Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 44, Shloka 39
चतुश्चत्वारिंशः सर्गः (Sarga 44): निशायुद्धम्, धूलिरुधिरप्रवाहः, इन्द्रजितो मायायुद्धम्
प्रकाशरूपस्तुतदानशक्तस्तौबाधितुंराक्षसराजपुत्रः ।मायांप्रयोक्तुंसमुपाजगामबबन्धतौराजसुतौदुरात्मा ।।।।
prakāśarūpas tu tadā na śaktas tau bādhituṃ rākṣasarājaputraḥ |
māyāṃ prayoktuṃ samupājagāma babandha tau rājasutau durātmā ||
Doch da der Fürstensohn der Rākṣasas die beiden im offenen, sichtbaren Kampf nicht bezwingen konnte, wandte er sich der Zauberkunst zu; der bös Gesinnte band die beiden Königssöhne durch Trug.
Having lost senses in fury they dragged the elephants, those mounted upon them, and the chariots decorated with posts and flags and tore them with their teeth.
FAQs
Truthful, open contest aligns with dharma; when one cannot win fairly and turns to deception, it reveals moral failure—success sought without satya or honorable means.
Indrajit cannot subdue Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa face-to-face, so he employs māyā and binds them through deceit.
Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa’s superior martial integrity is implied by contrast; Indrajit’s lack of honor foregrounds the value of righteous strength.