Aranya Kanda · Sarga 36 of 76 · 24 verses
The Plan of the Golden Deer
“Maricha, dear one, listen to what I say. I am in distress, and you are my highest refuge in my distress. You know Janasthana, where my brother Khara lived, and mighty Dushana, and my sister Shurpanakha, and mighty Trishiras, the flesh-eating rakshasa, and many other brave night-rangers who had hit their marks, living there at my command, harassing the sages who practise dharma in the great forest: fourteen thousand rakshasas of terrible deeds, brave, following Khara’s will. Now those mighty ones living in Janasthana, led by Khara, gathered and fully prepared, with many kinds of weapons, met Rama in battle. Rama, his anger roused, without a harsh word, set his bow to work with arrows at the head of the battle, and fourteen thousand rakshasas of fierce splendour were killed with blazing arrows by a human on foot; Khara was killed in battle, Dushana brought down, Trishiras killed, and the Dandakas made fearless. Driven out by his angry father with his wife, his life cut short, that Rama, slayer of that army, is a disgrace among kshatriyas, without character, harsh, fierce, foolish, greedy, his senses unconquered, who has given up dharma, unrighteous, devoted to the harm of beings, by whom, without enmity, in the forest, relying only on strength, my sister was disfigured by the cutting off of her ears and nose. I will bring his wife Sita, like a daughter of the gods, from Janasthana by force; be my helper there. With you as my helper beside me, mighty one, and with my brothers, I would not think twice about all the gods here. So be my helper, for you are able, rakshasa. There is no one equal to you in valour, in battle or in pride; you are a great hero in stratagems, a master of great illusions. That is why I have come to you, night-ranger. Hear the task in which you must help me at my word. Become a golden deer, spotted with silver, and wander in front of Sita at Rama’s hermitage. Seeing you in the form of a deer, Sita will surely tell her husband and Lakshmana, ‘Catch it!’ Then, when they have gone and the place is empty, I will carry off Sita as I please, unhindered, as Rahu takes the light of the moon. Then afterwards, when Rama is wasted by the abduction of his wife, I will strike him easily and confidently, my inner self satisfied.” Hearing his talk of Rama, great-souled Maricha’s mouth goes dry and he is terrified. Licking his dry lips, with eyes as if unblinking, distressed as if he were dead, he looks at Ravana. Knowing Rama’s valour in the great forest, his mind frightened and dejected, he joins his palms and tells Ravana the truth, words good for him and good for himself.
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मारीच श्रूयतां तात वचनं मम भाषतः । आर्तोऽस्मि मम चार्तस्य भवान् हि परमा गतिः ॥ १ ॥
“Maricha, dear one, listen to my words as I speak. I am in distress, and you are my highest refuge in my distress.
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The Plan of the Golden Deer 1 min read.
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जानीषे त्वं जनस्थानं भ्राता यत्र खरो मम । दूषणश्च महाबाहुः स्वसा शूर्पणखा च मे ॥ २ ॥
“You know Janasthana, where my brother Khara was, and mighty-armed Dushana, and my sister Shurpanakha,
त्रिशिराश्च महाबाहू राक्षसः पिशिताशनः । अन्ये च बहवः शूरा लब्धलक्षा निशाचराः ॥ ३ ॥
“and mighty-armed Trishiras, the flesh-eating rakshasa, and many other brave night-rangers who had hit their marks.
वसन्ति मन्नियोगेन अधिवासं च राक्षसाः । बाधमाना महारण्ये मुनीन् ये धर्मचारिणः ॥ ४ ॥
“The rakshasas live there at my command and as their dwelling, harassing the sages who practise dharma in the great forest.
