Chapter 3(38)
Maricha’s words were full of what was beneficial. However, like a person wishing to die does not accept medicines, Ravana did not accept what he said. Maricha spoke words that were like a medicament. However, goaded by destiny, the lord of the rakshasas addressed him in harsh and inappropriate words. ‘O Maricha! You have addressed me in inappropriate and futile words. These are extremely pointless words, like seeds sown in a barren spot. With these words, you are incapable of frightening me against taking on Rama in a battle. He is wicked in conduct and foolish. Moreover, he is human. Rama has abandoned his well-wishers, his kingdom, his mother and his father. Hearing the ordinary words of a woman, he went to the forest alone, on foot. He killed Khara in a battle. In your presence, I should certainly abduct Sita, whom he loves more than his own life. O Maricha! This resolution of my heart has been determined. Even if Indra is there, with the gods and the asuras, I am incapable of withdrawing from it. Had I asked you about the pros and cons and about the appropriate and inappropriate means, it would indeed have been your task to determine that and speak to me in this way. A skilled adviser who desires his own prosperity should speak, with hands joined in salutation, only when he has been asked by the king. If one wishes to address disagreeable words, appropriate and beneficial, to a lord of the earth, they should be properly spoken, displaying mildness first. O Maricha! A king who deserves respect does not take delight in disrespectful and insulting words, even if they are uttered for the sake of benefit. Infinitely energetic kings embody the five forms of Agni, Indra, Soma, Yama and Varuna244 and the respective attributes of fierceness, valour, gentleness, chastisement and suppleness. Therefore, under all circumstances, kings must be respected and worshipped. You have ignored dharma and are only immersed in delusion. I have come to you, but because of the wickedness of your soul, you have spoken in this harsh way to me. O rakshasa! I did not ask you about the pros and the cons, or about what is beneficial for my own self. You should help me in this task. Assume the form of a wonderful golden deer, with silver spots. After having tempted Vaidehi, you can go wherever you wish to. On seeing your golden form, full of maya, Maithilee will be filled with wonder. She will tell Rama, “Bring it here quickly.” When Kakutstha and Lakshmana have withdrawn, I will cheerfully abduct Vaidehi, like the one with the one thousand eyes taking away Shachi.245 O rakshasa! After having performed this task, you can go away wherever you want. O Maricha! O one with the excellent vows! I will give you half of my kingdom. O amiable one! Follow the auspicious path of accomplishing this task. I will deprive Raghava and obtain Sita without a battle. Having accomplished the task, with you, I will leave for Lanka. You will accomplish this task, even if I have to force you to do it. A person who acts against his king does not obtain happiness. When you approach him, there may be a doubt about your remaining alive. However, if you act against me, your death now is certain. You must make your intelligence realize that doing this here and that there, is beneficial for you.’
Chapter 3(39)
The roamer in the night heard the contrary command spoken by the king. Maricha addressed these harsh words to the lord of the rakshasas. ‘O roamer in the night! Who has instructed you about this wicked deed that leads to your destruction, with your sons, your kingdom and your advisers? O king! Who is the evil-acting one who does not rejoice in your happiness? Who has urged you towards a means that will convey you to death’s door? O roamer in the night! It is sufficiently clear that they are your enemies, desiring a reduction in your valour and your destruction by urging you against someone who is stronger. Who is the inferior one, disastrous in intelligence, who has instructed you in this way? O roamer in the night! He desires that you should be destroyed because of your own deeds. O Ravana! It is evident that your advisers are not restraining you from killing yourself. Even if their status is elevated, they should be restrained in every way. If a king follows desire and conducts himself, resorting to an inappropriate path, virtuous advisers must restrain him in every way. But though you should be restrained, they are not restraining you. O supreme among victorious ones! O roamer in the night! Advisers obtain dharma, artha, kama and fame through the favours of their master. O Ravana! When there is a catastrophe, all those become futile. The calamity a master reaps because of his evil qualities also devolves on inferior people. O supreme among victorious ones! The king is the foundation for dharma and victory. Therefore, in every situation, kings must be protected. O roamer in the night! O rakshasa! It is impossible to protect a kingdom through ferocity, contrariness and lack of humility. There are advisers who worship you and give you ferocious counsel. Like a wicked charioteer, they will swiftly drive you down an uneven road. In this world, there are many virtuous people who follow dharma. However, because of the crimes of others, they are destroyed, with their followers. O Ravana! When the master is contrary and ferocious, the protection and prosperity of the subjects is not enhanced, like sheep who are protected by a jackal. O Ravana! All the rakshasas will certainly be destroyed, since they have a harsh and evil-minded king like you, who has been unable to conquer his senses. Like a coincidence, you are bringing about this terrible calamity.246 When you are going to be destroyed, with your soldiers, what is admirable? After I have been slain, Rama will soon kill you. I will act so that the act is done by him. My death will come about through an enemy.247 Know that as soon as Rama sees me, my death is certain. Know that you and your relatives will also be killed when you abduct Sita. If you go with me to the hermitage and bring Sita, you will not remain. I will not remain, nor will Lanka and the rakshasas remain. O one who roams in the night! I am restraining you because I seek your welfare. Do not be intolerant about these words. When the lifespans of men are over and they are like those who are dead, they do not accept the beneficial words spoken by their well-wishers.’
