66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan

nose,” 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 warriordemon
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 sagelike 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