Vālmīki's Rāmāyaṇa, Sundarakāṇḍa, sargas 21 and 22, names eight Rākṣasīs among Sītā's guards:
Ekajaṭā = one-tangle
Eyes red with fury (krodha-tāmr'ākṣī), she extols Rāvaṇa's lineage and asks Sītā why she doesn't agree to marry him.
Harijaṭā = yellow-tangle
Angrily widening her eyes (vivṛtya nayane kopāt) that resemble a cat's eyes (mārjāra-sadṛś'ekṣaṇā), she praises Rāvaṇa's battle history and his willingness to leave his wives for Sītā.
Vinatā = bent-over
Savage (karālā), of fearsome appearance (bhīma-darśanā) and protruding belly (nirṇat'odarī), with angry features (kupit'ākārā) she tells Sītā not to overdo her husband-love, praises Rāvaṇa's manners and luxury, and threatens to devour Sītā.
Vikaṭā = wicked
With drooping breasts (lambamāna-payo-dharā), angry (kupitā), she raises her fist (muṣṭim udyamya) and roars (garjatī) at Sītā that they have tolerated her talk, but no one can rescue her, so Sītā should stop making herself miserable and be happy while she's youthful, or Vikaṭā will rip out her heart to eat.
Caṇḍodarī = fierce-belly
Violent-looking (krūra-darśanā), making a large spear revolve (bhrāmayantī mahac chūlam), she lists the body parts of Sītā that she wants to eat.
Praghasā = devourer
She suggests that if they strangled Sītā and told Rāvaṇa she died, he would surely tell them to eat her.
Ajāmukhī = goat-faced
She proposes to slaughter Sītā, divide her into equal parts for all of them, because "squabbling doesn't appeal to me" (vivādo me na rocate), and bring on the drinks and garlands!
Śūrpaṇakhā = winnowing-fan-nails
Agreeing with Ajāmukhī, she says that liquor dispels all grief (surā ... sarva-śoka-vināśinī), and after eating human meat (mānuṣaṃ māṃsam āsādya), they can dance at Nikumbhilā (nṛtyāmo'tha Nikumbhilām).
After Sītā responds, Trijaṭā = three-tangles who is old (vṛddhā) and lying down (śayānā) tells the Rākṣasīs in sarga 25 to devour themselves (ātmānaṃ khādata) because they won't get to eat Sītā. She goes on to narrate her dream of Rāma's victory and Rāvaṇa's death.
In Yuddhakāṇḍa, sargas 37-38, Trijaṭā accompanies Sītā on a flight aboard Puṣpaka, having been ordered by Rāvaṇa to show her that Indrajit has killed Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. However, Trijaṭā points out signs that they are still alive, telling Sītā, anṛtaṃ n'okta-pūrvaṃ me na ca vakṣye kadā cana = deceit I haven't spoken before, and I won't express it ever.
In the Rām'opākhyāna section of Mahābhārata (Āraṇyakaparvan chapter 264), Rāvaṇa assigns these Rākṣasīs to guard Sītā: Dvyakṣī = two-eyes, Tryakṣī = three-eyes, Lalāṭākṣī = forehead-eye, Dīrghajihvā = long-tongue, Ajihvikā = no-tongue, Tristanī = three-breasts, Ekapādā = one-foot, Trijaṭā = three-tangles, and Ekalocanā = one-eye. Trijaṭā tells Sītā that Avindhya, a wise old Rākṣasa-bull, wants her to know that Rāma is on his way to rescue her, aided by the monkey king, and Nalakūbara's curse will protect her from Rāvaṇa.
When Indrajit has been slain and Rāvaṇa wants to kill Sītā with his sword, Avindhya dissuades him, saying that he shouldn't kill a woman; she's already killed, being a woman and a prisoner; breaking her body won't kill her, but kill her husband only, and when he's killed, consider her killed (Mahābhārata, Āraṇyakaparvan 273.29-31):
mahā-rājye sthito dīpte na striyaṃ hantum arhasi
hat'aiv'aiṣā yadā strī ca bandhana-sthā ca te gṛhe
na c'aiṣā deha-bhedena hatā syād iti me matiḥ
jahi bhartāram ev'āsyā hate tasmin hatā bhavet
na hi te vikrame tulyaḥ sākṣād api Śatakratuḥ
asakṛd dhi tvayā s'Endrās trāsitās tridaśā yudhi
In chapter 275, Avindhya escorts Sītā to Rāma, and Rāma rewards both Avindhya and Trijaṭā.
So, who wants to play which Rākṣasī and talk like her? Do I have to be the tongueless Ajihvika in this forum?
Edited by BrhannadaArmour - 1 months ago
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