Chapter 3(40)
The distressed Maricha addressed these harsh words to Ravana. However, scared of the lord of those who roam around in the night, he agreed to go. ‘He is the one who wields arrows, a bow and a sword. If he sees me, and doesn’t even raise a weapon, my life will be destroyed. But since you are so evil-souled, what am I capable of doing? O father!248 O one who roams around in the night! May you be fortunate. I will go.’ The rakshasa249 was delighted at these words. He embraced him extremely tightly and spoke these words. ‘Despite being under my subjugation, you have uttered these rash and obstinate words.250 You are Maricha now. But formerly, you used to be another roamer in the night.251 With me, swiftly ascend this chariot, decorated with jewels, that travels through the sky. It is yoked to mules that have faces like pishachas.’ Ravana and Maricha ascended the chariot that was like a vimana. They swiftly travelled towards the circle of hermitages. They saw all the habitations, forests, mountains, rivers, kingdoms and cities. They reached Dandakaranya, where Raghava’s hermitage was, and with Maricha, Ravana, the lord of the rakshasas, saw it. Ravana descended from the chariot that was decorated with gold. Taking Maricha’s hand in his, he spoke these words. ‘Rama’s hermitage can be seen. It is surrounded with plantain trees. O friend! Quickly do what we have come here for.’
Hearing Ravana’s words, the rakshasa Maricha assumed the form of a deer and roamed around near the entrance to Rama’s hermitage. The tips of his horns had the best of jewels. His face was partly white and partly dark. His mouth was like a red lotus. His ears were like blue lotuses. His neck was elevated and his stomach had the complexion of a blue diamond. His flanks were partly of the hue of madhuka flowers and partly like the filaments of lotuses. His hooves were like lapis lazuli. His body and calves were formed well. The radiant tail was raised up and had the complexion of Indra’s weapon.252 His complexion was pleasant and mild, decorated with many kinds of jewels. In an instant, the rakshasa assumed the form of this extremely beautiful deer. He seemed to make the forest and Rama’s hermitage blaze. The rakshasa created this beautiful form that was a sight to behold. To tempt Vaidehi, there were many kinds of wonderful minerals on his body
. He went there and roamed around, grazing on the grass that was there in every direction. He was pleasant to see and there were hundreds of colourful silver spots on him. He grazed on grass and the leaves of trees and wandered around. Here and there, he went into the groves of plantain and karnikara trees. He resorted to a gentle pace, so that Sita could see him. The large deer was resplendent, with the marks of red lotuses on his back. At ease and cheerfully, he roamed around in Rama’s hermitage. That excellent deer wandered around, entering and retreating. He would swiftly enter and withdraw in an instant. He played around and sometimes sat down on the ground. He went to the hermitage’s entrance and then joined a herd of deer. Having followed that herd of deer, he returned again. The rakshasa had assumed the form of a deer so as to show himself to Sita. He wandered around in wonderful circles and jumped around. All the others who roam around in the forest saw this deer. They approached him, inhaled his smell and fled in the ten directions. Those wild deer recognized him to be a rakshasa, engaged in the killing of deer. However, he disguised those sentiments and did not touch them or eat them.
At that time, Vaidehi, with the beautiful eyes, approached the trees, eager to collect some flowers. The one with the beautiful eyes and beautiful face wandered around, collecting flowers from karnikara, ashoka and mango trees. She did not deserve to live in the forest. The supreme lady saw the deer, covered with jewels and with wonderful pearls and gems decorating his limbs. His teeth and lips were beautiful. The hair on the body seemed to be made out of silver. As she gazed affectionately at him, her eyes dilated in wonder. Rama’s beloved saw the deer that was full of maya. He was wandering around there, as if setting the forest on fire. She had not seen anything like this earlier, a deer decorated with jewels. Sita, Janaka’s daughter, was filled with great wonder.
Chapter 3(41)
While she was collecting flowers, the one with the beautiful hips saw him. His flanks were decorated in colours of silver and gold. The one with the unblemished limbs and with a golden complexion was delighted. She called out to her husband and to Lakshmana, who was armed. Rama and Lakshmana, tigers among men, were summoned there by Vaidehi. They glanced around that spot and saw the deer. On seeing him, Lakshmana was suspicious and told Rama, ‘I think this is the rakshasa Maricha in the form of a deer. O Rama! When kings came to the forest on a hunt, this wicked one, who can assume any form at will, disguised himself and killed them. He is skilled in the use of maya and has used maya to create the form of a deer. O tiger among men! This is like a dazzling city of the gandharvas.253 O Raghava! A deer with these kinds of wonderful jewels does not exist. O lord of the world! There is no doubt that this is a maya in this world.’
