August 17 - Sargas 42 and 43 of Aranya Kanda.
The die is cast. Ravana takes Mareecha near the Panchavati hermitage of Sri Rama. The subterfuge of the golden deer succeeds in tempting Sita and drawing Sri Rama away from the hermitage.
***
Mareecha sighs deeply and says in a tone of resignation that his end as well as Ravana's end is near. He is ready to accompany Ravana on this inauspicious mission.
Ravana commends Mareecha on resuming his earlier rakshasa mindset. He takes Mareecha in his aerial chariot drawn by donkeys with grotesque gargoyle faces. Soon they reach the wooded region of Panchavati. There nestles Sri Rama's hermitage, surrounded by a banana grove.
स रावणवचश्रुत्वा मारीचो राक्षसस्तदा ।
मृगो भूत्वाऽश्रमद्वारि रामस्य विचचार ह ॥
"On order from Ravana, Mareecha then assumed the form of the deer and roamed around the entrance to Rama's hermitage."
There is considerable detail provided by Valmiki to kindle our imagination about a fantastic golden deer that could tempt anyone. Mareecha assumed the form of a golden deer with glittering silver spots, antlers studded with gems, his underbelly glowing with an uncanny whiteness, his face of mixed hues that glowed, his hooves too aglow, his ears and eyes being shining gems. There never was such a deer ever except here.
Mareecha wandered around, all very naturally, darting here and there amidst the local herds of deer. They came and smelled him, and were repelled by this strange and unholy specimen. Mareecha did not harm them as was his wont, for fear of discovery.
तस्मिन्नेव ततः काले वैदेही शुभलोचना ।
कुसुमावचयव्यग्रा पादपानाभ्यवर्तत ॥
अनर्हारण्यवासस्य सा तं रत्नमयं मृगम् ।
मुक्तामणिविचित्राङ्गं ददर्श परमाङ्गना ॥
अदृष्टपूर्वं तं दृष्ट्वा नानारत्नमयं मृगम् ।
विस्मयं परमं सीता जगाम जनकात्मजा ॥
"Just then came the beautiful-looking (it also means one who sees only good in everything) Vaidehi Sita, in order to gather flowers and went around the trees and plants there.
"That princess, unfamiliar and out of sorts in this forest-dwelling, then beheld this golden deer studded all over with a variety of gems. That supreme lady was simply bewitched by the deer sporting pearls and gems.
"This unprecedented sight of such a deer made of gold, silver, gems, and pearls simply drove Janaka's daughter Sita to extreme astonishment."
***
आहूयाहूय च पुनस्तं मृगं साधु वीक्षते ।
आगच्छागच्छ शीघ्रं वै आर्यपुत्र सहानुज ॥
"Sita could not take her eyes off that magical deer and called out, "Come, come, at once, Aryaputra! (that's how she addressed Sri Rama - Oh one of noble birth!) Please come with your brother at once!"
When Sri Rama and Lakshmana rushed to Sita's side and beheld that wonder of a deer, Lakshmana was quick to say:
तमेवैनमहं मन्ये मारीचं राक्षसं मृगम् ।
चरन्तो मृगयां हृष्टाः पापेनोपाधिना वने ।
अनेन निहता राम राजानः कामरूपिणा ॥
अस्य मायावदो माया मृगरूपमिदं कृतम् ।
भानुमत् पुरुषव्याघ्र गन्धर्वपुरसंनिभम् ॥
मृगो ह्मेवंविधो रत्नविचित्रो नास्ति राघव ।
जगत्यां जगतीनाथ मायैषा हि न संशयः ॥
"Dear Rama, I am certain that this deer is none other than that rakshasa Mareecha. I know that many times, he has used his deception and powers of assuming any form at will to kill and eat up kings who came into the forest for their celebratory hunting expeditions.
"This form, of a golden deer, has now been assumed by that magician rakshasa Mareecha. He has become lustrous like the sun and has a glittering form that we associate with celestial creatures.
"Otherwise how do you explain this? There can never be a deer like this, made up of gems and pearls! You are the lord of the earth, Rama, you can see that this is nothing but a magic trick unprecedented in this world."
***
Destiny had taken a firm hold on the proceedings.
Sita begged Rama that he should go and catch that deer without fail. She described how she would bring up the deer and take him back to Ayodhya and have him roam around the corridors of her palace to everyone's unending astonishment. And if at all the deer escaped being caught alive, Rama should kill him and bring at least his glittering hide that would make a fabulous love seat for both of them hereafter. "Come on, Rama! Please get me that deer", kept saying, Sita.
Sri Rama was most anxious to please Sita. He rationalized: What if the deer were indeed magical? As long as he could capture him, Sita's wish would be fulfilled. And such a beautiful deer too!
कस्य रूपमिदं दृष्ट्वा जाम्बूनदमयप्रभम् ।
नानारत्नमयं दिव्यं न मनो विस्मयं व्रजेत् ॥
"Oh Lakshmana, who can not be bewitched by this fabulous creature, made of gold and so many precious gems and pearls!? He is simply divine! Even Indra and Kubera would not possess such a deer.
"And Lakshmana, this desire to capture such a prized deer is all but utterly human. When someone desires to possess something in this world, his desire displaces all reason and he doesn't stop and ask himself whether the desired object is worth possessing and if it is within his reach or not.
"And by the way, I hear what you are saying, dear brother. If, as you say, this indeed is Mareecha dressed up to fool us, then he certainly deserves my punishment. Remember how the sage Agastya put an end to the menace of the rakshasa Vatapi? That demon used to waylay ascetics and brahmins and invite them for a meal. He would enter their bodies in the form of a goat served up for dinner. Once he was inside them he would tear them open and come out, assisted by his younger brother, the rakshasa named Ilvala. The sage Agastya ate him up, and digested him, saying to Vatapi, "enough is enough, oh evil rakshasa! I am putting here and now an end to your menace. I am digesting you forever."
Sri Rama is supremely confident of catching Mareecha alive or dead. Before he leaves, he gives stern instructions to Lakshmana to protect Sita from all dangers:
प्रदक्षिणेनातिबलेन पक्षिणा
जटायुषा बुद्धिमता च लक्ष्मण ।
भवाप्रमत्तः प्रतिगृह्य मैथिलीं
प्रतिक्षणं सर्वत एव शङ्कितः ॥
"Dear Lakshmana, be on your guard and protect Sita constantly, looking for danger from every side. Take the help of that mighty Jataayu, the ancient bird who has come to help us. He will be circling overhead, ever vigilant, so that Sita will not face any danger."
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
