Aranya Kanda · Sarga 44 of 76 · 27 verses
The Death of Maricha
Having instructed his brother so, the delight of the Raghus, of great splendour, girds on his sword with its golden hilt. Then, taking his triple-curved bow, his own ornament, and fastening on his two quivers, he goes with lofty stride. Seeing the king of kings coming, the king of the forest vanishes from fear, then appears again. Sword girded, bow in hand, Rama runs toward the deer and sees it ahead, as if lighting up the forest with its form. Bow in hand in the great forest, he sees it running and looking back again and again, sometimes leaping out of range, tempting him, wary and agitated, as if flying into the sky, now seen, now unseen in parts of the forest, like the autumn moon’s disc veiled by torn clouds, seen for a moment and then shining far off again. By appearing and disappearing, Maricha in the form of a deer draws Raghava far from the hermitage. Kakutstha, deluded by it and helpless, grows angry; then, very tired, he stops in the shade on a grassy lawn. The night-ranger in the form of a deer maddens him, appearing not far off surrounded by other deer. Seeing him wanting to catch it, it rushes off again, and at once disappears again from fear. Then again it comes out of a clump of trees far off. Seeing it, Rama of great splendour decides to kill it. Angry, Raghava draws out an arrow, bright as the sun’s rays, blazing, crusher of enemies, fits it to his very strong bow, draws it with force and, aiming at the deer, which is like a hissing snake, releases the blazing, shining weapon made by Brahma. The best of arrows, like a thunderbolt, pierces the body of the deer-form and splits the heart of Maricha himself. Leaping up a palm-tree’s height, deeply stricken, he falls, his life ebbing, and lets out a terrible roar on the ground. Dying, Maricha gives up that false body. Remembering Ravana’s words, the rakshasa thinks how Sita may send Lakshmana away so that Ravana can carry her off when the place is empty. Knowing the time has come, he cries out, exactly like Raghava: “Ha Sita! Lakshmana!” Pierced in the vital part by that incomparable arrow, abandoning the deer-form and taking the form of a rakshasa, Maricha, giving up his life, makes his body huge.
Seeing the terrible rakshasa fallen on the ground, his limbs drenched in blood, writhing on the earth, Rama goes to Sita in his mind, remembering Lakshmana’s words: “This was Maricha’s illusion, as Lakshmana said before. It has turned out so today; this Maricha has been killed by me. This rakshasa died crying out loudly, ‘Ha Sita! Lakshmana!’ Hearing it, what will become of Sita? And mighty-armed Lakshmana, what state will he be in?” Thinking so, righteous Rama, his hair standing on end, is seized by a sharp fear born of despair. Having killed the rakshasa in deer form and heard that cry, Raghava kills another spotted deer, takes the meat, and hurries back toward Janasthana.
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तथा तु तं समादिश्य भ्रातरं रघुनन्दनः । बबन्धासिं महातेजा जाम्बूनदमयत्सरुम् ॥ १ ॥
Having instructed his brother so, the delight of the Raghus, of great splendour, girded on his sword with its hilt of gold.
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ततस्त्रिविनतं चापमादायात्मविभूषणम् । आबध्य च कपालौ द्वौ जगामोदग्रविक्रमः ॥ २ ॥
Then, taking his triple-curved bow, his own ornament, and fastening on his two quivers, he went with lofty stride.
तं वन्यराजो राजेन्द्रमापतन्तं निरीक्ष्य वै । बभूवान्तर्हितस्त्रासात् पुनः संदर्शनेऽभवत् ॥ ३ ॥
The king of the forest, seeing that king of kings rushing toward him, vanished out of fear and became visible again.
बद्धासिर्धनुरादाय प्रदुद्राव यतो मृगः । तं स्म पश्यति रूपेण द्योतयन्तमिवाग्रतः ॥ ४ ॥
With sword girded, taking his bow, he ran to where the deer was. He saw it in front, as if lighting up with its form.
अवेक्ष्यावेक्ष्य धावन्तं धनुष्पाणिर्महावने । अतिवृत्तमिवोत्पाताल्लोभयानं कदाचन ॥ ५ ॥
Bow in hand in the great forest, looking at it again and again as it ran, sometimes going out of range with a leap, tempting him,
शङ्कितं तु समुद्भ्रान्तमुत्पतन्तमिवाम्बरम् । दृश्यमानमदृश्यं च वनोद्देशेषु केषुचित् ॥ ६ ॥
wary, agitated, as if flying up into the sky, seen and unseen in some parts of the forest,
छिन्नाभ्रैरिव संवीतं शारदं चन्द्रमण्डलम् । मुहूर्तादेव ददृशे मुहुर्दूरात् प्रकाशते ॥ ७ ॥
like the disc of the autumn moon veiled by torn clouds: seen only for a moment, it again shone from afar.
दर्शनादर्शनेनैव सोऽपाकर्षत राघवम् । स दूरमाश्रमस्यास्य मारीचो मृगतां गतः ॥ ८ ॥
By appearing and disappearing, Maricha, become a deer, drew that Raghava far from this hermitage.
आसीत् क्रुद्धस्तु काकुत्स्थो विवशस्तेन मोहितः । अथावतस्थे सुश्रान्तश्छायामाश्रित्य शाद्वले ॥ ९ ॥
Kakutstha, helpless, deluded by it, was angry; then, very tired, he stopped, resorting to the shade on a grassy lawn.
