Ramayana of Valmiki and kamban13. The episode of the golden deer

January 20, 2009

13.The episode of the golden deer

Ravana praised Mareecha saying that he was speaking like his own self only then and took him on his chariot and reached Danakaranya.. Ravana left Mareecha near the hermitage of Rama. Mareecha took the form of a golden deer with silver on one side and looked as though it had gem studded spots. He was roaming around playing near the place where Seetha was gathering flowers. Other deer approached him but fled on smelling him, knowing that it was a demon, showing that the animals have a better sense than humans!

Seetha saw him and was enchanted with his appearance and called Rama and Lakshmana. They came and on seeing the extraordinary deer. Lakshmana said that it must be Mareecha who was known to take the form of a deer and kill the sages , and whom they have already encountered earlier. He said that there could not be such a deer and it was only magic.

Seetha interrupted Lakshmana and told Rama that she wanted to have the deer for play and also to take it to Ayodhya to surprise Bharatha and the royal mothers. She said that even if Rama could not catch the deer he could kill that and bring the skin. Finally she remarked that she knew that this sort of fierce goading for fulfilling the desire is not befitting for a woman but still she was tempted because of the beauty of the deer.

Thus Seetha did not pester him as we find in some versions of Ramayana but left it to him to decide. Valmiki says that Rama was also enchanted with the deer, lobhithaH thena roopeNa, and said to Lakshmana,

Kasya roopam idham dhrshtvaa jaamboonadha samaprabham

Nanaarathnamayam dhivyam na mano vismayam vrajeth?

Kim punaH myThilee seethaa balaa naaree na vismayeth?

"Whose mind will not be full of wonder on seeing this form shining like gold and gem-studded and wonderful? How can Seetha, the princess of Mithila and a young woman not be enchanted with it?" Rama further said that even if it was Mareecha he had to be killed.

Thus Valmiki looks it appear as the decision of Rama and it is not correct to remark, as some do , that it was a case of `like father like son' and Rama like Dasaratha invited calamity by heeding the words of his wife. Rama told Lakshmana to stay back and guard Seetha saying,

`asyaam aayatham asmaakam yath krthyam.' The meaning of these words is given as " whatever needs be done by us depends on her." This would appear to mean that Rama was implying that the avathara karya, Ravanavadha , is going to take place through her. But it makes Rama foresee the arrival of Ravana and the abduction of Seetha which is strange for a husband to imply. Hence this could perhaps be taken to mean that after the killing of Khara and others now that Mareecha has come, it will not be long before Ravana himself appears and the avathara karya would be fulfilled by acting as per the wish of Seetha.

In Kamban there is a slight difference. Lakshmana tells Rama that he would go and get the deer but Seetha entreats Rama tearfully to bring it by himself. Both Rama and Seetha were acting their roles and the next event would take place only if Rama went. Rama could have killed Mareecha from where he was but he made it appear as though he wanted to catch the deer alive, not being sure it was Mareecha. This is evident by the elaborate description of the beauty and wonder of the deer by Rama in Valmiki as though he was desirous to catch it.

Mareecha led Rama far away and Rama desirous of catching the deer alive did not fling an arrow and finish him. Finally maddened by the hide and seek game Mareecha was playing with him, Rama felled him with an arrow. Mareecha resuming his original form fell down shouting "ha seethe ha Lakshmana," emulating the voice of Rama.

Actually if Mareecha had died without shouting these words the purpose of Ravana would have been lost and Ravana could not have done anything to Mareecha also as he was dying. But Mareecha, remembering the instruction of Ravana, did so because he wished the doom of Ravana, who caused his death.