Shloka 10
मारीचवधः — The Slaying of Maricha
Golden Deer Deception
स तमुन्मादयामास मृगरूपो निशाचरः।मृगैः परिवृतो वन्यैरदूरात्प्रत्यदृश्यत।।।।
sa tam unmādayāmāsa mṛgarūpo niśācaraḥ | mṛgaiḥ parivṛto vanyair adūrāt pratyadṛśyata ||
Ce démon rôdeur de nuit, ayant pris la forme d’un cerf, attisa délibérément l’attention de Rāma ; entouré d’animaux sauvages, il réapparut tout près.
That demon transformed himself into a deer and, surrounded by the animals of the forest at close range, attracted his attention.
FAQs
Dharma includes vigilance against adharma’s strategies: deception often imitates the natural and attractive to mislead the righteous.
Mārīca, disguised as a deer, reappears near Rāma, using the forest setting and animals to make the illusion seem believable.
By contrast, the verse spotlights the demon’s deceit; it implicitly calls for the virtue of alert discernment in the face of manipulation.