Shurpanakha rejected by Rama, Warwick Goble1913
Exact named Surpa-nakha encounter, printed caption Rama Spurns the Demon Lover, facingp400; adjacent narrative names Ravana’s sister. Lower-left woman is Shurpanakha; Rama and Sita stand. Goble’s human-looking interpretation is not a literal reconstruction of every epic anatomical description, and the picture precedes the cutting of her nose/ears. Printed credit and visible signature identify Goble. Heidelberg institutional catalog dates book1913; Science Museum Group gives1862–1943, so UK life70 term expired and pre1931 publication is US public domain.
Overview
Śūrpaṇakhā approaches Rāma at the forest cottage and identifies herself as a rākṣasa able to change her form at will. She names her powerful relatives and proposes marriage, threatening to eat Sītā. Griffith’s narrator gives a hostile physical description, including disordered hair and long teeth; that language belongs to this historical verse rendering.
Rāma directs her to Lakṣmaṇa, whose mocking response sends her back. She attacks Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa cuts off her nose and ears. She flees bleeding to Khara, reports the encounter and seeks retaliation. The sequence gives her speech, desire, shape-changing claim and injury as a connected narrative; her later report to Rāvaṇa occurs after Khara’s forces are defeated.
Origins & earliest records
South Asian Rāmāyaṇa narrative tradition
Records & interpretation
Primary-text translation directly read by identified book/canto.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
The Rámáyan of Válmíki
Title page gives translation span 1870–1874. Book III XVII–XVIII, pp. 250–252. Selected historical verse witness.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
The Rámáyan of Válmíki
Book III. III XVII–XVIII, pp. 250–252
Actual translated primary passages directly read. Checked HTML canto anchor. No new image bytes inspected.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical primary-text translationGriffith Rāmāyaṇa — Book III XVII–XVIII, pp. 250–252Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationShurpanakha rejected by Rama, Warwick Goble1913
Exact named Surpa-nakha encounter, printed caption Rama Spurns the Demon Lover, facingp400; adjacent narrative names Ravana’s sister. Lower-left woman is Shurpanakha; Rama and Sita stand. Goble’s human-looking interpretation is not a literal reconstruction of every epic anatomical description, and the picture precedes the cutting of her nose/ears. Printed credit and visible signature identify Goble. Heidelberg institutional catalog dates book1913; Science Museum Group gives1862–1943, so UK life70 term expired and pre1931 publication is US public domain.
