Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 18: Śūrpaṇakhā Disfigured
Text 3.18.26

ततः सभार्यं भयमोहमूर्च्छिता सलक्ष्मणं राघवमागतं वनम्।
विरूपणं चात्मनि शोणितोक्षिता शशंस सर्वं भगिनी खरस्य सा॥

tataḥ sabhāryaṁ bhaya-moha-mūrcchitā
salakṣmaṇaṁ rāghavam āgataṁ vanam
virūpaṇaṁ cātmani śoṇitokṣitā
śaśaṁsa sarvaṁ bhaginī kharasya sā

tataḥ = then; sabhāryam = with His wife; bhaya-moha-mūrcchitā = was overcome by perplexity due to fear; sa-lakṣmaṇam = and Lakṣmaṇa; rāghavam = about Rāghava; āgatam = who had come; vanam = to the forest; virūpaṇam = about mutilation; ca = and; ātmani = her; śoṇita-ukṣitā = wet with blood; śaśaṁsa = spoke; sarvam = everything; bhaginī = sister; kharasya = Khara’s; = she.

Wet with blood, Khara’s sister was overcome by perplexity due to fear.1 She then spoke about Rāghava who had come to the forest with His wife and Lakṣmaṇa and everything about her mutilation.

The author now summarizes the content of the next chapter in one verse.

Śūrpaṇakhā was overcome by perplexity due to fear, that is, she was senseless.1 She spoke everything about her mutilation, that is, she also described the reasons for her mutilation.

[1] dūrānātmottamāḥ parāḥ. (Amara)

1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: kharasya bhaginī sapatnī-mātṛ-putratvān mātṛṣvaseyatvāc ceti pūrvam upapāditam.

1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: bhayajo moho bhaya-mohaḥ niḥsaṁjñatā tena mūrcchitā vyāptā