मातङ्गीमथ शार्दूलीं श्वेतां च सुरभीं तथा। सर्वलक्षणसम्पन्नां सुरसां कद्रुकामपि
Then Mātaṅgī, Śārdūlī, Śvetā, and also Surabhī; Surasā, endowed with all auspicious marks, and Kadrū as well.
अपत्यं तु मृगाः सर्वे मृग्या नरवरोत्तम। ऋक्षाश्च मृगमन्दायाः सृमराश्चमरास्तथा
O best of men, all the deer were the offspring of Mṛgī; from Mṛgamandā came bears, and from Sṛmarā and Camarā as well.
ततस्त्विरावतीं नाम जज्ञे भद्रमदा सुताम्। तस्यास्त्वैरावतः पुत्रो लोकनाथो महागजः
Then Bhadramadā bore a daughter named Irāvatī; her son was Airāvata, the great elephant, lord of the world.
हर्याश्च हरयोऽपत्यं वानराश्च तपस्विनः। गोलाङ्गूलाश्च शार्दूली व्याघ्रांश्चाजनयत् सुतान्
From Harī came the monkeys as offspring, and the ascetic vanaras; from Śārdūlī were born the tailed langurs and tigers as sons.
मातङ्ग्यास्त्वथ मातङ्गा अपत्यं मनुजर्षभ। दिशागजं तु काकुत्स्थ श्वेता व्यजनयत् सुतम्
Then, O best of men, from Mātaṅgī came the elephants as offspring; Śvetā gave birth to the elephant of the quarters, O descendant of Kakutstha.
ततो दुहितरौ राम सुरभिर्द्वे व्यजायत। रोहिणीं नाम भद्रं ते गन्धर्वीं च यशस्विनीम्
Then, O Rama, Surabhī bore two daughters; Rohiṇī, O blessed one, and the illustrious Gandharvī.
रोहिण्यजनयद् गावो गन्धर्वी वाजिनः सुतान्। सुरसाजनयन्नागान् राम कद्रूश्च पन्नगान्
Rohiṇī gave birth to cows, Gandharvī to horses as offspring; Surasā bore the serpents, O Rama, and Kadrū bore the nāgas.
मनुर्मनुष्याञ्जनयत् कश्यपस्य महात्मनः। ब्राह्मणान् क्षत्रियान् वैश्यान् शूद्रांश्च मनुजर्षभ
Manu begot humans from the great-souled Kaśyapa; O best of men, the Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras.
मुखतो ब्राह्मणा जाता उरसः क्षत्रियास्तथा। ऊरुभ्यां जज्ञिरे वैश्याः पद्भ्यां शूद्रा इति श्रुतिः
From his mouth were born the Brāhmaṇas, from his chest the Kṣatriyas; from his thighs came the Vaiśyas, and from his feet the Śūdras, so the tradition says.
सर्वान् पुण्यफलान् वृक्षाननलापि व्यजायत। विनता च शुकीपौत्री कद्रूश्च सुरसास्वसा
Anala also gave birth to all the trees bearing virtuous fruits; Vinatā, the granddaughter of Śukī, and Kadrū, the sister of Surasā.
कद्रूर्नागसहस्रं तु विजज्ञे धरणीधरान्। द्वौ पुत्रौ विनतायास्तु गरुडोऽरुण एव च
Kadrū gave birth to a thousand serpents, the earth-supporting nāgas; and Vinatā had two sons, Garuḍa and Aruṇa.
तस्माज्जातोऽहमरुणात् सम्पातिश्च ममाग्रजः। जटायुरिति मां विद्धि श्येनीपुत्रमरिंदम
From Aruṇa I was born, and Sampāti is my elder brother; know me as Jaṭāyu, the son of Śyenī, O subduer of foes.
सोऽहं वाससहायस्ते भविष्यामि यदीच्छसि। इदं दुर्गं हि कान्तारं मृगराक्षससेवितम्। सीतां च तात रक्षिष्ये त्वयि याते सलक्ष्मणे
If you wish, I will be your companion in dwelling here; for this forest is a difficult stronghold, frequented by beasts and rākṣasas. Dear one, I will protect Sītā when you depart with Lakṣmaṇa.
जटायुषं तु प्रतिपूज्य राघवो मुदा परिष्वज्य च संनतोऽभवत् । पितुर्हि शुश्राव सखित्वमात्मवा- ञ्जटायुषा संकथितं पुनः पुनः
Rāghava honored Jaṭāyu, joyfully embraced him, and bowed; for he had heard again and again from his father about their friendship with Jaṭāyu.
