Shloka 44

मायामृगदर्शनम्

The Vision of the Illusory Deer

Devanagari script

तदेवं न भवेद्रक्षोवातापिरिव लक्ष्मण।मद्विधं योऽतिमन्येत धर्मनित्यं जितेन्द्रियम्।।।।भवेद्धतोऽयं वातापिरगस्त्येनेव मां गतः।

Transliteration

tad evaṃ na bhaved rakṣo vātāpir iva lakṣmaṇa | madvidhaṃ yo ’timanyeta dharmanityaṃ jitendriyam || bhaved dhato ’yaṃ vātāpir agastyeneva māṃ gataḥ |

Translation

ഹേ ലക്ഷ്മണാ! വാതാപിയെപ്പോലെ ഈ രാക്ഷസനും നിലനിൽക്കുകയില്ല. ധർമ്മത്തിൽ നിത്യസ്ഥിരനും ഇന്ദ്രിയജിതനുമായ എന്നെപ്പോലെയുള്ളവനെ അതിക്രമിച്ച് അഹങ്കരിക്കുന്നവൻ, അഗസ്ത്യൻ വാതാപിയെ നശിപ്പിച്ചതുപോലെ നശിക്കും.

Word by Word

तत्therefore/so

एवम्thus/in this way

नnot

भवेत्would be/should be

रक्षःa demon

वातापिःVatāpi

इवlike

लक्ष्मणO Lakṣmaṇa

मद्विधम्one like me

यःwho

अतिमन्येतwould overestimate/insult (think too much of himself toward)

धर्मनित्यम्always righteous

जितेन्द्रियम्self-controlled (having conquered senses)

भवेत्would be

हतःkilled

अयम्this (one)

वातापिःVatāpi

अगस्त्येनby Agastya

इवlike

माम्me

गतःgone (to his end)

Context

O Lakshmana! just like Vatapi, this demon will not live. Whoever violates a person of my kind who is ever righteous and self-controlled will be killed

Characters & Entities

Lakṣmaṇa

Vātāpi

Agastya

Rākṣasa (demon)

FAQs

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

To attack the dharmic and self-restrained is to invite ruin; dharma carries an inherent moral force that ultimately prevails over arrogance.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma reassures Lakṣmaṇa that the threatening demon will be destroyed, using Vātāpi’s destruction by Agastya as a precedent.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Jitendriyatā (self-mastery): Rāma presents righteousness and restraint as the foundation of legitimate strength.