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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.38.15

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 38: Rāvaṇa compels Mārīca. He rejects unwelcome advice, offers half his Kingdom for help and threatens immediate death if Mārīca refuses the deer disguise

In the sequence: he repeats the instructions to become a golden, silver-spotted deer and attract Sītā, expecting both brothers to leave her in pursuit

3.38.15

sauvarṇas tvaṃ mṛgo bhūtvā citro rajatabindubhiḥ
pralobhayitvā vaidehīṃ yatheṣṭaṃ gantum arhasi

Becoming a golden deer, dappled with silver spots, and having enticed Vaidehī, you may then go where you please.

Words: sauvarṇas — golden; tvaṃ — you; mṛgo — deer; bhūtvā — having become; citro — dappled, variegated; rajatabindubhiḥ — with silver spots; pralobhayitvā — having enticed, lured; vaidehīṃ — Vaidehī; yatheṣṭaṃ — as you please; gantum arhasi — you may go

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.