Shloka 4
मारीचवधः — The Slaying of Maricha
Golden Deer Deception
तं स्म पश्यति रूपेण द्योतमानमिवाग्रतः।।।।अवेक्ष्यावेक्ष्य धावन्तं धनुष्पाणिर्महावने।अतिवृत्तमिषोः पाताल्लोभयानं कदाचन।।।।शङ्कितन्तु समुद्भ्रान्तमुत्पतन्तमिवाम्बरे।दृश्यमानमदृश्यं च वनोद्देशेषु केषुचित्।।।।छिन्नाभ्रैरिव संवीतं शारदं चन्द्रमण्डलम्।
taṃ sma paśyati rūpeṇa dyotamānam ivāgrataḥ |
avekṣyāvekṣya dhāvantaṃ dhanuṣpāṇir mahāvane |
ativṛttam iṣoḥ pātāl lobhayānaṃ kadācana ||
śaṅkitaṃ tu samudbhrāntam utpatantam ivāmbare |
dṛśyamānam adṛśyaṃ ca vanoddeśeṣu keṣucit ||
chinnābhrair iva saṃvītaṃ śāradaṃ candramaṇḍalam ||
ラーマは弓を手に、前方で光り輝くかのようなその姿を見続けた。広大な森を駆けるそれを、何度も何度も見やる――ある時は矢の届く範囲を越えてすり抜け、ある時は餌のように彼を誘って先へと引く。怯え惑い、まるで天空へ跳び上がるかのように見え、森のある場所では現れては消えた。それは、ちぎれ雲に覆われては現れる秋の月輪のようであった。
After killing the demon in the figure of a deer and hearing his voice, Rama was overtaken by intense fear born of despair.
FAQs
The imagery teaches discernment (viveka): what dazzles the senses can be unstable and misleading. Dharma requires steady judgment, not being pulled by mere appearances.
Rāma continues the chase; the deer repeatedly appears and disappears, deliberately keeping him at a distance.
Rāma’s perseverance, alongside the cautionary theme that even perseverance must be guided by discrimination.