Maricha, the Deceptive Deer

With shock and dismay, Ravan listens to Surpanakha’s gory report of the extermination of Khara and Dushana. Her mutilated face and the sensational account of Sita’s covetable face and form, arouse both lust and indignation in Ravan.He hurries to Maricha’s side and requests his aid to abduct Sita. Trying to dissuade Ravan from his evil plan, Maricha narrates his close encounters with death at the hands of Sri Ram. Extolling his virtues, he tries to impress upon Ravan that Sri Ram is no ordinary human and challenging him would be a sure invitation of death for himself, and indeed for Ravan and the ogres. But drunk with passion, Ravan commands Maricha to approach Sita as a golden deer and lure her away from Lord Ram so as to leave her defenceless. Choosing death at Sri Ram’s hands over that of Ravan, Maricha follows the ogre’s bidding.Casting off his giant appearance, Maricha assumes the form of a strange and beautiful deer, his horns tipped with sapphire and the colour of his face a shiny black. The tip of his snout is the colour of rubies. His hooves glow and the tail assumes the hue of Indra’s bow. With glossy skin and bedecked with gems, arching and proudly raising his neck, he strays around Lord Ram’s cottage. Nibbling at the grass and the tender shoots of trees, he enters the plantain groves that fringe the cottage.Catching sight of the deer, Sita is enchanted by it and requests Sri Ram to acquire for herself, the beautiful creature. Despite Lakshman expressing reservations about a deer of unusual beauty, Sri Ram goes after it, to fulfil his beloved’s longing to have it. Sita is a pure woman with no wants, and Sri Ram wants to fulfil this wish of hers, since she has requested nothing of him ever since they got married.Seizing his bow and fastening his sword with a golden hilt, the ascetic prince sallies forth to where the deer stands, having instructed Lakshman to stay vigilant and guard Sita while he is gone.So long as Sita’s mind remains fixed on the lord, she is in the kingdom of Dasharath, indicating a pure mind. The moment her mind is carried away by enchantments (deer), she finds herself in Dashamukha’s kingdom in the company of ogres (negativities).