स तत्र सीतां परिदाय मैथिलीं सहैव तेनातिबलेन पक्षिणा। जगाम तां पञ्चवटीं सलक्ष्मणो रिपून् दिधक्षन् शलभानिवानलः
There, entrusting Sītā, the princess of Mithilā, to that mighty bird, he went to Pañcavaṭī with Lakṣmaṇa, eager to destroy his enemies like fire consumes moths.
thumb|सप्तदशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अरण्यकाण्डे सप्तदशः सर्गः ॥३-
Let the seventeenth sarga be heard.
कृताभिषेको रामस्तु सीता सौमित्रिरेव च। तस्माद् गोदावरीतीरात् ततो जग्मुः स्वमाश्रमम्
Rāma, having completed his ablutions, with Sītā and Saumitri, left the bank of the Godāvarī and went to his own hermitage.
आश्रमं तमुपागम्य राघवः सहलक्ष्मणः। कृत्वा पौर्वाह्णिकं कर्म पर्णशालामुपागमत्
Rāghava, together with Lakṣmaṇa, approached that hermitage, performed the morning rituals, and entered the leaf-hut.
उवास सुखितस्तत्र पूज्यमानो महर्षिभिः। स रामः पर्णशालायामासीनः सह सीतया
He dwelt there happily, honored by the great sages; Rāma sat in the leaf-hut with Sītā.
विरराज महाबाहुश्चित्रया चन्द्रमा इव। लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा चकार विविधाः कथाः
The mighty-armed Rāma shone like the moon adorned with patterns; with his brother Lakṣmaṇa, he engaged in various conversations.
तदासीनस्य रामस्य कथासंसक्तचेतसः। तं देशं राक्षसी काचिदाजगाम यदृच्छया
As Rāma sat, his mind absorbed in stories, a certain rākṣasī arrived there by chance.
सा तु शूर्पणखा नाम दशग्रीवस्य रक्षसः। भगिनी राममासाद्य ददर्श त्रिदशोपमम्
She was named Śūrpaṇakhā, sister of the rākṣasa Daśagrīva; approaching Rāma, she saw him, resembling a celestial.
दीप्तास्यं च महाबाहुं पद्मपत्रायतेक्षणम्। गजविक्रान्तगमनं जटामण्डलधारिणम्
She saw his radiant face, mighty arms, eyes long as lotus petals, gait like an elephant, and his matted locks arranged in a circle.
सुकुमारं महासत्त्वं पार्थिवव्यञ्जनान्वितम्। राममिन्दीवरश्यामं कंदर्पसदृशप्रभम्
She saw Rāma, gentle yet of great strength, marked with royal signs, dark as a blue lotus, shining like Kāma himself.
बभूवेन्द्रोपमं दृष्ट्वा राक्षसी काममोहिता। सुमुखं दुर्मुखी रामं वृत्तमध्यं महोदरी
Seeing him, resembling Indra, the rākṣasī, overwhelmed by desire, though ugly-faced, gazed at handsome Rāma, her broad waist contrasting with her large belly.
विशालाक्षं विरूपाक्षी सुकेशं ताम्रमूर्धजा। प्रियरूपं विरूपा सा सुस्वरं भैरवस्वना
She, with distorted eyes, gazed at his wide eyes; her hair was coppery, his hair beautiful; she, ugly, saw his pleasing form; her voice was sweet, yet terrifying.
तरुणं दारुणा वृद्धा दक्षिणं वामभाषिणी। न्यायवृत्तं सुदुर्वृत्ता प्रियमप्रियदर्शना
She was old, yet youthful; fierce, yet gentle in speech; of wicked conduct, yet he was righteous; she was unpleasant to behold, though he was pleasing.
शरीरजसमाविष्टा राक्षसी राममब्रवीत्। जटी तापसवेषेण सभार्यः शरचापधृक्
The rākṣasī, possessed by bodily passion, spoke to Rāma: 'You, with matted hair, dressed as an ascetic, with your wife, bearing bow and arrows...'
आगतस्त्वमिमं देशं कथं राक्षससेवितम्। किमागमनकृत्यं ते तत्त्वमाख्यातुमर्हसि
You have come to this land, inhabited by Rākṣasas—how is that? What is the purpose of your coming? You should tell the truth.
एवमुक्तस्तु राक्षस्या शूर्पणख्या परंतपः। ऋजुबुद्धितया सर्वमाख्यातुमुपचक्रमे
Thus addressed by the Rākṣasī named Śūrpaṇakhā, the tormentor of foes, he began to tell everything with straightforward intent.