मारीचप्रलोभनम् / Ravana Solicits Maricha’s Aid (Golden Deer Stratagem)
पित्रा निरस्तः क्रुद्धेन सभार्यः क्षीणजीवितः।स हन्ता तस्य सैन्यस्य रामः क्षत्रियपांसनः।।।।
pitrā nirastaḥ kruddhena sa-bhāryaḥ kṣīṇa-jīvitaḥ | sa hantā tasya sainyasya rāmaḥ kṣatriya-pāṁsanaḥ || 3.36.10 ||
Banished by an angry father, sent away with his wife as though short-lived; yet that Rāma became the slayer of that army—malignly called a disgrace to the kṣatriyas.
Rama, a victim of his father's anger, banished into the forest with his wife, a short-lived mortal and a calumny on the kshatriyas has killed the army of demons.
Dharma includes satya (truthful speech) and fairness; the verse exemplifies adharma through slander—distorting another’s character to justify one’s own hostile intent.
Rāvaṇa briefs Mārīca about Rāma, framing him with contempt and highlighting that Rāma has already destroyed a rākṣasa force—setting up the need for deception rather than open battle.
By contrast (through insult), Rāma’s steadfastness is implied: despite exile, he acts decisively against aggression; Rāvaṇa, however, demonstrates the vice of malicious speech.