चतुर्दश सहस्राणि रक्षसां भीमकर्मणाम् । शूराणां लब्धलक्षाणां खरचित्तानुवर्तिनाम् ॥ ५ ॥
“Fourteen thousand rakshasas of terrible deeds, brave, who had hit their marks, following the will of Khara:
ते त्विदानीं जनस्थाने वसमाना महाबलाः । सङ्गताः परमायत्ता रामेण सह संयुगे ॥ ६ ॥
“those mighty ones, now living in Janasthana, came together, fully prepared, with Rama in battle,
नानाशस्त्रप्रहरणाः खरप्रमुखराक्षसाः । तेन संजातरोषेण रामेण रणमूर्धनि ॥ ७ ॥
“the rakshasas led by Khara, with weapons of many kinds. By that Rama, his anger roused, at the head of the battle,
अनुक्त्वा परुषं किंचिच्छरैर्व्यापारितं धनुः । चतुर्दश सहस्राणि रक्षसामुग्रतेजसाम् ॥ ८ ॥
“without speaking any harsh word, the bow was set to work with arrows; fourteen thousand rakshasas of fierce splendour
निहतानि शरैर्दीप्तैर्मानुषेण पदातिना । खरश्च निहतः संख्ये दूषणश्च निपातितः ॥ ९ ॥
“were killed with blazing arrows by a human on foot. Khara was killed in battle, and Dushana brought down;
हत्वा त्रिशिरसं चापि निर्भया दण्डकाः कृताः । पित्रा निरस्तः क्रुद्धेन सभार्यः क्षीणजीवितः ॥ १० ॥
“having killed Trishiras too, the Dandakas were made fearless. Driven out by his angry father with his wife, his life diminished,
स हन्ता तस्य सैन्यस्य रामः क्षत्रियपांसनः । अशीलः कर्कशस्तीक्ष्णो मूर्खो लुब्धोऽजितेन्द्रियः ॥ ११ ॥
“that slayer of that army, Rama, disgrace of kshatriyas, without character, harsh, fierce, foolish, greedy, of unconquered senses,
त्यक्तधर्मा त्वधर्मात्मा भूतानामहिते रतः । येन वैरं विनारण्ये सत्त्वमास्थाय केवलम् ॥ १२ ॥
“having abandoned dharma, of unrighteous self, devoted to the harm of beings, by whom, without enmity, in the forest, relying only on strength,
कर्णनासापहारेण भगिनी मे विरूपिता । अस्य भार्यां जनस्थानात् सीतां सुरसुतोपमाम् ॥ १३ ॥
“my sister was disfigured by the taking of her ears and nose. His wife Sita, like a daughter of the gods, from Janasthana
आनयिष्यामि विक्रम्य सहायस्तत्र मे भव । त्वया ह्यहं सहायेन पार्श्वस्थेन महाबल ॥ १४ ॥
“I will bring by force; be my helper there. For with you as my helper standing beside me, very mighty one,
भ्रातृभिश्च सुरान् सर्वान् नाहमत्राभिचिन्तये । तत्सहायो भव त्वं मे समर्थो ह्यसि राक्षस ॥ १५ ॥
“and with my brothers, I do not give a thought here to all the gods. So be my helper, for you are able, rakshasa.
वीर्ये युद्धे च दर्पे च न ह्यस्ति सदृशस्तव । उपायतो महान् शूरो महामायाविशारदः ॥ १६ ॥
“In valour, in battle and in pride there is none equal to you; a great hero in stratagems, skilled in great illusions.
एतदर्थमहं प्राप्तस्त्वत्समीपं निशाचर । शृणु तत् कर्म साहाय्ये यत् कार्यं वचनान्मम ॥ १७ ॥
“For this purpose I have come to you, night-ranger. Hear that task in which you must help at my word.
सौवर्णस्त्वं मृगो भूत्वा चित्रो रजतबिन्दुभिः । आश्रमे तस्य रामस्य सीतायाः प्रमुखे चर ॥ १८ ॥
“Becoming a golden deer, bright with silver spots, wander at that Rama’s hermitage in front of Sita.
त्वां तु निःसंशयं सीता दृष्ट्वा तु मृगरूपिणम् । गृह्यतामिति भर्तारं लक्ष्मणं चाभिधास्यति ॥ १९ ॥
“Seeing you in the form of a deer, Sita will without doubt say to her husband and to Lakshmana, ‘Let it be caught.’
ततस्तयोरपाये तु शून्ये सीतां यथासुखम् । निराबाधो हरिष्यामि राहुश्चन्द्रप्रभामिव ॥ २० ॥
“Then, when those two have gone away and it is empty, I will carry off Sita as I please, unhindered, as Rahu the moon’s light.
ततः पश्चात् सुखं रामे भार्याहरणकर्शिते । विश्रब्धं प्रहरिष्यामि कृतार्थेनान्तरात्मना ॥ २१ ॥
“Then afterwards, when Rama is wasted by the carrying off of his wife, I will strike him easily, confidently, my inner self satisfied.”
तस्य रामकथां श्रुत्वा मारीचस्य महात्मनः । शुष्कं समभवद् वक्त्रं परित्रस्तो बभूव च ॥ २२ ॥
Hearing his talk about Rama, great-souled Maricha’s mouth became dry and he became terrified.
ओष्ठौ परिलिहन् शुष्कौ नेत्रैरनिमिषैरिव । मृतभूत इवार्तस्तु रावणं समुदैक्षत ॥ २३ ॥
Licking his dry lips, with eyes as if unblinking, distressed like one dead, he looked up at Ravana.
स रावणं त्रस्तविषण्णचेता महावने रामपराक्रमज्ञः । कृताञ्जलिस्तत्त्वमुवाच वाक्यं हितं च तस्मै हितमात्मनश्च ॥ २४ ॥
He, knowing Rama’s valour in the great forest, his mind frightened and dejected, with joined palms spoke true words to Ravana, good for him and good for himself.