The golden deer, Aranya Kand
How is the golden deer told in Valmiki and Tulsidas?
In both, told differently
Both tell it. In Valmiki (Aranya Kanda, sargas 42 to 44), Maricha takes the form of a jewelled deer; Lakshman warns that it is Maricha, Sita asks for it, and Ram goes after it. In Tulsidas (Ramcharitmanas, Aranya Kand, doha 27), Ram knows the whole reason and rises gladly to do the gods' work.
Film, Valmiki, Tulsidas
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Film. The trailers and the makers have not shown this scene, so the film’s version is still unknown.
Valmiki. Sita wants the deer; Lakshman says it is Maricha.
आर्यपुत्राभिरामोऽसौ मृगो हरति मे मनःMy lord, this lovely deer has stolen my heart.
तमेवैनमहं मन्ये मारीचं राक्षसं मृगम्I think this deer is Maricha himself, the rakshasa.
Tulsidas. Ram knows what the deer is and goes anyway.
तेहि बननिकट दसानन गयऊ।तब मारीच कपटमृग भयऊ॥अति बिचित्र कछु बरनि न जाई।कनक देह मनि रचित बनाई॥When Ravana reached the edge of that forest, Maricha became a false deer, too strange to describe, its body gold and set with jewels.
तब रघुपति जानत सब कारन।उठे हरषि सुर काजु सँवारन॥Raghupati knew the whole reason, and rose gladly to do the work of the gods.
The whole episode
- Ravana forces Maricha into the plan. Maricha warns him first, then obeys out of fear.
- The deer draws Ram far from the hermitage. Struck by Ram's arrow, Maricha cries out in Ram's voice for Sita and Lakshman.
- In Valmiki, Ram hurries back in dread. In Tulsidas, the chase is part of Ram's play, and Maricha is given a high place for dying at his hands.
What it asks of you this week
When something looks too good to be real this week, give it one night before you chase it.
Krishna says a mind that follows the wandering senses is carried off like a boat in the wind.
Read Bhagavad Gita 2.67Seven mornings, one line each, for what you are going through. Week 1 is free.
Start Week 1 freeOr start with seven mornings: four Ramayana lines, then three from the Gita.
See all 11 scenes, or read Valmiki and Tulsidas, side by side.
Sources and method
Valmiki lines are from the Sanskrit Valmiki Ramayana; references give the kanda and sarga, which match the Gita Press edition. Shloka numbers differ between printed editions, so each line also carries its Wisdom line id. Tulsidas lines are from the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi; where a doha number is given it follows the Gita Press, Gorakhpur edition, and where we could not yet confirm the number we give only the kand.
The English is Wisdom's own. For Valmiki we checked our wording against M. N. Dutt's public-domain translation (1891 to 1894). Readings follow traditional commentary. Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed.
What we say about the film comes only from its published trailers and press reports, linked where we use them. We have not seen the film.