← 3.41.47 · Araṇya Kāṇḍa 41: Rāma pursues the deer · 3.41.49 →
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.41.48
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 orders Lakṣmaṇa to remain alert beside Sītā, with Jaṭāyu nearby, while he captures or kills the deer and returns.
3.41.48
yāvat pṛṣatam ekena sāyakena nihanmy aham
hatvaitac carma ādāya śīghram eṣyāmi lakṣmaṇa
As soon as I bring down the spotted deer with a single arrow, having slain it and taken its skin, I shall return quickly, Lakṣmaṇa.
Words: yāvat — as soon as, while; pṛṣatam — the spotted deer; ekena sāyakena — with a single arrow; nihanmy aham — I strike down; hatvaitac — having slain this; carma ādāya — taking the skin; śīghram — quickly; eṣyāmi — I shall come; lakṣmaṇa — O 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.