Lakshmana Severes the Nose of Swarupanakha

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Shurpanakha, sister of the mighty demon Ravana espied Rama and Lakshmana in the forest and their resplendent manhood ignited in her a passionate lust. Inflamed with desire she transformed herself into a beautiful maiden and approached them both with proposals of marriage. Needless to say, she was met with refusal. Incensed and blaming Sita for their lack of attention towards her, Shurpanakha rushed towards Sita, attempting to do her physical injury. Lakshmana stopped her path and deciding to teach her a lesson, cut off her nose. No sooner had he done so than Shurpanakha assumed her true, hideous form. Wailing with pain and humiliation, she flew off to Lanka, where ruled her brother Ravana, wishing him to take revenge on her behalf.

It was this incident which prompted Ravana to carry off Sita, Rama's chaste and devoted wife, and the eventual bloody war, wherein thousands of lives were lost. Rama eventually won, and was able to reunite with Sita.

Here the artist has used a scheme of continuous narrative. On the same painted surface we can see Shurpanakha as a beautiful maiden pounced upon by Lakshmana (seen cutting off her nose), and her eventual flight, regaining her demoness form, envisioned by the artist as dark, misshapen, with a hideous extended tongue, unkempt hair, and pendulous breasts. The blood dripping from her nostrils as she flies through the air, add to her gruesome appearance.

Rama and Sita can be seen in the cottage to the left of the composition.

The background is a flat, rich yellow. The horizon is high and curving, and the ground is defined by scattered bits of grass.

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