she put these powers to good use when she first approached Rama with her marriage proposal. Rama, however, divined the real Surpanakha and decided to play with her for a while before letting her down and declining her proposal. In any case, Surpanakha was at least middle-aged at the time she met the young Rama and would have appeared as "old" and "haggardly" to the prince.
the act of cutting Surpanakha's nose off is taken to be the metaphorical equivalent of disgracing her (raping her).
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
. Indeed, Valmiki
Valmiki
Valmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...
comes close to claiming that if there had been no Kaikeyi
Kaikeyi
Kaikeyi , in the Hindu epic Rāmāyaṇa, was the second of King Daśaratha's three wives and a queen of Ayodhyā. She was the mother of Bharata...
and no Surpanakha, then there would have been no Ramayana and no war with Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
. In fact, Surpanakha was the arrow that set in motion the chain of events leading directly to the destruction of Ravana. Soorpanaka, therefore, like Kaikeyi before her, often gets the blame from Hindus as being the evil genius behind, and the sole cause of the Ramayana war.
The youngest child of Rishi Vishrava
Vishrava
Vishrava was the son of Pulastya and the grandson of Brahma, the Creator, and a powerful Rishi as described in a scripture epic of Ancient India. A scholar par excellence, he earned great powers through Tapasya, which in turn, earned him great name and fame amongst his fellow Rishis...
and his second wife, Kaikesi
Kaikesi
In Hinduism, Kaikesi was the mother of Ravana.The daughter of Sumali and Thataka and the sister of Maricha and Subahu, she schemed with her parents to seduce the Rishi Vishrava and through him, produce powerful, demonic offspring...
, Surpanakha was given the name of "Minakshi" (the fish-eyed one) at birth. As beautiful as her mother Kaikesi
Kaikesi
In Hinduism, Kaikesi was the mother of Ravana.The daughter of Sumali and Thataka and the sister of Maricha and Subahu, she schemed with her parents to seduce the Rishi Vishrava and through him, produce powerful, demonic offspring...
and her grandmother Thataka
Thataka
Tadaka was a Yaksha princess-turned-demoness in the epic Ramayana. The daughter and only child of the Yaksha king Suketu, she was a beautiful princess that was wooed by and married Sumali, an Asura King...
had been before her, Surpanakha grew up to marry the Asura
Asura
-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
Dushtabuddhi. Initially, Surpanakha's husband enjoyed high favor with her brother Ravana, the King of Lanka, and they were privileged members of Ravana's court, but the three fell out eventually due to Dushtabuddhi's scheming for more power. Ravana had Dushtabuddhi killed, an act which earned Ravana his sister's great displeasure.
The widowed Surpanakha spent her time between Lanka and the forests of Southern India, visiting her Asura, forest-dwelling relatives, from time to time. According to the Valmiki Ramayana, during one such visit, she met the exiled Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, the young Prince of Ayodhya, and was immediately smitten by his youthful good looks. Rama, however, spurned her advances, telling her that he was devoted to his wife, Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
, and that he would never take another wife. Rama then slyly suggested that she approach his younger brother, Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
, with her proposition. Lakshmana reacted in a similar manner, deriding Surpanakha and telling her that she was not what he desired in a wife. Realizing eventually that the brothers were making fun of her, the humiliated and jealous Surpanakha attacked Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
but was thwarted by Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
, who cut off her nose and sent her back to Lanka.
Surpanakha first reacted by going to her brother Khara who sent seven Rakshasa
Rakshasa
A Rakshasa or alternatively rakshas, is a race of mythological humanoid beings or unrighteous spirit in Hindu and Buddhist religion...
warriors to attack Rama, but were easily dispatched. Khara then attacked with 700,000 soldiers including himself, who were all killed. She then reacted by going straight to Ravana's court and extolling Sita's virtues and beauty, praising Sita as a worthy wife for Ravana, and inciting him to abduct her by force and marry her. Ravana, despite advices to the contrary from his brother, Vibhishana
Vibhishana
Vibhishana or Bibhishan is a character in the epic Ramayana. He was the younger brother of the demon Ravana. Though a half-demon himself, Vibhishana was of a noble character and advised Ravana, who kidnapped and abducted Sita, to return her to her husband Rama in an orderly fashion...
, kidnapped Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
resulting in the Ramayana war.
There are a few versions of the Ramayana that claim that Surpanakha had no real romantic interest in the brothers and that she had orchestrated the war for no reason other than to seek revenge against Ravana for her husband's murder. After many years of scheming for his downfall, she realized that Ravana had more than a match in Rama, the young Prince of Ayodhya. Rama had killed both her grandmother, the ferocious Thataka
Thataka
Tadaka was a Yaksha princess-turned-demoness in the epic Ramayana. The daughter and only child of the Yaksha king Suketu, she was a beautiful princess that was wooed by and married Sumali, an Asura King...
, and her uncle, Subahu
Subahu
Subahu is a rakshasa character in the Ramayana. He and his mother, Tataka, took immense pleasure in harassing the munis of the jungle, especially Vishvamitra, by disrupting their yajnas with rains of flesh and blood....
. Her cousins were terrified of the young Prince and Surpanakha decided to pit her brother against Rama, knowing that no one else was powerful enough to slay Ravana. Accordingly, she orchestrated her encounter with Rama, the kidnapping of Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
by Ravana and the resulting war between Ravana and Rama, all with the sole intention of having her brother killed.
Although Surpanakha is not mentioned in the Ramayana again and Valmiki does not comment on her eventual fate, it has been suggested that she continued to live at her brother Vibhishana's court, when he succeeded Ravana as King of Lanka. She, and her half-sister, Kumbini, are supposed to have both perished at sea a few years later.
Valmiki's description of Surpanakha:
- An ugly woman (gora mukhi), pot bellied and cross-eyed.
- Thinning, brown hair.
- A grating voice that is harsh on the ears.
- Oversized breasts—which can be translated to mean a heart full of wickedness.
Kamban's description of Surpanakha:
The Tamil poet, Kamban, however differs in his description of Surpanakha from Valmiki, describing Surpanakha instead as a very beautiful woman with long, beautiful, fish-shaped eyes (validating her given name of "Minakshi" at birth), a slender shape and a bewitching personality. In addition, she possessed magical powers and could assume any shape or form and his version of the Ramayana asserts that she put these powers to good use when she first approached Rama with her marriage proposal. Rama, however, divined the real Surpanakha and decided to play with her for a while before letting her down and declining her proposal. In any case, Surpanakha was at least middle-aged at the time she met the young Rama and would have appeared as "old" and "haggardly" to the prince.
In Popular Culture
In the movie RaavanRaavan
Raavan is a 2010 Hindi film directed, written and produced by Mani Ratnam. It stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vikram in the lead roles while Govinda, Ravi Kishan, Nikhil Dwivedi, Tejaswini Kolhapure and Priyamani feature in key supporting roles...
the act of cutting Surpanakha's nose off is taken to be the metaphorical equivalent of disgracing her (raping her).
External links
- http://www.neoncarrot.co.uk/h_article/ramayana_art3.html