Reading Diary B Week 2: Soorpanaka

My favorite part of this reading was Soorpanaka’s extreme lust for Rama.  Even though he blatantly refuses her offers multiple times, she still schemes various plans to get him.  However, these schemes result in either herself or her family being harmed or killed.  Even after Lakshmana deforms her by cutting off her nose, ears, and breasts and Rama still denies her, she doesn't give up.  Her devotion is comical because she never gives up even though every plan she tries fails miserably.

Her final attempt is to trick her brother Ravana, much like she tried to trick Kara, into lusting after Sita.  With Ravana looking to capture Sita and take her away from Rama, Soorpanaka believes that this will leave her the opportunity to become Rama’s lover.  In fact, Soorpanaka is so obsessed with Rama that she must constantly fight her feelings to appear to others as though she hates Rama for every misfortune that has occurred. 

One of my favorite quotes from this section that shows Soorpanaka’s comical obsession with Rama includes:

“‘Even if I had a thousand tongues, I could never fully explain his beauty and the grandeur of his personality.  Even if I had a thousand eyes one could not take in the splendor of this being’...She realized that she had made a blunder revealing too much of her inner feelings for Rama and corrected herself by adding, ‘For all his looks, what a cruel heart he has!  His mission in life is to wipe out our whole family, clan, class from the face of this earth,’” (Narayan 75). 

I like this quote because it demonstrates Soorpanaka’s intense infatuation with Rama.  Even though she has been maimed and had members of her family killed due to her obsession with Rama, she is still able to praise his looks and personality.  Furthermore, Soorpanaka explains that Rama’s duty in life is to kill demons like her.  This is perhaps the most comical point because Soorpanaka still lusts for Rama even though it is his fate to kill her.

Lakshmana is shown maiming Soorpanaka in the lower right-hand corner. Source: Wikipedia