"...a damsel of the utmost beauty, he became weary...Rama, even the austere Rama, was struck by her beauty...He stood staring at her in wonderment," (67).



"...her own normal appearance being that of a demon with wild, matted hair, flame-coloured fang-like teeth, enormous stature, and a belly swollen with the meat and blood of animals she had gorged on in her never-ending gluttony. Her name was Soorpanaka. Her brother Ravana had assigned this Dandaka forest as her own domain...in the course of her wanderings, she saw Rama and fell in love and decided to seduce him by every art in her power," (70).



Soopanaka presents herself as a temptress. She disquises her demon-like qualities with magic, to make Rama fall in love with her. In order to fulfill this desire, Soorpanaka convinces her brother to kidnap Sita. This action instigates Rama's mission to defeat Ravana, even before he knows it was his destiny all along. 

​