Shloka 13
Sāvitrī’s Trirātra-Vrata and Departure with Satyavān (सावित्रीव्रतनिश्चयः सहगमनं च)
एवं हतायां वैदेह्यां रामो हत्वा महामृगम् । निवृत्तों ददृशे धीमान् भ्रातरं लक्ष्मणं तथा,इस प्रकार सीताका अपहरण हो जानेपर बुद्धिमान् श्रीरामचन्द्रजी उस महामृगरूप मारीचको मारकर लौटे; उस समय मार्गमें उन्हें लक्ष्मण दिखायी दिये
evaṁ hatāyāṁ vaidehyāṁ rāmo hatvā mahāmṛgam | nivṛtto dadṛśe dhīmān bhrātaraṁ lakṣmaṇaṁ tathā ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: When Vaidehī (Sītā) had thus been carried off, Rāma—having slain the great deer—turned back. As the wise one returned, he then saw his brother Lakṣmaṇa as well. The verse underscores how deception and misplaced appearances can precipitate grave harm, and how duty-bound action must be guided by discernment rather than by alluring forms.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical danger of being misled by deceptive appearances: even a capable and righteous person can be drawn into a trap if discernment is momentarily eclipsed. It also points to the cascading consequences of a single misjudgment within a web of duties and relationships.
After Sītā has been abducted, Rāma kills the great deer (Mārīca in disguise) and returns; on the way back he encounters Lakṣmaṇa. This moment marks the transition from the deceptive lure to the realization of loss and the unfolding search and response.