Araṇya Kāṇḍa 55: Rāma meets Lakṣmaṇa · 3.55.2 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.55.1

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 55: Rāma meets Lakṣmaṇa. Omens and the false cry make him fear a plot against Sītā, he reproaches Lakṣmaṇa for leaving her alone

In the sequence: The narrative returns to Rāma after Mārīca's death: hurrying home, he hears an ominous jackal cry behind him

3.55.1

rākṣasaṃ mṛgarūpeṇa carantaṃ kāmarūpiṇam
nihatya rāmo mārīcaṃ tūrṇaṃ pathi nyavartata

Having slain the rākṣasa Mārīca, who could take any form at will and roamed about in the guise of a deer, Rāma turned back swiftly onto the path.

Words: rākṣasaṃ — the rākṣasa; mṛgarūpeṇa — in the guise of a deer; carantaṃ — roaming; kāmarūpiṇam — able to take any form at will; nihatya — having slain; rāmo — Rāma; mārīcaṃ — Mārīca; tūrṇaṃ — swiftly; pathi — onto the path; nyavartata — turned back

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. 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.