Shloka 3

मायामृगदर्शनम्

The Vision of the Illusory Deer

Devanagari script

तयाऽऽहूतौ नरव्याघ्रौ वैदेह्या रामलक्ष्मणौ।वीक्षमाणौ तु तौ देशं तदा ददृशतुर्मृगम्।।।।

Transliteration

tayāhūtau naravyāghrau vaidehyā rāmalakṣmaṇau |

vīkṣamāṇau tu tau deśaṃ tadā dadṛśatur mṛgam || 3.43.03 ||

Translation

เมื่อไวเทหีทรงเรียก สองบุรุษดุจพยัคฆ์—พระรามและพระลักษมณ์—กวาดสายตามองทั่วถิ่นนั้น แล้วจึงได้เห็นกวางตัวนั้น

Word by Word

• तया: by her
• तया: कर्ता/करण (Agent/Instrument: ‘by her’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचन (sg.)

• आहूतौ: called/summoned
• आहूतौ: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; adjectival)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+ह्वे (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), द्विवचन (du.); ‘रामलक्ष्मणौ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नरव्याघ्रौ: tigers among men
• नरव्याघ्रौ: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर+व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), द्विवचन (du.); ‘रामलक्ष्मणौ’ इत्यस्य विशेषण-नाम

• वैदेह्या: by Vaidehi (Sita)
• वैदेह्या: कर्ता/करण (Agent: ‘by Vaidehī’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदेही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचन (sg.)

• रामलक्ष्मणौ: Rama and Lakshmana
• रामलक्ष्मणौ: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम + लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), द्विवचन (du.)

• वीक्षमाणौ: while looking around
• वीक्षमाणौ: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; participial qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present middle participle), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), द्विवचन (du.); ‘रामलक्ष्मणौ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), contrast/emphasis

• तौ: those two
• तौ: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), द्विवचन (du.)

• देशम्: the place/region
• देशम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन (sg.)

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण (Kālādhikaraṇa/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• ददृशतुः: saw
• ददृशतुः: क्रिया (Kriyā/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), द्विवचन (du.), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• मृगम्: a deer
• मृगम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन (sg.)

Context

O Lakshmana! kings who wield bows in hunting expeditions kill deer in the forest forsport as well as for venison.

Characters & Entities

• Vaidehī (Sītā)
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• deer (mṛga)
• forest region (deśa)

FAQs

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

Responsiveness within rightful relationships: Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa attend to Sītā’s call, reflecting household duty and mutual care even amid forest hardship.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā notices the deer and calls the brothers; they scan the area and behold the deer that will trigger the coming crisis.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Attentiveness and readiness to protect—quickly responding to Sītā’s summons is part of their protective role.