← 3.41.35 · Araṇya Kāṇḍa 41: Rāma pursues the deer · 3.41.37 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.41.36

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 41: Rāma pursues the deer. Lakṣmaṇa suspects Mārīca, Sītā asks for the living animal or its hide and Rāma leaves Lakṣmaṇa to guard her

In the sequence: he adds that if Lakṣmaṇa is right and it is Mārīca, then killing it is justified by the rākṣasa's attacks on munis and hunters

3.41.36

yadi vāyaṃ tathā yan māṃ bhaved vadasi lakṣmaṇa
māyaiṣā rākṣasasyeti kartavyo 'sya vadho mayā

Or if this one be indeed as you tell me, Lakṣmaṇa—that this is the magic of a rākṣasa—then its slaying must be done by me.

Words: yadi vāyaṃ — or if this; tathā — so, thus; yan māṃ — that (which) to me; bhaved — might be; vadasi — you say; lakṣmaṇa — O Lakṣmaṇa; māyaiṣā — this is the magic; rākṣasasyeti — of a rākṣasa, (so); kartavyo — to be done; 'sya vadho — its slaying; mayā — by me

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.