Summary
Rama eliminates Maareecha when he is escaping beyond reach in the form of Golden Deer. He sports with that deer for a long time and when it is leading him away and afar from the hermitage, he is vexed with the trickery of the deer and kills it. At the time of his death Maareecha shouts out for Seetha and Lakshmana, as demanded by Ravana. Rama is perplexed at this oddity of Maareecha and presumes that some danger is immanent and then returns to hermitage.
Chapter [Sarga] 44
tathaa tu tam samaadishya bhraataram raghunandanah |
babandha asim mahaatejaa jaambuunadamayah tsarum || 3-44-1
Rama, the great-resplendent scion of Raghu, on instructing his brother Lakshmana in that way securely fastened his sword with golden handle to his waist. [3-44-1]
tatah tri vinatam caapam aadaaya aatma vibhuusanam |
aabadhya ca kalaapau dvau jagaama udagra vikramah || 3-44-2
Rama whose valor is escalating then took his own insignia, the three-way arched bow called Kodanda, and fastened two quivers and proceeded. [3-44-2]
tam vancayaano raajendram aapatantam niriiksya vai |
babhuuva antarhitah traasaat punah samdarshane abhavat || 3-44-3
baddha asih dhanuh aadaaya pradudraava yato mrigah |
On peering at the peerless one among kings, namely Rama, who is indeed coming down on him, that Golden Deer disappeared as if with fear and even to beguile him, and again it came into clear visibility. And Rama speedily spurted to that place from where the Golden Deer has firstly disappeared with securely grit sword and firmly handled bow. [3-44-3]
tam sma pashyati ruupena dyotamaanam iva agratah || 3-44-4
aveksya aveksya dhaavantam dhanus paanih mahaavane |
ativrittam isoh paataat lobhayaanam kadaacana || 3-44-5
sha.nkitam tu samud bhraantam utpatantam iva a.mbare |
driashyamaanam adrishyam ca vana uddeshesu kesucit || 3-44-6
chinna abhraih iva sa.mviitam shaaradam candra mandalam |
Rama the wielder of bow kept on beholding that Golden Deer which is observing him over and over and running away into deep of the forest. In the next moment he has seen it right in front of him as though effulgent with its marvelous form. At times he has seen it running away as though to circumvent the fall of arrow, and at times stopping only to tantalize [to tease] him. Sometimes it appeared to be springing as though to skies in very highly perplexity of wariness. It is disappearing somewhere in the thickets of forest, and it is putting in an appearance elsewhere in those thickets, like the autumnal orb [circle] of the moon under the fly front of splintered clouds. [3-44-4b, 5, 6, 7a]
muhuurtaat eva dadrishe muhur duuraat prakaashate || 3-44-7
darshana adarshanena eva sah apaakarsata raaghavam |
suduuram aashramasya asya maarico mrigataam gatah || 3-44-8
In a wink Rama could proximately see that Maareecha who transformed himself into the Golden Deer, and again in a flash he appeared distantly. Thus that deer / demon has drawn off Raghava very far from his hermitage in this hide and seek game. [3-44-7b, 8]
aasiit kruddhah tu kaakutstho vivashah tena mohitah |
atha avatasthe sushraantah cchaayaam aashritya shaadvale || 3-44-9
Rama of Kakutstha is incensed as its form is spellbinding but its capture slippery, and then verily tired as he is he stayed on a pasture taking shelter of a tree shade. [3-44-9]
sa tam unmaadayaamaasa mrigaruupo nishaacara |
mrigaih parivrito atha vanyaih aduuraat pratyadrishyata || 3-44-10
Nightwalker Maareecha has further maddened Rama in the guise of Golden Deer by reappearing in his close-by, surrounded with other animals of the forest. [3-44-10]
grahiitu kaamam dristvaa tam punah eva abhyadhaavata |
tat kshanaat eva sa.mtraasaat punar a.ntarhito abhavat || 3-44-11
Again on seeing Rama who is stalking his catch that deer ran towards him as though to impress with its guilelessness and just at that moment it vanished again as if with extreme fear. [3-44-11]
punar eva tato duuraat vriksha khandaat vinihsritah |
dristvaa raamo mahaatejaah tam hantum krita nishcayah || 3-44-12
Then that deer has again emerged out of the thick of trees, and on spotting it the great-resplendent Rama has firmed up his decision to fell it. [3-44-12]
bhuuyah tu sharam uddhritya kupitah tatra raaghavah |
suurya rashmi pratiikaasham jvala.ntam ari mardanam || 3-44-13
sa.ndhaaya sudridhe caape vikrisya balavat balii |
tam eva mrigam uddishya shvasa.ntam iva pannagam || 3-44-14
mumoca jvalitam diiptam astram brahma vinirmitam |
At that instant Raghava became highly infuriated and upholstered [took out] a holocaustic, enemy-subjugating arrow that is similar to the flare of the sun, tautening it on his very sturdy bow that forceful Rama forcefully outstretched the bowstring with arrow targeting the Golden Deer alone, and released that fierily blazing arrow-missile which is carefully created by Brahma and which is hissing like a snake. [3-44-13, 14, 15a]
shariiram mriga ruupasya vinirbhidya sharottamah || 3-44-15
maariicasya eva hridayam vibheda ashani sa.nnibhah |
On very profoundly impaling the body of deer's form that superb arrow which is similar to a thunderbolt has severed the heart of Maareecha in the core of deer's body. [3-44-15b, 16a]
taala maatram atha utplutya nyapatat sa bhrisha aaturah || 3-44-16
vyanadat bhairavam naadam dharanyaam alpa jiivitah |
Then Maareecha is highly frenzied as his lifespan is minimized, blared a blaring shriek, vaulted up to a height of palm-tree, and fell down onto the ground. [3-44-16b, 17a]
mriyamaanah tu maariico jahau taam kritrimaam tanum || 3-44-17
smritvaa tat vacanam raksho dadhyau kena tu lakshmanam |
iha prasthaapayet siitaa taam shuunye raavane haret || 3-44-18
Maareecha on his part abandoned the body of Golden Deer when he is dying. But remembering the words of Ravana that demon gave a thought, 'how best will Seetha hasten Lakshmana to this place, and how best Ravana can abduct Seetha in a place void of people.' [3-44-17b, 18]
sa praapta kaalam ajnaaya cakaara ca tatah svaram |
sadrisham raaghavasya eva haa siite laksmana iti ca || 3-44-19
Perceptive of the time that chanced bearing his death, and wishful of the death of Ravana too, then made a voice that is a sound alike to Raghava's voice and yelled 'ha, Seetha...' also thus 'ha Lakshmana...' [3-44-19]
tena marmani nirviddham sharena anupamena hi |
mriga ruupam tu tat tyaktvaa raaksasam ruupam aasthitah || 3-44-20
cakre sa sumahaa kaayam maariico jiivitam tyajan |
When Rama's incomparable arrow has indeed shattered his crucial organ, namely the heart, in a downright manner, then Maareecha assumed a very massive physique of a demon, abandoning the form of Golden Deer. [3-44-20, 21a]
tam dristvaa patitam bhuumau raaksasam bhiima darshanam || 3-44-21
raamo rudhira sikta a.ngam cestamaanam mahiitale |
jagaama manasaa siitaam laksmanasya vacah smaran || 3-44-22
On seeing that demon with a fiendish look, who has fallen to earth with limbs steeped in blood, and who is weltering on the surface of earth, Rama emotionally took flight to Seetha reminiscing Lakshmana's words. [3-44-21b, 22]
maariicasya tu maaya esaa puurva uktam lakshmanena tu |
tat tadaa hi abhavat ca adya maariico ayam mayaa hatah || 3-44-23
"This is the trickery of Maareecha which Lakshmana vouchsafed earlier, that has indeed happened in that way alone, and the one whom I have killed now is none other than Maareecha. [3-44-23]
haa siite laksmana iti evam aakrushya tu mahaa svanam |
mamaara raaksasah so ayam shrutvaa siitaa katham bhavet || 3-44-24
laksmanah ca mahaabaahuh kaam avasthaam gamisyati |
iti sa.mcintya dharmaaatmaa raamo hrista tanuu ruhah || 3-44-25
"This demon died while crying out with a blatant voice 'ha, Seetha... ha, Lakshmana...' And on hearing this how Seetha will be? And what will be the plight of dexterous Lakshmana?" Thus on thinking over them that righteous-souled Rama remained in a hair-raising predicament. [3-44-24]
tatra raamam bhayam tiivram aavivesha visaadajam |
raaksasam mriga ruupam tam hatvaa shrutvaa ca tat svanam || 3-44-26
On killing that demon in the form of Golden Deer, and also on hearing his yelling, Rama is ensorcelled with a frantic fear caused by his own gloom. [3-44-26]
nihatya prisatam ca anyam maa.msam aadaaya raaghavah |
tvaramaano janasthaanam sasaara abhimukhah tadaa || 3-44-27
Raghava then on killing another spotted deer and on taking its flesh, he hurried himself towards Janasthaana. [3-44-27]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye aranya kaande catuh catvaarimshah sargah
Thus, this is the 44th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate