Aranya Kanda · Sarga 42 of 76 · 35 verses
The Golden Deer
Having spoken so harshly to Ravana, Maricha, wretched, out of fear of the lord of the night-rangers, says: “Let us go. Once I am seen again by him, bearing arrows, bow and sword, his weapon raised to kill me, my life is gone. No one who attacks Rama comes back alive; he is the very image of Yama’s rod for you, who are already struck by it. What can I do, with you so wicked? Here I go, dear one. Blessings on you, night-ranger.” The rakshasa is delighted by these words; embracing him closely, he says: “This is the heroic speech of one who follows my wish. Now you are Maricha; before you were some other rakshasa. Mount quickly this flying chariot adorned with jewels, yoked with goblin-faced donkeys, with me. Having tempted Vaidehi, you may go as you wish; I will carry off Sita Maithili by force when the place is empty.” Tataka’s son says, “So be it.” Then Ravana and Maricha mount that chariot, like a celestial one, and quickly leave the circle of hermitages, looking at towns, forests, mountains, all the rivers, countries and cities. Reaching the Dandaka forest, Ravana, king of the rakshasas, with Maricha, sees Raghava’s hermitage. Getting down from the gold-adorned chariot, taking Maricha by the hand, Ravana says: “There, surrounded by plantains, is Rama’s hermitage. Do quickly, friend, what we have come for.” Hearing Ravana, the rakshasa Maricha becomes a deer and wanders at the door of Rama’s hermitage.
He takes a great and wonderful form: the tips of his horns made of the finest gems, his face patterned white and dark, his mouth like a red lotus, his ears like sapphire lotuses, his neck slightly raised, his belly like sapphire, his flanks like madhuka flowers, the colour of lotus filaments, his hooves like beryl, slender-legged, well knit, shining with a raised tail the colour of the rainbow, his colour charming and glossy, covered with many kinds of gems. In a moment the rakshasa has become a supremely beautiful deer, lighting up the lovely forest and Rama’s hermitage. Having taken this charming, lovely form, coloured with many minerals, to tempt Vaidehi, the rakshasa wanders, moving gracefully over the grassy lawns on every side, bright with hundreds of silver spots, lovely to see, eating the young shoots of trees. Going to the plantain bower, here and there to the karnikara trees, moving slowly into Sita’s sight, the great deer, his back bright as a lotus, shines, wandering at ease near Rama’s hermitage. Going and coming back, the best of deer wanders; going swiftly for a moment, he returns again; playing, he sometimes sits down on the ground; coming to the hermitage door, he goes to the herds of deer; followed by the herds, he turns back again, the rakshasa become a deer, longing to be seen by Sita, leaping and circling in wonderful rings. All the other deer of the forest, seeing him, come near, sniff him, and flee in all directions. The rakshasa, though devoted to killing deer, touches the forest deer but does not eat them, to hide his nature. At that very time lovely-eyed Vaidehi, busy gathering flowers, passes the trees. Gathering flowers from karnikara, ashoka and mango trees, the woman with intoxicating eyes and lovely face wanders, she who does not deserve forest life. The noblest of women sees that deer made of jewels, his limbs bright with pearls and gems, with lovely teeth and lips, his hair of silver, and gazes at him lovingly, her eyes wide with wonder. And the deer made of illusion, looking at Rama’s beloved, wanders there as if lighting up the forest. Seeing that deer, never seen before, made of many kinds of jewels, Sita, daughter of Janaka, is filled with the greatest wonder.
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एवमुक्त्वा तु परुषं मारीचो रावणं ततः । गच्छावेत्यब्रवीद् दीनो भयाद् रात्रिंचरप्रभोः ॥ १ ॥
Having spoken so harshly to Ravana, Maricha then, wretched, out of fear of the lord of the night-rangers, said: “Let us go.
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The Golden Deer 1 min read.
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दृष्टश्चाहं पुनस्तेन शरचापासिधारिणा । मद्वधोद्यतशस्त्रेण निहतं जीवितं च मे ॥ २ ॥
“Seen by him again, bearing arrows, bow and sword, his weapon raised to kill me, my life is killed.
नहि रामं पराक्रम्य जीवन् प्रतिनिवर्तते । वर्तते प्रतिरूपोऽसौ यमदण्डहतस्य ते ॥ ३ ॥
“For no one who has attacked Rama comes back alive. He is the counterpart for you, who are struck by the rod of Yama.
किं नु कर्तुं मया शक्यमेवं त्वयि दुरात्मनि । एष गच्छाम्यहं तात स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु निशाचर ॥ ४ ॥
“What can I do, with you so wicked? Here I go, dear one. Blessings on you, night-ranger.”
