Shloka 27

मायामृगदर्शनम्

The Vision of the Illusory Deer

Devanagari script

पश्यास्य जृम्भमाणस्य दीप्तामग्निशिखोपमाम्।जिह्वां मुखान्निस्सरन्तीं मेघादिव शतह्रदाम्।।।।

Transliteration

paśyāsya jṛmbhamāṇasya dīptām agniśikhopamām |

jihvāṃ mukhān nissarantīṃ meghād iva śatahradām || 3.43.27 ||

Translation

നോക്കുക; അത് ജംഭിക്കുമ്പോൾ അതിന്റെ വായിൽ നിന്നു പുറത്തേക്ക് നീളുന്ന നാവ് അഗ്നിശിഖയെപ്പോലെ ദീപ്തമാണ്—മേഘത്തിൽ നിന്നു മിന്നൽ പിളരുന്നതുപോലെ പ്രകാശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कस्य: of whom
• कस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रूपम्: form/beauty
• रूपम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; रूपम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• जाम्बूनदमयप्रभम्: glittering like Jāmbūnada-gold
• जाम्बूनदमयप्रभम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाम्बूनद-मय-प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक; जाम्बूनद + मय + प्रभ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: जाम्बूनदमयः प्रभः यस्य (having lustre made of Jāmbūnada-gold); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; रूपम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• नानारत्नमयम्: made of various gems
• नानारत्नमयम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना-रत्न-मय (प्रातिपदिक; नाना + रत्न + मय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: नानाविधानि रत्नानि मयम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; रूपम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; रूपम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• मनः: mind
• मनः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विस्मयम्: wonder
• विस्मयम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: would go to / would attain
• व्रजेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

Context

His face is a drinking pot of emerald, the belly is a conch or a pearl. Whose mind will not be attracted by this indescribable beauty ?

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• deer (mṛga)
• fire (agni)
• cloud (megha)
• lightning (śatahradā)

FAQs

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

Dharma encourages careful perception: striking signs and dazzling appearances should be examined, not merely admired, so that truth (satya) is not lost to spectacle.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma points out further uncanny features of the deer—its flame-like, lightning-like tongue—heightening the sense of an otherworldly lure.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Alertness: noticing details and weighing them is a virtue that supports right decision-making.