When he spoke in this way to Kakutstha, Sita, the one with the beautiful smiles, restrained him. Her senses confused by the deceit, she cheerfully said, ‘O son of a noble person! This delightful deer has stolen my heart. O mighty-armed one! Bring him here. We will play with him. There are many kinds of auspicious deer that can be seen to wander around in this hermitage, like chamaras and srimaras.254 There are large numbers of bears, spotted deer, apes and kinaras.255 O mighty-armed one! Those immensely strong ones assume the best of forms and roam around. O king! But I have not seen a deer like this earlier. In energy, mildness and radiance, this is supreme among deer. His limbs have many wonderful hues and he is dotted with gems. Completely at ease, he beautifies and radiates the forest, like the moon. Look at his form. Look at his radiance. He is calling in a beautiful tone. This extraordinary and wonderful deer is stealing my heart. If this deer allows you to capture him alive, that will be extraordinary and will generate great wonder. When our residence in the forest is over and we return to the royal palace again, this deer will be an ornament in the inner quarters. O lord! This divine form of the deer will generate great wonder in Bharata, in the son of the noble one256 and in my mothers-in-law. O tiger among men! If you are unable to capture this excellent deer alive, its hide will still be beautiful. Even if the spirited one is killed, I wish to be humbly seated on its golden skin, spread with tender darbha grass. It has been said that this kind of ferocity and conduct driven by desire is unseemly in women. But the form of the spirited one has generated great wonder in me. His body hair is golden. His horns are adorned with the best of jewels. His complexion is like that of the rising sun and is as radiant as the path of the nakshatras.’257
Raghava’s mind was also filled with wonder. He heard Sita’s words and saw the extraordinary deer. Happily, Raghava addressed his brother, Lakshmana, in these words. ‘O Lakshmana! Behold what has caused desire and delight in Vaidehi. This is the best among deer and his like does not exist today in the forest, in the region of Nandana, or in the refuge of Chaitraratha. O Soumitri! Where on earth is there a deer that is his equal? The beautiful hair on his body grows up at some places and down in others. With colourful spots of gold, this deer is splendid. Look at him yawn, with his tongue emerging from his mouth like the blazing flame of a fire, as if a cloud is tinged with lightning. His curved mouth has sapphires and his stomach has the complexion of a conch shell. Can you name anyone whose mind will not be tempted by this deer? His form has the complexion of molten gold. There are many kinds of celestial jewels. On seeing him, whose mind will not be filled with wonder? On hunts, kings roam around in the great forest. O Lakshmana! Wielding bows, they kill deer for the sake of their flesh. They exert themselves in the great forest and collect many kinds of minerals, gems, jewels and gold. All those riches make men prosper. O Lakshmana! Everything thought of in the mind enhances Shukra’s treasure house.258 O Lakshmana! If a person desires artha and goes around unhesitatingly collecting that artha, those who know the sacred texts about artha say that this artha is true artha. With me, the slender-waisted Vaidehi will be seated on half of this deer’s golden and gem-encrusted hide. It is my view that nothing will be equal to that touch—not kadali, not priyaki, not praveni, not aviki.259 There are only two deer that are so beautiful and divine. There is this one that is wandering around on earth. There is also the divine one that roams around in the sky, following the path of the stars.260 O Lakshmana! Even if what you have said is correct, that it is the rakshasa’s maya, it is my task to kill him. This is the cruel Maricha who is unclean in his soul. He used to wander around in the forest earlier, causing violence to the bulls among the sages. There were many kings, supreme archers, who came here on hunts and he arose against them and killed them. Therefore, this deer should be slain. On an earlier occasion, Vatapi vanquished the ascetics. When he was in the stomachs of the brahmanas, he slew them, like a mare.261 After some time, because of his great greed, he ate the great sage, Agastya, whose great energy meant that he262 was the one who came to be eaten. The illustrious one saw that Vatapi desired to rise up and assume his own form. He smiled and told him, “O Vatapi! Using your energy, you indiscriminately vanquished the best of brahmanas in the world of the living. Therefore, I have digested you.” O Lakshmana! There will never be another rakshasa like Vatapi. Even if he is always devoted to dharma and has conquered his senses, if he shows me disrespect, he will be slain, just as Vatapi was devastated by Agastya. Remain here. Arm yourself and attentively protect Maithilee. O descendant of the Raghu lineage! Everything that we wish to do is based on her. I will kill or capture this deer. O Soumitri! I will go and quickly bring the deer back. O Lakshmana! Look at Vaidehi and see how she desires the deerskin. The deer’s skin is his remarkable feature and he will no longer remain today. Without any distraction in sentiments, remain in the hermitage with Sita. I will slay the spotted deer with a single arrow. O Lakshmana! I will kill him and quickly come back with the hide.263 O Lakshmana! The extremely strong and intelligent bird, Jatayu is circling around. Take care of Maithilee without any distraction. In every instant, be suspicious.’
The Valmiki Ramayana Page 49
