23. ENCOUNTERS IN EXILE (Part-4)

Soorpanaka made one last attempt to gain Rama's love.

She said, "Even now it's not too late. My brother Ravana will

pardon you for what you have done if he knows we are

married; he will also make you the overlord of several

worlds, placed above all the gods. It's not too late. On the

other hand, if anyone comments on my nose or ears, he will wipe them out. So, do not hesitate. No one will dare to say that I have no nose or ears or breasts. I've still eyes, which

can feast on your broad chest and shoulders, and my arms

are intact to embrace you. I love you madly. I'll be your slave

and make all rakshasas your slaves. I can't survive without

you. Have pity on me. I'll do anything you command." She

was rolling in the dust with blood gushing, but nothing

lessened her ardor. She continued, "My kinsmen are

ruthless, and will be reckless when they find that I have been

injured like this—they will destroy blindly, everything,

including you. They will wipe out mankind. But if you take me,

I can intercede on your behalf, and they will spare you and all

your people… . You'll be the cause of either the destruction

of mankind or its survival."

"The longer I let you speak, the worse things you say. Now

go to your own people, and bring back with you all those

powerful men and more. I can meet them, one by one as they

come or all together. I can deal with them. Now begone.

Understand now, my mission in life is to root out the

rakshasas from the face of this earth, and till I achieve it, I'll

be here."

Even after suffering mutilation at the hands of Lakshmana,

Soorpanaka stood there and persisted in appealing to

Rama to accept her, hinting that through her magical powers

she could appear beautiful again. At this point Rama felt that

he ought to explain to her who he was, and how he had come to be here with his wife and brother. Further, he made it plain again that his mission in life would be to wipe out the

asura class. He recounted how he had destroyed Thataka

and her brood.

Far from discouraging her, this actually gave Soorpanaka

another idea. "If that's your purpose, you know, I could be

your best ally—if you do not spurn me for my appearance, if

you do not reject me for my enormous teeth and large mouth.

If you marry me, I will teach you all the arts and tricks,

magical and others, that make my people superb and

invincible. I can teach you how to defeat them, but you must

treat me kindly. You must accept me… . Even if you cannot

give up your slender companion—well, don't view me as an

impossible addition. Would I be one too many? No. I'll help

you by revealing to you all the tricks and trickeries of your

enemies, so that you may attain complete victory over them.

'A serpent's feet are known to another serpent.' Even if your

mind does not allow you to give up your wife … take me as a

third partner, in your fight against the rakshasas, when my

brother, who once kept the sun and the moon in captivity—

and I'm not his inferior in valour—when he is defeated and

gone, then at least let your brother Lakshmana marry me;

and let me be with you when you return in triumph to

Ayodhya. When we return, do not be worried that a person

without a nose is accompanying you; please understand that

I can create any shape for myself. If by chance, Lakshmana

ever questions, "How can I live with a woman without anose," tell him that he can in the same way as you live with

one who is without any waist."8

When she said this, Lakshmana was so enraged that he

declared, "Brother, have I your permission to put an end to

her? Otherwise she will never leave us alone!" Rama thought

it over and said, "I think so too—if she persists and will not

leave, that may be the only way." On hearing this,

Soorpanaka picked herself up and left in haste. "Fools, do

you think I meant what I said? Even after the loss of my

features, I have stayed and spoken to you, only to

understand the depth of your base mentality. I'll go but come

back soon enough, with one who will be your Yama, a being

more powerful than the elements, of the name of Kara"—and

she left.

Kara, one of Ravana's stepbrothers, a dreaded warrior-

demon with fourteen chiefs under him commanding an army,

protected Soorpanaka and carried out her orders. After

leaving Panchvati, Soorpanaka stormed in at his court,

displayed her injuries, and cried, "Two human beings who

have moved into our realm have done this to me."

"Two human beings!"

"Ah, wonderful sons of Dasaratha, so sage like in

appearance, but armed for the purpose of exterminating our

clan. They have with them a woman of unearthly beauty;

when I tried to seize her, these two humans fell on me and hacked me thus."

Kara looked closely at the damage done to her and

thundered, "Death to those two. Not only they, but all human

beings shall be stamped out." He sprang up to go into

action. Fourteen commanders at once surrounded him and

said, "Does it mean that you have no confidence in us that

you should start out this way yourself? Leave this task to us.

We will go and settle it."

Kara agreed. "So be it. You are right. If I wage war on

these tiny petty creatures, the gods will mock us. Go and

feast on their blood, but bring back the woman carefully."

Carrying a variety of arms such as spears and tridents and

scimitars and hatchets, the commanders, led by

Soorpanaka, marched on towards Rama's cottage.

Soorpanaka stopped at a distance and pointed Rama out to

them. "There he is, mark him." The fourteen asuras muttered,

"Shall we bind and take him, or toss him in the air and kill

him, or use the piercing lance on him?"