Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 18: Śūrpaṇakhā Disfigured
Text 3.18.21
इत्युक्तो लक्ष्मणस्तस्याः क्रुद्धो रामस्य पार्श्वतः।
उद्धृत्य खङ्गं चिच्छेद कर्णनासं महाबलः॥
ity ukto lakṣmaṇas tasyāḥ kruddho rāmasya pārśvataḥ
uddhṛtya khaḍgaṁ ciccheda karṇa-nāsaṁ mahā-balaḥ
iti = thus; uktaḥ = upon being instructed; lakṣmaṇaḥ = Lakṣmaṇa; tasyāḥ = her; kruddhaḥ = the angry; rāmasya = to Rāma; pārśvataḥ = [who was standing] next; uddhṛtya = took out and; khaḍgam = His sword; ciccheda = cut off; karṇa-nāsam = ears and nose; mahā-balaḥ = and greatly powerful.
Upon being instructed thus, the angry and greatly powerful Lakṣmaṇa [who was standing] next to Rāma took out His sword and cut off her ears and nose.
1 This translation appears in Prabhupāda’s purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.18.
It should be noted that though Śūrpaṇakhā was enamored with Rāma, she experienced destruction because of her offenses to Rāma’s beloved devotee [Sītā-devī].
NOTE. Instead of offending the Supreme Lord’s beloved devotees, one should respectfully serve them and hear the holy name and fame of the Supreme Lord from them in order to be delivered from material miseries. Prabhupāda explains:
Lord Caitanya, who preached Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the modern world, gave great stress to hearing because if the common man simply hears from authoritative sources he can progress, especially, according to Lord Caitanya, if he hears the transcendental vibration Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. It is stated, therefore, that all men should take advantage of hearing from realized souls and gradually become able to understand everything. The worship of the Supreme Lord will then undoubtedly take place. Lord Caitanya has said that in this age no one needs to change his position, but one should give up the endeavor to understand the Absolute Truth by speculative reasoning. One should learn to become the servant of those who are in knowledge of the Supreme Lord. If one is fortunate enough to take shelter of a pure devotee, hear from him about self-realization and follow in his footsteps, one will be gradually elevated to the position of a pure devotee. (Bhagavad-gītā 13.26 purport)
This process is noted in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.3:
jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām
sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir
ye prāyaśo ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyām
Lord Brahmā said, “O my Lord Kṛṣṇa, a devotee who abandons the path of empiric philosophical speculation aimed at merging in the existence of the Supreme and engages himself in hearing Your glories and activities from a bona fide sādhu, or saint, and who lives an honest life in the occupational engagement of his social life, can conquer Your sympathy and mercy even though You are ajita, or unconquerable.”1