Shloka 1

मारीचप्रलोभनम् / Ravana Solicits Maricha’s Aid

Golden Deer Stratagem

Devanagari script

मारीच श्रूयातां तात वचनं मम भाषतः।आर्तोऽस्मि मम चार्तस्य भवान्हि परमा गतिः।।।।

Transliteration

mārīca śrūyatāṁ tāta vacanaṁ mama bhāṣataḥ | ārto 'smi mama cārtasya bhavān hi paramā gatiḥ || 3.36.1 ||

Translation

മാരീചാ, താതാ, ഞാൻ പറയുന്ന വചനങ്ങൾ കേൾക്കുക. ഞാൻ ആർത്തനാണ്; എന്റെ ഈ ആർത്തതയിൽ നീയേ സത്യമായി പരമാശ്രയം.

Word by Word

• mārīca: O Maricha
• mārīca: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārīca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• śrūyātām: let it be heard / please listen
• śrūyātām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), द्विवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘let (it) be heard’

• tāta: dear one / child
• tāta: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; स्नेहसम्बोधन

• vacanam: words
• vacanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; श्रवणस्य कर्म

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• bhāṣataḥ: as I speak
• bhāṣataḥ: Hetu/Prakāra (हेतु/प्रकार)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhāṣ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले (present active participle) ‘speaking’; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन—‘of me who am speaking’ (genitive absolute-like)

• ārtaḥ: distressed
• ārtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ārta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• asmi: am
• asmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• mama: of me
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• ārtasya: of the distressed
• ārtasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘of the distressed (me)’

• bhavān: you
• bhavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (honorific 2nd person); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/कारणार्थक निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• paramā: supreme
• paramā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘gatiḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• gatiḥ: refuge / resort
• gatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

Context

O dear Maricha! hear my words. I am distressed and you are my ultimate refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Mārīca

FAQs

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

The verse shows how appeals for help can be ethically ambiguous: seeking refuge is natural, but when the purpose is adharma, the same language of dependence becomes manipulation rather than righteous reliance.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa approaches Mārīca and opens the conversation by claiming distress and requesting attentive hearing, preparing to enlist him in a deceptive plan.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse foregrounds persuasion and emotional leverage rather than virtue—Rāvaṇa attempts to secure cooperation by presenting Mārīca as his ‘ultimate recourse’.