--- title: "Aranya Kanda, Sarga 42" canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/aranya-kanda/sarga-42" lang: "en" --- # Aranya Kanda, Sarga 42 > एवमुक्त्वा तु परुषं मारीचो रावणं ततः। > गच्छावेत्यब्रवीद् दीनो भयाद् रात्रिंचरप्रभोः॥ १॥ Having spoken such harsh words to Rāvaṇa, Mārīca, for his part, who felt afflicted through fear of the king of ogres, said, “Let us both depart. (1) > दृष्टश्चाहं पुनस्तेन शरचापासिधारिणा। > मद्वधोद्यतशस्त्रेण निहतं जीवितं च मे॥ २॥ “Nay, if I am seen again by Rāma, the wielder of arrows, a bow and a sword, with his weapon raised to make short work of me, my life is doomed. (2) > नहि रामं पराक्रम्य जीवन् प्रतिनिवर्तते। > वर्तते प्रतिरूपोऽसौ यमदण्डहतस्य ते॥ ३॥ “Showing valour against Rāma nobody can return alive. He is quite a match for you, who stand already killed by the rod of Death. (3) > किं नु कर्तुं मया शक्यमेवं त्वयि दुरात्मनि। > एष गच्छाम्यहं तात स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु निशाचर॥ ४॥ “When you are so evil-minded, what on earth can be done by me to check you? Here do I go, my dear Rāvaṇa ! May all be well with you, O prowler of the night !” (4) > प्रहृष्टस्त्वभवत् तेन वचनेन स राक्षसः। > परिष्वज्य सुसंश्लिष्टमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥ ५॥ The ogre Rāvaṇa felt highly rejoiced at these words. Closely embracing Mārīca, he spoke to him as follows : (5) > एतच्छौटीर्ययुक्तं ते मच्छन्दवशवर्तिनः। > इदानीमसि मारीचः पूर्वमन्यो हि राक्षसः॥ ६॥ “This utterance of yours is full of valour, since you now follow my mind. You are now the same Mārīca as you were before. Heretofore some other unknown ogre possessed you. (6) > आरुह्यतामयं शीघ्रं खगो रत्नविभूषितः। > मया सह रथो युक्तः पिशाचवदनैः खरैः॥ ७॥ “Let this aerial car tastefully decorated with jewels and drawn by donkeys with the head of a goblin be mounted quickly by you with me. (7) > प्रलोभयित्वा वैदेहीं यथेष्टं गन्तुमर्हसि। > तां शून्ये प्रसभं सीतामानयिष्यामि मैथिलीम्॥ ८॥ “Having fascinated Sītā (the princess of the Videha territory), you may go wherever you please. At a time when there is none beside her, I shall forcibly fetch Sītā, the aforesaid princess of Mithilā.” (8) > ततस्तथेत्युवाचैनं रावणं ताटकासुतः। > ततो रावणमारीचौ विमानमिव तं रथम्॥ ९॥ > आरुह्याययतुः शीघ्रं तस्मादाश्रममण्डलात्। > तथैव तत्र पश्यन्तौ पत्तनानि वनानि च॥ १०॥ > गिरींश्च सरितः सर्वा राष्ट्राणि नगराणि च। > समेत्य दण्डकारण्यं राघवस्याश्रमं ततः॥ ११॥ > ददर्श सहमारीचो रावणो राक्षसाधिपः। > अवतीर्य रथात् तस्मात् ततः काञ्चनभूषणात्॥ १२॥ > हस्ते गृहीत्वा मारीचं रावणो वाक्यमब्रवीत्। > एतद् रामाश्रमपदं दृश्यते कदलीवृतम्॥ १३॥ Thereupon Mārīca (son of the ogress Tāṭakā) answered him saying, “Be it so !” Mounting the aforesaid chariot looking like an aerial car, Rāvaṇa and Mārīca then departed from the circumference of that hermitage. Beholding as before on the way towns and forests, mountains and all the rivers falling on the way, states and cities, both reached the Daṇḍaka forest together. Accompanied by Mārīca, Rāvaṇa, the suzerain lord of ogres, than beheld the hermitage of Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu. Descending from that chariot decked with gold and taking Mārīca by the hand, Rāvaṇa spoke to him as follows : “Here is seen the site of Rāma’s hermitage, hemmed in with plantain trees. (9—13) > क्रियतां तत् सखे शीघ्रं यदर्थं वयमागताः। > स रावणवचः श्रुत्वा मारीचो राक्षसस्तदा॥ १४॥ > मृगो भूत्वाऽऽश्रमद्वारि रामस्य विचचार ह। > स तु रूपं समास्थाय महदद्भुतदर्शनम्॥ १५॥ > मणिप्रवरशृङ्गाग्रः सितासितमुखाकृतिः। > रक्तपद्मोत्पलमुख इन्द्रनीलोत्पलश्रवाः॥ १६॥ > किंचिदभ्युन्नतग्रीव इन्द्रनीलनिभोदरः। > मधूकनिभपार्श्वश्च कञ्जकिञ्जल्कसंनिभः॥ १७॥ > वैदूर्यसंकाशखुरस्तनुजङ्घः सुसंहतः। > इन्द्रायुधसवर्णेन पुच्छेनोर्ध्वं विराजितः॥ १८॥ > मनोहरस्निग्धवर्णो रत्नैर्नानाविधैर्वृतः। > क्षणेन राक्षसो जातो मृगः परमशोभनः॥ १९॥ “Do that quickly, my friend, for which we have come.” Turning into a deer the moment he heard the request of Rāvaṇa, that ogre, Mārīca, paced to and fro at the entrance of Śrī Rāma’s hermitage: so the tradition goes, Assuming a remarkable form presenting a wonderful sight, the aforesaid ogre for his part turned in an instant into a most attractive deer, with the tips of its horns bright as sapphire, its head partly white and partly dark, the upper part of its snout bearing the hue of a red lotus and the lower that of a blue lotus, its ears shining as sapphire and resembling a blue lotus, its neck slightly projecting upwards, its belly having the hue of a sapphire, its flanks pale as a Madhūka flower and the animal itself shining brightly like the filaments of a lotus, its hoofs resembling a cat’s-eye gem and body well-compacted with slender legs and looking splendid with its tail resembling the rainbow at the top and wearing a charming glossy skin freckled with a number of jewel-like spots. (14—19) > वनं प्रज्वलयन् रम्यं रामाश्रमपदं च तत्। > मनोहरं दर्शनीयं रूपं कृत्वा स राक्षसः॥ २०॥ > प्रलोभनार्थं वैदेह्या नानाधातुविचित्रितम्। > विचरन् गच्छते सम्यक् शाद्वलानि समन्ततः॥ २१॥ Having assumed a soul-captivating and attractive form, coloured with various minerals in order to fascinate Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory), the aforesaid ogre began to move about with confidence, illumining that lovely forest and the site of Śrī Rāma’s hermitage and grazing heartily the green verdure. (20-21) > रौप्यैर्बिन्दुशतैश्चित्रं भूत्वा च प्रियदर्शनः। > विटपीनां किसलयान् भक्षयन् विचचार ह॥ २२॥ Putting on an enchanting appearance with hundreds of silvery spots and lovely to look at, the ogre strayed here and there nibbling the tender shoots of trees : so it is said. (22) > कदलीगृहकं गत्वा कर्णिकारानितस्ततः। > समाश्रयन् मन्दगतिं सीतासंदर्शनं ततः॥ २३॥ > राजीवचित्रपृष्ठः स विरराज महामृगः। > रामाश्रमपदाभ्याशे विचचार यथासुखम्॥ २४॥ Entering the plantain grove, and then the cluster of Karṇikāra trees, and seeking to attract the full notice of Sītā, nay, adopting a tardy gait, that large stag with its back looking attractive like the filament of a lotus shone brightly and paced hither and thither complacently near the site of Śrī Rāma’s hermitage. (23-24) > पुनर्गत्वा निवृत्तश्च विचचार मृगोत्तमः। > गत्वा मुहूर्तं त्वरया पुनः प्रतिनिवर्तते॥ २५॥ Having returned after disappearing awhile, that jewel among the deer roamed about on that very spot. Leaving the place for an hour or so, it came back again in haste. (25) > विक्रीडंश्च क्वचिद् भूमौ पुनरेव निषीदति। > आश्रमद्वारमागम्य मृगयूथानि गच्छति॥ २६॥ Nay, playing about at one time, it sat down on the ground once more. And reaching the entrance of the hermitage, it joined the herds of deer. (26) > मृगयूथैरनुगतः पुनरेव निवर्तते। > सीतादर्शनमाकांक्षन् राक्षसो मृगतां गतः॥ २७॥ Keenly longing to attract the notice of Sītā, the ogre, who had converted into the form of a deer, returned once more, followed by herds of deer. (27) > परिभ्रमति चित्राणि मण्डलानि विनिष्पतन्। > समुद्वीक्ष्य च सर्वे तं मृगा येऽन्ये वनेचराः॥ २८॥ > उपगम्य समाघ्राय विद्रवन्ति दिशो दश। > राक्षसः सोऽपि तान् वन्यान् मृगान् मृगवधे रतः॥ २९॥ > प्रच्छादनार्थं भावस्य न भक्षयति संस्पृशन्। > तस्मिन्नेव ततः काले वैदेही शुभलोचना॥ ३०॥ > कुसुमापचये व्यग्रा पादपानत्यवर्तत। > कर्णिकारानशोकांश्च चूतांश्च मदिरेक्षणा॥ ३१॥ > कुसुमान्यपचिन्वन्ती चचार रुचिरानना। > अनर्हा वनवासस्य सा तं रत्नमयं मृगम्॥ ३२॥ > मुक्तामणिविचित्राङ्गं ददर्श परमाङ्गना। > तं वै रुचिरदन्तोष्ठं रूप्यधातुतनूरुहम्॥ ३३॥ > विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयना सस्नेहं समुदैक्षत। > स च तां रामदयितां पश्यन् मायामयो मृगः॥ ३४॥ > विचचार ततस्तत्र दीपयन्निव तद् वनम्। > अदृष्टपूर्वं दृष्ट्वा तं नानारत्नमयं मृगम्। > विस्मयं परमं सीता जगाम जनकात्मजा॥ ३५॥ Nay, while coming near Sītā, he spun describing round a number of circles. Gazing on him from a distance, approaching him and snuffing him, all other deer that hunted that forest scattered in all directions. In order to hide his intention, that ogre, though fond of killing deer, would not devour those wild deer even though fully touching them. That very moment Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory), who was possessed of lovely and bewitching eyes and a charming countenance and was intently plucking flowers, just appeared on this side of the Karṇikāra, Aśoka and mango trees and moved about plucking flowers. Unworthy of exile in the forest, that excellent lady sighted that jewel among antelopes, having its limbs freckled with pearl-like spots. With her eyes dilated through wonder, she fondly surveyed that deer with lovely teeth and jaws and hair shining like silver and other minerals. Looking on her beloved consort, Śrī Rāma, that illusory deer too presently roamed about on that spot, illumining that forest, as it were. Seeing that deer, the like of which had never been seen before, and which was made up of varied jewels, as it were, Sītā, Janaka’s daughter, experienced great wonder. (28—35) Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana --- Source: Gita Press, Gorakhpur editions. Buy the book: https://gitapress.org/product/sri-ramcharitmanas-special-edition Ramayana.com, a free, ad-free project of Ved Vyas Foundation.