स तमुन्मादयामास मृगरूपो निशाचरः । मृगैः परिवृतोऽथान्यैरदूरात् प्रत्यदृश्यत ॥ १० ॥
The night-ranger in the form of a deer maddened him; then, surrounded by other deer, it was seen not far off.
ग्रहीतुकामं दृष्ट्वा तं पुनरेवाभ्यधावत । तत्क्षणादेव संत्रासात् पुनरन्तर्हितोऽभवत् ॥ ११ ॥
Seeing him wanting to catch it, it rushed off again; at that very moment, out of fear, it disappeared again.
पुनरेव ततो दूराद् वृक्षखण्डाद् विनिःसृतः । दृष्ट्वा रामो महातेजास्तं हन्तुं कृतनिश्चयः ॥ १२ ॥
Then again it came out from a clump of trees far off. Seeing it, Rama of great splendour made up his mind to kill it.
भूयस्तु शरमुद्धृत्य कुपितस्तत्र राघवः । सूर्यरश्मिप्रतीकाशं ज्वलन्तमरिमर्दनम् ॥ १३ ॥
Again drawing out an arrow, angry there, Raghava, bright as the sun’s rays, blazing, crusher of enemies,
संधाय सुदृढे चापे विकृष्य बलवद्बली । तमेव मृगमुद्दिश्य श्वसन्तमिव पन्नगम् ॥ १४ ॥
fitting it to his very strong bow and drawing it forcefully, the mighty one, aiming at that very deer, like a hissing snake,
मुमोच ज्वलितं दीप्तमस्त्रं ब्रह्मविनिर्मितम् । शरीरं मृगरूपस्य विनिर्भिद्य शरोत्तमः ॥ १५ ॥
released the blazing, shining weapon made by Brahma. The best of arrows, having split the body of the deer-form,
मारीचस्यैव हृदयं बिभेदाशनिसंनिभः । तालमात्रमथोत्प्लुत्य न्यपतत् स भृशातुरः ॥ १६ ॥
like a thunderbolt, split the heart of Maricha himself. Then, leaping up a palm-tree’s height, he fell, deeply stricken.
व्यनदद् भैरवं नादं धरण्यामल्पजीवितः । म्रियमाणस्तु मारीचो जहौ तां कृत्रिमां तनुम् ॥ १७ ॥
With little life left, he roared a terrible roar on the ground. Dying, Maricha gave up that false body.
स्मृत्वा तद्वचनं रक्षो दध्यौ केन तु लक्ष्मणम् । इह प्रस्थापयेत् सीता तां शून्ये रावणो हरेत् ॥ १८ ॥
Remembering those words, the rakshasa thought: “By what means can Sita send Lakshmana away from here, so that Ravana may carry her off when it is empty?”
स प्राप्तकालमाज्ञाय चकार च ततः स्वनम् । सदृशं राघवस्येव हा सीते लक्ष्मणेति च ॥ १९ ॥
Knowing the time had come, he then made a cry exactly like Raghava’s: “Ha Sita! Lakshmana!”
तेन मर्मणि निर्विद्धं शरेणानुपमेन हि । मृगरूपं तु तत् त्यक्त्वा राक्षसं रूपमास्थितः ॥ २० ॥
Pierced in a vital part by that incomparable arrow, abandoning that deer-form, he took on the form of a rakshasa.
चक्रे स सुमहाकायं मारीचो जीवितं त्यजन् । तं दृष्ट्वा पतितं भूमौ राक्षसं भीमदर्शनम् ॥ २१ ॥
Maricha, giving up his life, made his body very huge. Seeing that rakshasa of terrible appearance fallen on the ground,
रामो रुधिरसिक्ताङ्गं चेष्टमानं महीतले । जगाम मनसा सीतां लक्ष्मणस्य वचः स्मरन् ॥ २२ ॥
his limbs sprinkled with blood, writhing on the earth, Rama went in his mind to Sita, remembering Lakshmana’s words:
मारीचस्य तु मायैषा पूर्वोक्तं लक्ष्मणेन तु । तत् तथा ह्यभवच्चाद्य मारीचोऽयं मया हतः ॥ २३ ॥
“This was Maricha’s illusion, as was said before by Lakshmana. It has happened so today; this Maricha has been killed by me.
हा सीते लक्ष्मणेत्येवमाक्रुश्य तु महास्वनम् । ममार राक्षसः सोऽयं श्रुत्वा सीता कथं भवेत् ॥ २४ ॥
“Crying out loudly ‘Ha Sita! Lakshmana!’, this rakshasa has died. Hearing it, how will Sita be?
लक्ष्मणश्च महाबाहुः कामवस्थां गमिष्यति । इति संचिन्त्य धर्मात्मा रामो हृष्टतनूरुहः ॥ २५ ॥
“And mighty-armed Lakshmana, what state will he come to?” Having thought this, righteous Rama, his hair standing on end,
तत्र रामं भयं तीव्रमाविवेश विषादजम् । राक्षसं मृगरूपं तं हत्वा श्रुत्वा च तत्स्वनम् ॥ २६ ॥
a sharp fear born of despair entered Rama there, having killed the rakshasa in deer form and heard that cry.
निहत्य पृषतं चान्यं मांसमादाय राघवः । त्वरमाणो जनस्थानं ससाराभिमुखं तदा ॥ २७ ॥
And having killed another spotted deer and taken the meat, Raghava, hurrying, then made his way toward Janasthana.