Surpanakha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
Surpanakha is Ravana's sister in the epic Ramayana. She is a hideous creature, as are the other rakshasas of her race. She falls in love with Rama when she happens across him in the forest. She asks Rama to marry her. He refuses saying he is an eka patnivrataa that means 'loyal to one wife'. Rama, in jest, suggests that she might try his brother Lakshmana. Lakshmana, who also enjoys teasing her, suggests that since he is his brother's servant, she would be better off being Rama's second wife than Lakshmana's first. Surpanakha tries to kill Sita. In a fit of rage Lakshmana cuts ((Surpanakha's)) nose and ears off. Surpanakha goes crying to her brother Ravana and persuades him to kidnap Sita.
[edit] Description of Surpanakha
- She is ugly with a pot belly and is cross-eyed.
- She has coppery, dried out hair.
- Her voice is harsh and she is old, cruel, and deceitful.
- She has a crude and wicked personality.
Her name shurpanakha means shovel-nails. She was very ugly but disguised herself as a beautiful woman using the power of Maya (Illusion)
| The Rāmāyaņa by Valmiki |
|---|
| Characters |
| Dasaratha | Kausalya | Sumitra | Kaikeyi | Janaka | Manthara | Rama | Bharata | Lakshmana | Shatrughna | Sita | Urmila | Mandavi | Shrutakirti | Viswamitra | Ahalya | Jatayu | Sampati | Hanuman | Sugriva | Vali | Angada | Jambavantha | Vibhishana | Tataka | Surpanakha | Maricha | Subahu | Khara | Ravana | Kumbhakarna | Mandodari | Mayasura | Indrajit | Prahasta | Akshayakumara | Atikaya | Lava | Kusha |
| Other |
| Ayodhya | Mithila | Lanka | Sarayu | Treta Yuga | Raghuvamsa | Lakshman Rekha | Aditya Hridayam | Oshadhiparvata | Sundara Kanda | Pushpaka Vimana | Vedavati | Vanara |
| Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Itihasa |  |
|---|---|
| Female Deities: Gayatri | Saraswati | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Devi | Radha | Mahavidya | more... | |
| Male Deities: Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Kartikeya | Hanuman | Lakshmana | Indra | Surya | more... | |
| Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata | |
