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Shloka 10

मारीचवधः — The Slaying of Maricha

Golden Deer Deception

स तमुन्मादयामास मृगरूपो निशाचरः।मृगैः परिवृतो वन्यैरदूरात्प्रत्यदृश्यत।।।।

sa tam unmādayāmāsa mṛgarūpo niśācaraḥ | mṛgaiḥ parivṛto vanyair adūrāt pratyadṛśyata ||

อสูรราตรีนั้นแปลงกายเป็นกวาง จงใจยั่วยุให้พระรามสนพระทัย; รายล้อมด้วยสัตว์ป่า มันก็ปรากฏขึ้นอีกครั้งไม่ไกลนัก

saḥhe (the demon)
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
tamhim
tam:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
unmādayāmāsamade (him) frantic/excited
unmādayāmāsa:
Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootut-√mad (धातु) [causative]
Formणिच्-प्रत्यय (Causative) + लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
mṛga-rūpaḥin deer-form
mṛga-rūpaḥ:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmṛga (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—मृगस्य रूपम् (in the form of a deer); निशाचरस्य विशेषणम्
niśācaraḥnight-ranger (demon)
niśācaraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject; apposition to saḥ)
TypeNoun
Rootniśācara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
mṛgaiḥwith deer/animals
mṛgaiḥ:
Sahakāraka (सह/association; instrumental of accompaniment)
TypeNoun
Rootmṛga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन
parivṛtaḥsurrounded
parivṛtaḥ:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpari-√vṛt (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निशाचरस्य विशेषणम्
vanyaiḥwild/forest-dwelling
vanyaiḥ:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvanya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; mṛgaiḥ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्
adūrātfrom nearby
adūrāt:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootadūra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘from not far’
pratyadṛśyatawas seen/appeared
pratyadṛśyata:
Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootprati-√dṛś (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): ‘was seen/appeared’

That demon transformed himself into a deer and, surrounded by the animals of the forest at close range, attracted his attention.

M
Mārīca (implied: the niśācara in deer-form)
R
Rāma (implied: the one enticed)

FAQs

Dharma includes vigilance against adharma’s strategies: deception often imitates the natural and attractive to mislead the righteous.

Mārīca, disguised as a deer, reappears near Rāma, using the forest setting and animals to make the illusion seem believable.

By contrast, the verse spotlights the demon’s deceit; it implicitly calls for the virtue of alert discernment in the face of manipulation.