Rāmāyana | Āraṇya Kaṇḍa | Chapter 39

39. Mārīcha's Narration: Encounter with Rāma

[Mārīcha tells how his two companions were killed by Rāma when he went to attack him in the form of a deer. He tells that he is scared of anything whose name starts with letter "Ra". He tells Rāvaṇa that he would not obey him.]

"In that clash with him, I had been somehow released. Please hear what happened recently which does not have any remedy." 39.1

"I along with two Rākṣasas without any worry on my part, taking the form of deer entered the Daṇḍaka forest." 39.2

"I took the form of a huge deer with shining tongue, big body, sharp teeth and with great strength was wandering in the Daṇḍakāraṇya, eating flesh." 39.3

"Oh Rāvaṇa, in that dreadful form, I wandered in places with sacrificial fire, near sacred waters, near hermitages and near fig trees, torturing the sages." 39.4

"Killing sages who follow Dharma in Daṇḍakāraṇya, drinking their blood and eating their flesh, I wandered there." 39.5

"I who was one who ate the flesh of the sages and one who hated Dharma, intoxicated by drinking the blood behaved cruelly with those who wander in the forest." 39.6

"There again I encountered Rāma, the follower of dharma, Vaidehī and the very strong Lakṣmaṇa who is also a great warrior." 39.7

"Ignoring Rāma who was a sage eating restricted food, acting for the welfare of all beings and who was very strong, I who had gone to the forest, thinking that he is only an ascetic and also remembering the old enmity, in the form of a deer, I ran towards him with great anger in the form of a deer and pointing at him with my sharp horns, and forgetting his strike at me in the past." 39.8-39.9

"He, that destroyer of enemies, then drew his great bow, producing the sound of the whiz of Garuda released three sharp arrows at me." 39.10

"Those three arrows with strong bends, all equal to Vajra, which were well targeted came for eating my blood." 39.11

"I being wicked, remembering about his earlier great valour and being scared, in a bewildered state ran away and the other two Rākṣasas were killed." 39.12

"After saving myself from the arrows of Rāma somehow, I got out alive and now being composed in my mind, have started to live the life of an ascetic, who has given up everything." 39.13

"In all trees I am seeing him dressed in deer skin and bark, holding a bow, looking like the God of death with his noose." 39.14

"Oh Rāvaṇa due to fear I see thousands of Rāma and it appears to me that the entire forest is filled with the form of Rāma." 39.15

"Oh king of Rākṣasas, even when I am alone, I see only Rāma and seeing Rāma in my dream, I reel and become senseless." 39.16

"Oh Rāvaṇa, any word starting with letter "Ra", frightens me of Rāma and even words like Ratna [Gem] and Rādhā [Chariot] creates fear in me." 39.17

"Knowing his great power, it is not proper for you to wage a war against him for that son of Raghu clan can even kill great Rākṣasas like Bali and Namuchi." 39.18

"There are many people who strictly follow Dharma, but due to the mistake of others they are destroyed along with their family." 39.19

"Oh Rākṣasa, like that I am going to be destroyed because of your mistakes. So do whatever you think is proper and I am not going to follow you." 39.20

"Rāma has great lustre, great power and great strength. Would he become the God of death of the world of Rākṣasas?" 39.21

"Due to Sūrpanakhā, Khara came from Janasṭhāna and before he exceeded his limits, he was killed by Rāma who can achieve anything and please tell me sincerely in what way Rāma exceeded his limits." 39.22-39.23

"Oh Rāvaṇa, I have spoken these words aiming at the welfare of our relatives and if you do not follow the words spoken by me, you along with our relations will perish in the war by Rāma's arrows which move straight. 39.24

This is the end of Thirty Ninth Sarga of Āraṇya Kanda which occurs in Holy Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki as the First Epic.