Shloka 5

मायामृगदर्शनम्

The Vision of the Illusory Deer

Devanagari script

चरन्तोमृगयां हृष्टाः पापेनोपाधिना वने।अनेन निहता राजन् राजानः कामरूपिणा।।।।

Transliteration

caranto mṛgayāṃ hṛṣṭāḥ pāpenopādhinā vane | anena nihatā rājan rājānaḥ kāmarūpiṇā ||

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชา กษัตริย์ทั้งหลายจำนวนมาก เมื่อรื่นเริงเที่ยวล่าสัตว์ในพงไพร ก็ถูกผู้แปลงกายผู้นี้สังหาร ด้วยอุบายอันบาปชั่ว

Word by Word

• चरन्तः: roaming/engaged
• चरन्तः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; participial qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन (pl.); ‘राजानः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मृगयाम्: hunting
• मृगयाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन (sg.); ‘चरन्तः’ इत्यस्य कर्म (hunting as activity)

• हृष्टाः: delighted
• हृष्टाः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन (pl.); ‘राजानः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पापेन: evil
• पापेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrumental descriptor)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचन (sg.); ‘उपाधिना’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• उपाधिना: by a trick/deceit
• उपाधिना: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument; by deceit)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचन (sg.)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी (Loc.), एकवचन (sg.)

• अनेन: by this one (him)
• अनेन: कर्ता/करण (Agent: ‘by him’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचन (sg.)

• निहताः: killed
• निहताः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; affected, passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन (pl.); ‘राजानः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), सम्बोधन (Voc.), एकवचन (sg.)

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; of implied ‘were killed’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), बहुवचन (pl.)

• कामरूपिणा: by one who can assume any form
• कामरूपिणा: करण/कर्ता (Instrument/Agent descriptor)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचन (sg.); ‘अनेन’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Context

Many kings, while on hunting expedition in the forest, have been deceitfully killed by malicious Maricha, who could assume any form at his free will.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Mārīca
• Forest (vana)
• Kings (rājānaḥ)

FAQs

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

Dharma condemns deceitful violence: killing through trickery (upādhi) is explicitly framed as pāpa (sin), not heroic strength.

What is the narrative situation?

Mārīca describes the lethal success of deceptive, shape-shifting tactics in the forest to persuade or inform his king (Rāvaṇa).

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Negative exemplification: the verse highlights the vice of deceit (māyā/upādhi) as a hallmark of adharmic conduct.