← 3.34.17 · Araṇya Kāṇḍa 34: Rāvaṇa’s abduction plan · 3.34.19 →
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.34.18
Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 34: Rāvaṇa’s abduction plan. Mārīca must become a golden deer to lure the brothers away, leaving Sītā unguarded and Rāma vulnerable to grief
In the sequence: Rāvaṇa expects her to ask the brothers to catch it, leaving the hut unguarded → he plans to abduct her in their absence and later kill Rāma when grief has weakened him
3.34.18
tvāṃ tu niḥsaṃśayaṃ sītā dṛṣṭvā tu mṛgarūpiṇam
gṛhyatām iti bhartāraṃ lakṣmaṇaṃ cābhidhāsyati
Without doubt, on seeing you in the form of a deer, Sītā will say to her husband and to Lakṣmaṇa, 'Let it be caught!'
Words: tvāṃ tu — and you; niḥsaṃśayaṃ — without doubt; sītā — Sītā; dṛṣṭvā tu — upon seeing; mṛgarūpiṇam — in the form of a deer; gṛhyatām — let it be caught; iti — thus; bhartāraṃ — to her husband; lakṣmaṇaṃ cābhidhāsyati — and will speak to Lakṣmaṇa
Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.