Lankā was now in ruins. Every household had lost someone or the other in the battle. The women were mourning. No one blamed Rāma. They knew he was there to rescue his wife. They were angry at Shurpanakhā. She was the root cause of this tragedy. ‘How audacious of an old woman like her to lay eyes on the young princes of Ayodhyā. She is the one who pushed Khara, Dushana and then Rāvana into this war. It is because of Shurpanakhā’s instigation that Rāvana abducted Seetā and antagonised Rāma.
