SURYAVANSHI

SURPNAKHA

The princesses were staying at the old woman's house on her insisting. Her name was Akhila and she was a brahmavadini, that is the women who remain unmarried and study vedas all her life.

"Mata aapko kabhi kisi jeevan saathi ki kami mehsoos nahi huyi ?" Aahana asked.

"Nahi, kyuki maine kabhi dampatya jeevan ke baare mai socha hi nahi. Humesha swayam ko vyast rakha." Akhila said.

"ASUR !!" Someone screamed. Aahana and Aarashi got up grabbing their weapons and ran outside.

Aahana pulled the string of her bow, creating a barrier in front of Asurs and the villagers. Aarashi summoned arrows and shot it at the Asurs.

By then Shri Ram came running and engaged in the fight. And soon the Asurs ran away from there.

This was all seen by none other than the sister of Dashanan Ravan, Surpnakha from behind a tree and Shri Ram caught her eyes.

"Sahi samaye par aagaye aap." Aarashi said.

"Chalo iss baar gao par koi apatti nahi aayi." Shri Ram said.

Suddenly a little sparrow came towards them chirping, Aahana raised her hand and it sat on her index finger.

"Kya hua ?" Aahana asked. The bird chirped in response.

"Mujhe waha le chalo." Aahana said and the bird started flying in the forest with her following it behind.

Aarashi went inside to check whether the villagers are alright or not. But Shri Ram was confused as to why Aahana went in the forest with the sparrow.

Surpnakha decided to approach him, but by then he went inside the forest behind Aahana. So Surpnakha hidingly followed him.

A little inside the forest, Shri Ram found Aahana picking up a small nest with baby sparrows in it and putting up on a branch.

"Kya aur koi sahayata chahiye ?" Aahana asked, the bird chirped in response.

"Toh mujhe jana hoga." Aahana said smiling and turned around and saw Shri Ram looking at her confused.

"Tum pakshiyo se baate karti ho ?" He asked.

"Kisi bhi vastu jisme jeevan hai, mai usse baat kar sakti hu, Shri Ram." Aahana said.

"Ram ?" Surpnakha muttered to herself.

"Kya yeh koi vardaan hai ?" He asked.

"Nahi, humare Guru Vishwamitra ne hume sikhaya tha. Unhone kaha tha ki ek manushya jaanwar se baat nahi kar sakta, kintu ek aatma dusre aatma se baat kar sakti hai." Aahana said.

"Yeh vidya keval Guru Vishwamitra hi sikha sakte hai." Shri Ram smiled.

Surpnakha got a jealous seeing them smiling and talking, her corrupted mind couldn't comprehend that they were like brother and sister.

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Shri Ram was plucking flowers to offer them to Mahadev for his evening prayers.

Surpnakha looked at him from behind a tree and wondered how to get his attention, then her eyes fell on a near by pond and an idea popped in his mind.

She jumped in the pond and started fake drowning, and crying for help.

Shri Ram heard her and ran towards the pond to help, seeing him Surpnakha closed her eyes and a smile appeared on her face, thinking about his touch.

But she never got his touch, she opened her eyes and found out it that the entire water was gone and an arrow was in the middle of the pond. It hit her that Shri Ram used his arrow to dry up the pond.

Disappointed, Surpnakha got out of there and Shri Ram shot another arrow, and from it water came and filled the dry pond.

"Mujhe bachane ke liye aapka Dhanyawaad. Mai Surpnakha hu, yaha paas hi mera niwas hai." Surpnakha said.

"Mai Ayodhya ke swargiye Maharaj Dashrath ka jyesht putra Ram hu. Yaha paas hi meri kutiya hai." Shri Ram said.

"Oh, toh aap wahi hai jinhone apne parakram se Panchavati ke vasiyo ki Asuro se raksha ki hai." Surpnakha said, trying to make conversation.

"Shri Ram, aap kushal toh hai ?" Aahana asked from behind.

Shri Ram turned around to face her as Surpnakha gritted her teeth looking at Aahana.

"Ha kyu ?" He asked.

"Woh aapko aane mai der ho rahi thi, toh sab chintit ho uthe." Aahana asked.

"Arrey ha. Suryast bhi ho chuka, Aahana kya tum inhe inke nivaas tak chod sakti ho ?" Shri Ram said.

"Iski koi awashyakta nahi hai, mai swayam jaane ke liye sasakt hu." Surpnakha said.

"Thik hai, apna dhyaan rakhiyega." Shri Ram said and walked out with Aahana.

"Iss ladki ne humare bich aake itna accha mauka mere haatho se chhin liya !" Surpnakha muttered stomping away.

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A/N

FUN FACT : RAVAN KILLED SURPNAKHA'S HUSBAND VIDYUTJIVHA, SOME TALES SAY HE KILLED HIM WHEN HE WAS CONQUERING RASATAL WHILE SOME SAY VIDYUTJIVHA ATTACKED RAVAN AND HE KILLED HIM IN SELF-DEFENSE, AS VIDYUTJIVHA WAS A DANAV AND RAVAN A RAKSHAS, BOTH RIVALS AND ENEMIES TO EACH OTHER.

SO ANYWAY, SURPNAKHA CURSED RAVAN THAT SHE WILL THE REASON FOR THE DOWNFALL OF HIM AND HIS ENTIRE CLAN.

TO PACIFY HER, RAVAN GAVE HER PERMISSION TO ESTABLISH RELATION WITH ANY MAN SHE PLEASES. SHE ALSO HAD A SON NAMED SHAMBHRI WHO WAS KILLED ACCIDENTALLY BY LAXMAN.

THIS WAS ONE OF THE SIX CURSES THAT CAUSED THE DEATH OF RAVAN, OTHERS WERE GIVEN BY RAGHUVANSHI KING ANARNAY, NANDI, VEDAVATI, NALKUBER AND ALSO BY THE ELDER SISTER OF MANDODARI, MAYA.