Hari Om.
Let us begin the thirty second sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The impact of wholesale destruction of the clan of demons at the janasthAna by rAma singlehandedly sent the ripples all the way till lanka. One of the demons who witnessed the annihilation escaped somehow and hurriedly went to report the matter to the chief of demons and king of lanka, rAvaNa. As soon as he narrated that khara, dUshaNa, triSara and the fourteen thousand demons are no more, rAvaNa was livid and vowed that he would go and at once kill rAma and lakshmaNa since he was so capable of reining in even the guardian deities of the eight quarters. But having seen the unbelievable prowess of rAma at janasthAna, akampana submitted that rAvaNa would not be able to match rAma in war and suggested that he may instead hijack sItA, rAma’s dear wife and that will result in his distress and defeat automatically. The unrighteous suggestion appealed to rAvaNa and without much delay he headed to the hermitage of mAricha who was now an ascetic to seek his help in the matter of hijacking sItA. The demon mAricha who had tasted the prowess of rAma before, countered rAvaNa and pooh poohed whoever gave him this idea. He termed them as rAvaNa’s enemies who were masquerading as his friends! He breathed sense into rAvaNa and warning him of the certain destruction of the clan in the hands of rAma, he sent rAvaNa back home. Onwards…
In the meanwhile SurpaNakha witnessed the comprehensive destruction of the mighty army of demons along with their leaders khara, dUshaNa and triSirA in the hands of peerless rAma in a manner impossible by anyone else and cried out thunderously in desperation. She was terrified and ran away to lanka ruled by rAvaNa at once. Reaching lanka, in the palace, she beheld rAvaNa conferring with his ministers on the top of the tower resembling lord indra conferring with the maruts. He sat on a sun-like resplendent throne and resembled a bright blazing fire.
देवगन्धर्वभूतानामृषीणां च महात्मनाम्।
अजेयं समरे शूरं व्यात्ताननमिवान्तकम्।।3.32.6।।
He was undefeated by either the gods, demi gods, sages or other beings and was verily death for them with jaws wide open. There were scars on his broad chest made by the thunderbolt in the encounters with gods and by the tusks of elephant airavata of lord indra.
देवासुरविमर्देषु वज्राशनिकृतव्रणम्।
ऐरावतविषाणग्रैरुद्घृष्टकिणवक्षसम्।।3.32.7।।
Twenty-armed and ten-headed, rAvaNa wore appealing attire and the great warrior had all the royal insignia. He had a mountainous presence with his muscular and well rounded arms and his golden earrings glittered like gems. He was hit by the discuss of vishNu a hundred times and a score of other weapons by the gods but was unhurt. He could throw away mountains, torment gods, disturb the seas, had contempt for dharma and cast an evil eye on others’ consorts.
He could put to use all the divine weaponry, had defeated the king of nAgas, takshaka in the city of bhOgavati and usurped his dear wife. Having gone to the mount kailasa, he defeated king kubEra and snatched away his aerial chariot by name pushpaka that could transport anywhere the master desired in no time. He destroyed the beautiful chaitraratha and nandana gardens of kubEra in anger. A vanquisher of enemies, he could stop the rise of the sun and the moon! Once he did penance for ten thousand years in a deep forest and in that yajna he offered his own heads as the oblation to lord brahma. And by virtue of that, he got boons of invincibility against gods and exalted beings except for humans.
The ten headed demon was a menace for the sages who conducted yajnas, he destroyed the yajnas in the final stages, he defiled and desecrated the sacred paraphernalia, was merciless, rash and massacred brAhmins. He was ever engaged in causing distress to people.
The tormentor of all beings, the terrifying rAvaNa, mighty, lord of all demons was beheld by SUrpaNakha. He was seated on a high seat, well dressed and well decked and resplendent the heir of the pulastya clan surrounded by his ministers verily looked like he would consume even death! She accosted the tormentor of enemies rAvaNa, terrified and spoke to him. She showed her body disfigured by the great lakshmaNa and began to narrate the frightening story.
Here we conclude the the thirty second 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: 3.33. The ogress schools the ten heads!
Previous: 3.31. rAvaNa plans a misadventure, mAricha counsels
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
