Why did Surpanakha want to kill his brother, Ravana?

It is said that if there had been no Surpanakha and Kaikeyi in the Ramayana, there would be no great story of the Ramayana.

Surpanakha was the sister of the demon king Ravana. Her character was very less, however, she created a very strong link in carrying the story further.

She was the youngest child of Rishi Vishrava and his second wife, Kaikesi. She was as beautiful as her mother. Her childhood name was “Minakshi”, one who has fish-like eyes.

In her young age, she fell in love with the Danavas prince of Kalkeya clan, Vidyutjihva and eloped and surreptitiously married her. Knowing this, Ravana became very furious. Why …?

It is because - Ravana was Rakshasa and Vidyutjihva was Danava. Rakshasa and Danavas were enemies. That was not acceptable for Ravana to get her sister married with his enemy.

For this audacity, Ravana wanted to punish her. But on the persuasion of his wife Mandodari, the relationship was approved and reluctantly, Ravana accepted Danavas his relatives.

Although, Rakshasa and Danava had become relatives, the dynamite of animosity was still hidden in their relationship.

During the conquest of Rasatala (the underworld), Ravana decided to visit his newly married sister and brother-in-law, Vidyutjihva. In the absence of Surpanakha, Ravana and Vidyutjihva started arguing on some matter, and soon after, that argument converted into fight. And in that fight Ravana killed Vidyutjihva.

The life of Surpanakha became highly miserable after the death of her husband with the hand of his own brother. Grief-stricken widowed Surpanakha split her time between Lanka and the woods of Southern India, sometimes, living with her forest-dwelling Asura relatives, Khara and Dushana.

Surpanakha could not forgive her brother who had made her widow and compelled her to live in destitute.

During her one visit to the forest of Panchavati, she met the exiled price Rama. Smitten by Rama`s appearance, she approached him to make the relationship.  

Rama refused her saying - I am married and I have my wife with me. You can ask Laxman. She then approached Laxman, and he also refused her. She was humiliated. In agitation, humiliated Surpanakha attacked Sita. Laxman protected Sita. And for this ill-conduct of Surpanakha, infuriated Laxman chopped her nose and the tip of her breast.    

With her chopped nose, Surpanakha first approached her brother Khara and told him what had happened. Hearing this, enraged Khara sent seven Rakshasa warriors to attack Rama to take the revenge of the humiliation of her sister.

Rama easily defeated them. Then Khara came with 14,000 soldiers to fight with Rama. All were killed except Akampan,Sumali's son and Kaikesi's brother, who fled to Lanka.

Surpanakha was quite impressed by the strength of Rama and Laxman who had also killed her grandmother, Thataka and her uncle, Subahu. Her cousins in the forest were terrified by the vigor of Rama.

She got what she was in search for so many years. She was looking for a person who can match the strength of his brother, Ravana, and slay him.

She wanted her brother to be killed the way her husband was killed.

Assured by the strength or Rama and Laxman, Surpanakha approached Ravana's court and provoked her brother to take the vengeance of the humiliation of his own sister. She enticed her brother to abduct and wed Rama`s wife Sita by extolling her virtues and beauty. Despite the opposition of his younger brother, Vibhishana, Ravana kidnapped Sita which triggered a war between Rama and Ravana in which Ravana was killed by Rama.

This infers that - everyone has right to choose his or her own life. No one wants to be dominated by the arrogant decision of others which snatch the happiness and peace of the individuals. In the name of saving the superficial social status, the ignorant and arrogant impose their decisions on others to be followed, if not, honor killings.

Although his sister had married to whom she wanted and happily living with her husband , Ravana had not accepted that, resultant – Ravana killed his own brother-in-law to celebrate his pride without thinking the future and happiness of his sister.

Ravana knew that his sister cannot do anything to him. But he forgot that a person can be too weak to destroy someone by his own, but can be a powerful cause of the destruction of the destroyer.