Shloka 3.43.47
मायामृगदर्शनम् (The Vision of the Illusory Deer)
पश्य लक्ष्मण वैदेहीं मृगत्वचि गतस्पृहाम्।।।।त्वचा प्रधानया ह्येष मृगोऽद्य न भविष्यति।
paśya lakṣmaṇa vaidehīṃ mṛgatvaci gataspṛhām | tvacā pradhānayā hy eṣa mṛgo ’dya na bhaviṣyati ||
Look, Lakṣmaṇa—Vaidehī’s longing has settled upon the deerskin. For that prized hide, this deer shall not live today.
See, how Vaidehi ardently longs for the skin of this deer ! I will not let the animal live, O Lakshmana !
Unchecked desire can redirect action into danger; dharma requires discernment so that wish-driven choices do not compromise safety and duty.
Rāma notes Sītā’s wish for the deerskin and resolves to kill the deer, a decision that advances the deception’s plot.
Protective intent mixed with human susceptibility: Rāma seeks to fulfill Sītā’s desire, yet the verse highlights how desire can become a vulnerability.