Shloka 3.43.36

मायामृगदर्शनम् (The Vision of the Illusory Deer)

Devanagari script

एष चैव मृगश्श्रीमान् यश्च दिव्यो नभश्चरः।उभावेतौ मृगौ दिव्यौ तारामृगमहीमृगौ।।।।

Transliteration

eṣa caiva mṛgaś śrīmān yaś ca divyo nabhaścaraḥ | ubhāv etau mṛgau divyau tārāmṛga-mahīmṛgau ||

Translation

This deer is splendid; and that other deer, divine and moving in the sky—both are wondrous: the ‘deer among the stars’ and the deer upon the earth.

Context

This majestic deer and the deer flying in heaven (the deer's figure seen in the Moon called Mrgasira) - both the deer of the star in the sky and the deer of the earth are divine.

Characters & Entities

• tārāmṛga (celestial ‘star-deer’)
• mahīmṛga (earth-deer)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The verse shows how the mind sacralizes what it desires by calling it ‘divine.’ Dharma requires that ‘truth’ (satya) be tested, not assumed—especially when wonder and craving arise together.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama elevates the deer’s marvel by comparing it with a celestial ‘deer’ figure in the sky, treating both as extraordinary.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Wonder and poetic imagination are emphasized, while the broader episode teaches the complementary virtue of careful verification (satya-anusandhāna).