They traced Lakshman from his footprints; and in order to revenge the killing of her son, Surpanakha formed herself into a beautiful damsel; and taking with her the four demonesses, who had also formed themselves into very good maid-servants, she went to Lakshman.*

She said, “I have travelled all over the earth in search of a husband; but I have not found a young man as beautiful as yourself. I have become mad after you, and unless you consent to marry me, I shall not live. I therefore implore you to take me for your wife. Do not you see how I look? Can you get elsewhere a quite young girl like me?”

Lakshman was not at all captivated with her charms, but she having much insisted upon his giving her an answer, he replied, “I have got my brother and sister-in-law. There they live in a hut. I cannot do anything without their consent.”

“I shall go to your brother,” said the demoness, “and get a letter from him consenting to our match.”

So saying, she went to Panchavati with her maid-servants and said to Rama, “I like your brother from the bottom of my heart. I have made up my mind to marry him, and he has also promised me to take me for his wife subject to your approval of the match. I therefore pray that you will kindly pity me and give me your letter or any other sign signifying your consent to our marriage.”

Sita was moved with her manner of address and requested Rama to comply with her request. Rama surveyed her from head to foot; and finding her eyeballs upside down, he knew that she was Surpanakha in the form of a human being. Rama therefore said, “I have no objection to give you my consent, but I shall write it on your back.”

“How can you do it,” replied she, “I feel bashful to show you my back.”

“It does not matter,” continued Rama. “There is no one here.”

At last Surpanakha told Rama to write his consent on her back, which the latter wrote and sent her away.

The demoness hastened to the place where Lakshman was standing and said, “You see, your brother has consented to our marriage with much pleasure. If you like, you may go and ask him about it. I am not a liar, you know. He has given me no letter or any sign but he has simply told you to marry me.”

“That will not do,” replied Lakshman, “I must have a letter or sign from my brother signifying his consent to our marriage.”

Surpanakha, having known his mind, showed the letter written by Rama on her back. The letter stated that as soon as Lakshman read it, he should at once cut off the nose and ears of the demoness. Lakshman read the letter and, having seized her by her hair, flung her down and cut off her nose and ears as directed by Rama.

When her nose and ears were thus cut off, she and her maid-servants assumed their original forms and fled for fear of losing their lives, screaming hideously.

|| OM SAI SHRI SAI JAI JAI SAI || 

|| SHRI SATCHIDANANDA SADGURU SAINATH MAHARAJ KI JAI ||

Note: This narration is based on Ramavijaya: The Mythological History of Rama (Bombay, 1891, Dubhashi & Co.), a public domain text shared here for free reading.

*In the Valmiki Ramayana, Surpanakha directly approaches Rama first, then Lakshman, asking for marriage. She insults Sita, leading Lakshman (at Rama’s suggestion) to mutilate her by cutting off her nose and ears. In the Ramavijaya retelling, it is embellished: Surpanakha disguises herself, Rama writes the trick “letter” on her back, and Lakshman executes it. This version dramatizes the story, but diverges from the classical tradition.