# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 40 — The golden deer appears *Mārīca yields to Rāvaṇa, travels to the hermitage and assumes a jewelled deer’s form that attracts Sītā while frightening the real deer* Portion: The golden deer separates Rāma and Sītā · Verses: 32 · Ref format: 3.40. ## Sequence - Afraid of Rāvaṇa and expecting death from Rāma, Mārīca finally agrees to go (40.1–3) - Rāvaṇa embraces him in delight, praises his compliance, and invites him into the flying chariot (40.4–6) - they travel together to Daṇḍaka and reach Rāma's hermitage (40.7–9) - Rāvaṇa gets down, takes Mārīca's hand, points out the banana-surrounded dwelling, and tells him to act (40.10–11) - Mārīca becomes a marvelous deer with gemlike horns, sapphire-colored features, silver spots, golden coloring, and an iridescent tail (40.12–16) - he moves gracefully over the grass, nibbles shoots, and approaches the trees near the hut so that Sītā will see him (40.17–21) - he repeatedly goes away and returns, mingling with the deer → the real deer smell him and flee; he suppresses his habit of eating them so as not to expose himself (40.22–27) - Sītā comes out gathering flowers and sees him → his extraordinary appearance holds her attention while he continues moving within view (40.28–32). ## Verses **3.40.1** evam uktvā tu paruṣaṃ mārīco rāvaṇo tataḥ gacchāvety abravīd dīno bhayād rātriṃcaraprabhoḥ Having thus spoken harshly, Mārīca, wretched with fear of the lord of the night-rangers, then said to Rāvaṇa, 'Let us go.' **3.40.2** dṛṣṭāś cāhaṃ punas tena śaracāpāsidhāriṇā madvidhodyataśastreṇa vinaṣṭaṃ jīvitaṃ ca me If I am seen again by him—wielder of arrow, bow, and sword, who raises his weapon against ones like me—then my life is lost. **3.40.3** kiṃ tu kartuṃ mayā śakyam evaṃ tvayi durātmani eṣa gacchāmy ahaṃ tāta svasti te 'stu niśācaraḥ But what can I do, when you are so wicked? Here I, the night-ranger, go, my dear; may it be well with you. **3.40.4** prahṛṣṭas tv abhavat tena vacanena sa rākṣasaḥ pariṣvajya susaṃśliṣṭam idaṃ vacanam abravīt At these words that rākṣasa (Rāvaṇa) was delighted, and clasping (Mārīca) in a close embrace, spoke thus: **3.40.5** etac chauṇḍīryayuktaṃ te macchabdād iva bhāṣitam idānīm asi mārīcaḥ pūrvam anyo niśācaraḥ This valorous speech of yours is spoken as though at my very word; now you are (the true) Mārīca—before, you were some other night-ranger. **3.40.6** āruhyatām ayaṃ śīghraṃ khago ratnavibhūṣitaḥ mayā saha ratho yuktaḥ piśācavadanaiḥ kharaiḥ Let this sky-going chariot, adorned with gems, yoked with goblin-faced mules, be mounted quickly along with me. **3.40.7** tato rāvaṇamārīcau vimānam iva taṃ ratham āruhya yayatuḥ śīghraṃ tasmād āśramamaṇḍalāt Then Rāvaṇa and Mārīca, mounting that chariot, which was like a celestial car, went swiftly from that circle of hermitages, **3.40.8** tathaiva tatra paśyantau pattanāni vanāni ca girīṃś ca saritaḥ sarvā rāṣṭrāṇi nagarāṇi ca gazing, as they went, upon cities and forests, and mountains and all the rivers, kingdoms and towns, **3.40.9** sametya daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ rāghavasyāśramaṃ tataḥ dadarśa sahamarīco rāvaṇo rākṣasādhipaḥ Reaching the Daṇḍaka forest, Rāvaṇa, lord of rākṣasas, together with Mārīca, then beheld the hermitage of Rāghava. **3.40.10** avatīrya rathāt tasmāt tataḥ kāñcanabhūṣaṇāt haste gṛhītvā mārīcaṃ rāvaṇo vākyam abravīt Descending from that gold-adorned chariot, then, taking Mārīca by the hand, Rāvaṇa spoke these words: **3.40.11** etad rāmāśramapadaṃ dṛśyate kadalīvṛtam kriyatāṃ tat sakhe śīghraṃ yadarthaṃ vayam āgatāḥ 'This hermitage-ground of Rāma is seen, encircled by plantains; do quickly, my friend, that for which we have come.' **3.40.12** sa rāvaṇavacaḥ śrutvā mārīco rākṣasas tadā mṛgo bhūtvāśramadvāri rāmasya vicacāra ha Hearing Rāvaṇa's words, the rākṣasa Mārīca then, becoming a deer, roamed at the door of Rāma's hermitage. **3.40.13** maṇipravaraśṛṅgāgraḥ sitāsitamukhākṛtiḥ raktapadmotpalamukha indranīlotpalaśravāḥ with horn-tips of the choicest gems, his face marked black and white, his mouth like a red lotus and lily, his ears like sapphire-blue lilies, **3.40.14** kiṃ cid abhyunnata grīva indranīlanibhodaraḥ madhūkanibhapārśvaś ca kañjakiñjalkasaṃnibhaḥ his neck slightly raised, his belly gleaming like sapphire, his flanks like the madhūka flower, glowing like the filament of a lotus, **3.40.15** vaidūryasaṃkāśakhuras tanujaṅghaḥ susaṃhataḥ indrāyudhasavarṇena pucchenordhvaṃ virājitaḥ his hooves like lapis lazuli, his shanks slender, his body well-knit, made resplendent by an upraised tail coloured like the rainbow, **3.40.16** manoharasnigdhavarṇo ratnair nānāvidhair vṛtaḥ kṣaṇena rākṣaso jāto mṛgaḥ paramaśobhanaḥ of a lovely, glossy hue, covered with jewels of many kinds—in a moment the rākṣasa became a most beautiful deer. **3.40.17** vanaṃ prajvalayan ramyaṃ rāmāśramapadaṃ ca tat manoharaṃ darśanīyaṃ rūpaṃ kṛtvā sa rākṣasaḥ Lighting up the lovely forest and that hermitage-ground of Rāma, that rākṣasa, having taken on a form charming and fair to behold, **3.40.18** pralobhanārthaṃ vaidehyā nānādhātuvicitritam vicaran gacchate samyak śādvalāni samantataḥ in order to entice Vaidehī, variegated with minerals of every kind, roaming, moved gracefully over the grassy patches on every side. **3.40.19** rūpyabinduśataiś citro bhūtvā ca priyadarśanaḥ viṭapīnāṃ kisalayān bhaṅktvādan vicacāra ha Dappled with hundreds of silver spots and lovely to behold, breaking off the tender shoots of the trees and eating them, he roamed about. **3.40.20** kadalīgṛhakaṃ gatvā karṇikārān itas tataḥ samāśrayan mandagatiḥ sītāsaṃdarśanaṃ tadā Going to a plantain-bower and resorting here and there to the karṇikāra trees, with slow gait, he then came within Sītā's sight. **3.40.21** rājīvacitrapṛṣṭhaḥ sa virarāja mahāmṛgaḥ rāmāśramapadābhyāśe vicacāra yathāsukham That great deer, with a back dappled like a blue lotus, shone forth, and roamed at his ease near Rāma's hermitage. **3.40.22** punar gatvā nivṛttaś ca vicacāra mṛgottamaḥ gatvā muhūrtaṃ tvarayā punaḥ pratinivartate Going away and returning again, that best of deer roamed about; going off in haste for a moment, he would come back again. **3.40.23** vikrīḍaṃś ca punar bhūmau punar eva niṣīdati āśramadvāram āgamya mṛgayūthāni gacchati Frolicking on the ground, again and again he would sit down; coming to the hermitage door, he would go off to the herds of deer. **3.40.24** mṛgayūthair anugataḥ punar eva nivartate sītādarśanam ākāṅkṣan rākṣaso mṛgatāṃ gataḥ Followed by herds of deer, he would come back again—the rākṣasa in deer-form, longing for the sight of Sītā. **3.40.25** paribhramati citrāṇi maṇḍalāni viniṣpatan samudvīkṣya ca sarve taṃ mṛgā ye 'nye vanecarāḥ He wandered about, bounding off in brilliant circles; and all the other deer, forest-rangers, catching sight of him, **3.40.26** upagamya samāghrāya vidravanti diśo daśa rākṣasaḥ so 'pi tān vanyān mṛgān mṛgavadhe rataḥ approaching and smelling him, fled in the ten directions. And that rākṣasa too, though delighting in the slaughter of deer, **3.40.27** pracchādanārthaṃ bhāvasya na bhakṣayati saṃspṛśan tasminn eva tataḥ kāle vaidehī śubhalocanā in order to conceal his true nature, only touched them and did not eat. At that very time, then, Vaidehī of lovely eyes, **3.40.28** kusumāpacaye vyagrā pādapān atyavartata karṇikārān aśokāṃś ca cūṭāṃś ca madirekṣaṇā intent on gathering flowers, passed among the trees—karṇikāras, aśokas, and mango trees—she of intoxicating eyes, **3.40.29** kusumāny apacinvantī cacāra rucirānanā anarhāraṇyavāsasya sā taṃ ratnamayaṃ mṛgam muktāmaṇivicitrāṅgaṃ dadarśa paramāṅganā Gathering flowers, the fair-faced one wandered about; she, that peerless woman, wife of one who ill deserved to dwell in the forest, beheld that jewelled deer, its body variegated with pearls and gems. **3.40.30** taṃ vai ruciradaṇtauṣṭhaṃ rūpyadhātutanūruham vismayotphullanayanā sasnehaṃ samudaikṣata With eyes wide open in wonder, she gazed with fondness upon him—with lovely teeth and lips, his body-hair like silver ore. **3.40.31** sa ca tāṃ rāma dayitāṃ paśyan māyāmayo mṛgaḥ vicacāra tatas tatra dīpayann iva tad vanam And that illusory deer, seeing her, the beloved of Rāma, roamed there this way and that, as though setting the forest ablaze. **3.40.32** adṛṣṭapūrvaṃ dṛṣṭvā taṃ nānāratnamayaṃ mṛgam vismayaṃ paramaṃ sītā jagāma janakātmajā Seeing that deer, made of many jewels, never seen before, Sītā, the daughter of Janaka, fell into the utmost wonder.