Shloka 24
मायामृगदर्शनम्
The Vision of the Illusory Deer
पश्य लक्ष्मण वैदेह्याः स्पृहां मृगगतामिमाम्।रूपश्रेष्ठतया ह्येष मृगोऽद्य न भविष्यति।।।।न वने नन्दनोद्धेशे न चैत्ररथसंश्रये।कुतःपृथिव्यां सौमित्रे योऽस्य कश्चित्समो मृगः।।।।
paśya lakṣmaṇa vaidehyāḥ spṛhāṁ mṛgagatām imām | rūpaśreṣṭhatayā hy eṣa mṛgo 'dya na bhaviṣyati || na vane nandanoddeśe na caitrarathasaṁśraye | kutaḥ pṛthivyāṁ saumitre yo 'sya kaścit samo mṛgaḥ ||
Lihatlah, wahai Lakṣmaṇa, kerinduan Vaidehī tertumpu pada rusa itu. Dari segi keelokan yang paling unggul, tiada rusa seumpamanya pada hari ini—bukan di rimba ini, bukan di taman Nandana milik Indra, dan bukan juga di taman Caitraratha kepunyaan Kubera. Maka bagaimana mungkin di seluruh bumi ini, wahai Saumitrī, ada rusa yang setara dengannya?
On hearing Sita's words and seeing the wonderful deer, Rama was tempted by its appearance.Prompted by Sita,he joyfully said this to Lakshmana:
FAQs
Dharma here is tested by fascination: admiration for beauty can rationalize risky action. The lesson is to prioritize protective duty and clear judgment over extraordinary appearances.
Rāma speaks to Lakṣmaṇa about Sītā’s intense desire for the deer, praising its unmatched beauty and thereby justifying the pursuit.
Rāma’s attentiveness to Sītā’s feelings is evident; simultaneously, the episode highlights the needed virtue of prudence in leadership decisions.