Hari Om.
Let us begin the seventeenth sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The stay at the panchavaTI was truly mesmerizing. The trio reveled in the ravishing environs. The blooms of the spring were captivating and the chilly winter mornings were delightful for them. Particularly rAma seemed to like the winters and despite the punishing cold, they were up before sunrise, completed their ablutions and offered their worship to the gods and forefathers. One such morning during the walk to the river lakshmaNa describes the winter. He wonders how bharata must be coping with the winter. While they had chosen the forest life and were used to it, lakshmaNa wonders how the otherwise delicate bharata must be coping. His respect for bharata’s amazing power of restraint shows and he is sure that bharata has won the heavens. Onwards…
Having completed their ablutions, rAma, sItA and lakshmaNa headed to their hermitage from the banks of the river gOdAvarI and completed the rituals of the forenoon. rAma was honoured by the sages who visited them regularly and along with lakshmaNa they discussed varities of matters and related legends. In that hermitage rAma reveled along with sItA like the moon in conjunction with the constellation of star chitra.
During one such discussion that rAma and lakshmaNa were having an ogress happened to come there. That ogress, by name SUrpaNakha, the sister of ten headed demon rAvaNa beheld the resplendent rAma.
Beholding the indra like rAma – long armed, lotus eyed, broad chested, resplendent, pleasant, one with graceful gait, wearing matted locks, elegant, strong, with royal gait, blue bodied, rivaling kandarpa (cupid), the ogress was infatuated.
सिंहोरस्कं महाबाहुं पद्मपत्रनिभेक्षणम्।
आजानुबाहुं दीप्तास्यमतीव प्रियदर्शनम्।।3.17.7।।
गजविक्रान्तगमनं जटामण्डलधारिणम्।
सुकुमारं महासत्त्वं पार्थिवव्यञ्जनान्वितम्।।3.17.8।।
राममिन्दीवरश्यामं कन्दर्पसदृशप्रभम्।
बभूवेन्द्रोपमं दृष्ट्वा राक्षसी काममोहिता।।3.17.9।।
That ugly, fat bellied, scary eyed, red haired, terrible, shrill pitched, dreadful, old, bad-tongued, evil, repulsive ogress overcome by lust spoke thus to the handsome, slender waisted, wide eyed, well haired, attractive, sweet tongued, young, well spoken, just and lovely rAma –
सुमुखं दुर्मुखी रामं वृत्तमध्यं महोदरी।
विशालाक्षं विरूपाक्षी सुकेशं ताम्रमूर्धजा।।3.17.10।।
प्रीतिरूपं विरूपा सा सुस्वरं भैरवस्वरा।
तरुणं दारुणा वृद्धा दक्षिणं वामभाषिणी।।3.17.11।।
न्यायवृत्तं सुदुर्वृत्ता प्रियमप्रियदर्शना।
शरीरजसमाविष्टा राक्षसी वाक्यमब्रवीत्।।3.17.12।।
“Wielding the bow and arrow, wearing matted locks in the garb of an ascetic along with your wife, why have you come to this land of demons. Do relate this to me factually about your business in coming here”.
Spoken thus by the ogress, the straight speaking rAma, stranger to untruth, even more so in the hermitage and in the presence of women, replied –
“There lived a godly king by name daSaratha. I am his eldest son, popularly known as rAma among people. This woman, vaidEhI is my wife and he is lakshmaNa, my brother. Appointed by our father and mother, we have come to this forest with a desire to follow dharma and for the sake of dharma. I would like to know who you are and who your kin are. You do not appear exactly attractive and thereby I guess you are a demoness. Let me know the reason for your being here.”
Spoken to thus by rAma, the ogress overcome by passion said –
“Listen O rAma, I shall relate to you my tale. I am a demoness by name SUrpaNakha, the sister of the demon, I am not sure if you know him, rAvaNa who is the son of the great viSravasa. I assume forms at will and roam this forest terrifying everyone. My other brothers the mighty and sleepy kumabhakarNa, vibhIshNa who is not of a demonic nature. khara and dUshNa known for their valour are also my brothers. Shrugging all of them aside, I fell for you upon seeing you and have come here with the wish to make you my husband. I am quite influential and mighty and move with free will. Do wed me and be my husband what will you do with sItA who is ugly, deformed and as such unsuitable for you. I am the appropriate one for you, make me your wife in place this terrifying, flat bellied and ugly woman! I shall swallow this woman along with your brother and then we both shall roam the forest reveling in the beauty of the mountains and forests”.
Spoken to thus by the drunken-eyed demoness, the articulate rAma smiled and said…
Here we conclude the the seventeenth sarga of the araNya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Click on the above link for word by word meaning from IITK website
Click on the above link to listen to the audio by SrIrAma ghanApATi
Next: 3.18. The violent ogress punished but spared
Previous: 3.16. A winter morning in the forest
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
