Rama
Sees Surpanaka
The cool morning air kisses my
skin as I, Rama, step forth onto the moist, lush woodland floor.
The warm glow of dawn is just upon us. The forest whispers and
stirs. A thick mist coats the Earth, leaving a sticky layer of
moisture on all that inhabit it. Sita's figure bends slightly over a
pot of simmering water. The steam billows up and her golden-brown
cheeks flush a warm, soft scarlet. Nearby, Lakshmana reclines
against one of the towering whispering trees as he idly carves at a
piece of wood.
Sita calls out to me, "Rama, Lakshmana, tea?" I nod and smile.
Lakshmana drops the piece of wood and silently wanders over. Sita
smells of jasmine and sandalwood as she leans over and slowly pours
steaming chai into my small round bowl. I thank her. She smiles
and nods as her almond eyes peer at me with love and devotion.
I slowly sip my tea as the sun climbs over the mountains in the
distance. The soft gurgle of the nearby stream fills the air as I
begin to tell a story to Sita and Lakshmana. Words fall from my
lips and make their way to wanting ears.
All at once, the very air that fills my lungs is stolen
away. As I glance up, the woods appear to part. Light
breaks upon a figure, upon a woman. What beauty is this? Do my
eyes defy me? With each step her beauty grows. Who may this be? I
swoon as I drink in every inch of her. Her tressed hair is
adorned with honeysuckle; her skin rosy and flawless. She grazes
the ground below her as she glides closer and closer.
My heart quickens as she utters the words, "Hello, my name
is Surpanaka." My stomach begins to turn but I question this
feeling for I am unsure of its origin.
She speaks again. "I am the sister of Ravana but have denounced him and
his demon ways."
My eyes fill with water as my stomach turns again. Am I
love sick or just sick?
She continues but her hot breath seems to poison the
air. A thick, pungent smell wafts and snakes its way
to my nostrils. I shake my head in an attempt to elude the potent smell
and return my gaze to her. I gasp in horror.
Where a fair maiden, a boon to all who laid eyes upon her, once stood,
the Earth was now defiled by a beast. Her skin was not rosy, but
rotted and bulging from breast and brow. Tressed hair, once
filled with flowers and sweet scents, was now a thick matted mess with
bits of food and dirt strewn about. Her teeth, yellow and
jagged, were broken and missing in places. From greasy lips, her
long slender tongue flicked about and her thin, sharp eyes
twitched.
I felt bilious and my mouth filled with a bitter taste.
What had befuddled my thoughts to lust after this demon of a creature?
What had come over me? While I am not happy that I see this
creature, I am happy that I can truly see this creature.
Author's Note: In both
versions of the epic Ramayana, I thoroughly enjoyed this scene.
It is a great demonstration of maya and the effects it has on
people. The story exemplifies maya and its manipulations. I
wanted to capture Rama's progression from his belief in Surpanaka's
beauty to his eventual regression from his initial reaction. I
wanted to focus completely on Rama's thoughts and misconceptions to
show his decent into MAYA. I used imagery and scenery from Buck's
version of the story for the layout of my story. I took the basic
idea of Naryama's version to really emphasize the MAYA that is present
in the story. One of my favorite parts of this scene, which I felt I
was unable to incorporate, was the humor. When Surpanaka is
throwing herself at Rama, Lakshama's commentary is quite comical.
I emphasized the degree to which Rama fell for Surpanaka to demonstrate
how powerful illusions can be. Unlike the first story, this one
lacks an object that reveals the illusion at hand. Instead, it is
Rama's reassessment of Surpanaka that gives way to the reality of the
situation and the monster within. Hope you enjoyed it.
Image Information
Title: The Demon Surpanaka
Web Source: India
Net
Bibliography
Buck, William. Ramayana. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976.
Narayan, R. K. The Ramayana. New York: Penguin, 1972.