प्रहृष्टस्त्वभवत् तेन वचनेन स राक्षसः । परिष्वज्य सुसंश्लिष्टमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ ५ ॥
That rakshasa was delighted by those words; embracing him closely, he said these words:
एतच्छौटीर्ययुक्तं ते मच्छन्दवशवर्तिनः । इदानीमसि मारीचः पूर्वमन्यो हि राक्षसः ॥ ६ ॥
“This is endowed with heroism, from you who follow my wish. Now you are Maricha; before, you were another rakshasa.
आरुह्यतामयं शीघ्रं खगो रत्नविभूषितः । मया सह रथो युक्तः पिशाचवदनैः खरैः ॥ ७ ॥
“Let this flying chariot adorned with jewels be mounted quickly, yoked with me, with goblin-faced donkeys.
प्रलोभयित्वा वैदेहीं यथेष्टं गन्तुमर्हसि । तां शून्ये प्रसभं सीतामानयिष्यामि मैथिलीम् ॥ ८ ॥
“Having tempted Vaidehi, you may go as you wish. I will bring that Sita Maithili by force when it is empty.”
ततस्तथेत्युवाचैनं रावणं ताटकासुतः । ततो रावणमारीचौ विमानमिव तं रथम् ॥ ९ ॥
Then Tataka’s son said to that Ravana, “So be it.” Then Ravana and Maricha, mounting that chariot like a celestial chariot,
आरुह्याययतुः शीघ्रं तस्मादाश्रममण्डलात् । तथैव तत्र पश्यन्तौ पत्तनानि वनानि च ॥ १० ॥
went swiftly from that circle of hermitages, looking likewise there at towns and forests,
गिरींश्च सरितः सर्वा राष्ट्राणि नगराणि च । समेत्य दण्डकारण्यं राघवस्याश्रमं ततः ॥ ११ ॥
at mountains and all rivers, at countries and cities. Reaching the Dandaka forest, then Raghava’s hermitage
ददर्श सहमारीचो रावणो राक्षसाधिपः । अवतीर्य रथात् तस्मात् ततः काञ्चनभूषणात् ॥ १२ ॥
Ravana, king of the rakshasas, saw with Maricha. Getting down then from that chariot adorned with gold,
हस्ते गृहीत्वा मारीचं रावणो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । एतद् रामाश्रमपदं दृश्यते कदलीवृतम् ॥ १३ ॥
taking Maricha by the hand, Ravana said these words: “This is seen to be the site of Rama’s hermitage, surrounded by plantains.
क्रियतां तत् सखे शीघ्रं यदर्थं वयमागताः । स रावणवचः श्रुत्वा मारीचो राक्षसस्तदा ॥ १४ ॥
“Let that be done quickly, friend, for which we have come.” Hearing Ravana’s words, the rakshasa Maricha then,
मृगो भूत्वाऽऽश्रमद्वारि रामस्य विचचार ह । स तु रूपं समास्थाय महदद्भुतदर्शनम् ॥ १५ ॥
becoming a deer, wandered at the door of Rama’s hermitage. Taking on a great form, wonderful to see,
मणिप्रवरशृङ्गाग्रः सितासितमुखाकृतिः । रक्तपद्मोत्पलमुख इन्द्रनीलोत्पलश्रवाः ॥ १६ ॥
the tips of his horns of the finest gems, his face shaped white and dark, his mouth like a red lotus and water-lily, his ears like sapphire lotuses,
किंचिदभ्युन्नतग्रीव इन्द्रनीलनिभोदरः । मधूकनिभपार्श्वश्च कञ्जकिञ्जल्कसंनिभः ॥ १७ ॥
his neck slightly raised, his belly like sapphire, his flanks like madhuka flowers, like lotus filaments,
वैदूर्यसंकाशखुरस्तनुजङ्घः सुसंहतः । इन्द्रायुधसवर्णेन पुच्छेनोर्ध्वं विराजितः ॥ १८ ॥
his hooves like beryl, slender-legged, well knit, shining upward with a tail the colour of Indra’s weapon,
मनोहरस्निग्धवर्णो रत्नैर्नानाविधैर्वृतः । क्षणेन राक्षसो जातो मृगः परमशोभनः ॥ १९ ॥
of charming, glossy colour, covered with gems of many kinds: in a moment the rakshasa became a supremely beautiful deer,
वनं प्रज्वलयन् रम्यं रामाश्रमपदं च तत् । मनोहरं दर्शनीयं रूपं कृत्वा स राक्षसः ॥ २० ॥
lighting up the lovely forest and that site of Rama’s hermitage. Having made a charming form, lovely to see,
प्रलोभनार्थं वैदेह्या नानाधातुविचित्रितम् । विचरन् गच्छते सम्यक् शाद्वलानि समन्ततः ॥ २१ ॥
bright with many kinds of minerals, to tempt Vaidehi, the rakshasa, wandering, moved properly over the grassy lawns on every side.
रौप्यैर्बिन्दुशतैश्चित्रं भूत्वा च प्रियदर्शनः । विटपीनां किसलयान् भक्षयन् विचचार ह ॥ २२ ॥
Becoming bright with hundreds of silver spots and lovely to see, he wandered, eating the young shoots of trees.
कदलीगृहकं गत्वा कर्णिकारानितस्ततः । समाश्रयन् मन्दगतिं सीतासंदर्शनं ततः ॥ २३ ॥
Going to the plantain bower, to the karnikaras here and there, taking a slow gait, then into Sita’s sight,
राजीवचित्रपृष्ठः स विरराज महामृगः । रामाश्रमपदाभ्याशे विचचार यथासुखम् ॥ २४ ॥
that great deer, his back bright with lotuses, shone. He wandered at ease near the site of Rama’s hermitage.
पुनर्गत्वा निवृत्तश्च विचचार मृगोत्तमः । गत्वा मुहूर्तं त्वरया पुनः प्रतिनिवर्तते ॥ २५ ॥
Having gone and turned back again, the best of deer wandered; having gone swiftly for a moment, he turns back again;
विक्रीडंश्च क्वचिद् भूमौ पुनरेव निषीदति । आश्रमद्वारमागम्य मृगयूथानि गच्छति ॥ २६ ॥
playing, he sometimes sits down on the ground again; coming to the hermitage door, he goes to the herds of deer;
मृगयूथैरनुगतः पुनरेव निवर्तते । सीतादर्शनमाकांक्षन् राक्षसो मृगतां गतः ॥ २७ ॥
followed by the herds of deer, he turns back again, the rakshasa become a deer, longing for Sita’s sight,
परिभ्रमति चित्राणि मण्डलानि विनिष्पतन् । समुद्वीक्ष्य च सर्वे तं मृगा येऽन्ये वनेचराः ॥ २८ ॥
he circles about, leaping out in wonderful rings. And seeing him, all the other deer that roam the forest,
उपगम्य समाघ्राय विद्रवन्ति दिशो दश । राक्षसः सोऽपि तान् वन्यान् मृगान् मृगवधे रतः ॥ २९ ॥
coming near and sniffing, flee in the ten directions. That rakshasa too, though devoted to killing deer, those forest deer
प्रच्छादनार्थं भावस्य न भक्षयति संस्पृशन् । तस्मिन् नेव ततः काले वैदेही शुभलोचना ॥ ३० ॥
he touches but does not eat, to hide his nature. At that very time Vaidehi of lovely eyes,
कुसुमापचये व्यग्रा पादपानत्यवर्तत । कर्णिकारानशोकांश्च चूतांश्च मदिरेक्षणा ॥ ३१ ॥
busy gathering flowers, passed the trees. From karnikaras, ashokas and mangoes, the woman with intoxicating eyes,
कुसुमान्यपचिन्वन्ती चचार रुचिरानना । अनर्हा वनवासस्य सा तं रत्नमयं मृगम् ॥ ३२ ॥
gathering flowers, wandered, lovely-faced, unworthy of forest life. That deer made of jewels
मुक्तामणिविचित्राङ्गं ददर्श परमाङ्गना । तं वै रुचिरदन्तोष्ठं रूप्यधातुतनूरुहम् ॥ ३३ ॥
the noblest woman saw, his limbs bright with pearls and gems; that one with lovely teeth and lips, with hair of silver ore,
विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयना सस्नेहं समुदैक्षत । स च तां रामदयितां पश्यन् मायामयो मृगः ॥ ३४ ॥
her eyes wide with wonder, she gazed at lovingly. And that deer made of illusion, looking at Rama’s beloved,
विचचार ततस्तत्र दीपयन्निव तद् वनम् । अदृष्टपूर्वं दृष्ट्वा तं नानारत्नमयं मृगम् । विस्मयं परमं सीता जगाम जनकात्मजा ॥ ३५ ॥
wandered then there, as if lighting up that forest. Seeing that deer, never seen before, made of many kinds of jewels, Sita, Janaka’s daughter, came to the greatest wonder.