The Golden Deer

The Noble Three had slowly returned to a normal life

It was more than a month since the unfortunate strife

The Noble Three thought of those incidents as a nightmare

Lord Rama’s wounds were long healed by Mother Sita’s care

About such encounters with demons, Mother Sita did fear

But, as time went by, Her mind became free and clear

Lord Rama and Lakshman, on Her, always kept an eye

Though no danger was imminent, their alertness was high

Lord Rama took care that Mother Sita’s mind is always light

Gifting flowers and rabbits, He was to Her, as always, a delight

About their parents, relatives, and friends, they talked a lot

Panchavati, to them, became once again a delightful spot

Lakshman at Lord Rama’s behest, for Mother Sita, made a swing

Pushed to and fro by Lord Rama, sitting on it, happily She did sing

At times, The Divine Couple sat together and kicked it to and fro

Their happiness like the waxing moon once again started to grow

Once Mother Sita, in the backyard, was picking up colourful flowers

The Brothers sat in the front discussing various mantras’ powers

The Brothers heard, Mother Sita call them in a delightful cry

They went back to see, what had made, Her spirits so high

They saw a golden deer that was strange and exotic

With golden skin and embedded gems, it was truly artistic

It had a white silky line of hair running on its hunch

On the tips of leaves and select herbs, a little it did munch

Its little tail that was colourful, often it twitched

From one shrub to another, it nonchalantly switched

Often it raised its head sprouting its ears that were swank

From the water collected on the grounds, for its thirst, it drank

As if to touch the ground gently, it placed its hoofs that were white

As if in fear, it blinked with its eyes that were black and bright

With every step, it looked like it was dancing to a rhythmic chime

Its black nose, like well polished granite, was, by beauty, very prime

Its silvery horns were branched and into the air they spread

With gems at the tips, they looked like a crown on its head

The gems embedded throughout its body were of various hues

Matching and contrasting each other, they were a splendid fuse

Catching Lord Rama’s hands, Mother Sita gazed at the deer

On seeing such splendour, Her child like excitement was sheer

Her joy made Lord Rama happy, and He too watched the deer

As if it wanted Them to admire, the deer came closer without fear

“I am bewitched beyond a limit by this wonderful creature

Beauty has been bestowed to it lavishly on every feature

I have never heard about such an animal so ornate in its nature

How would it be, if we could take it home, while we go in future?”

Lord Rama silently listened to Mother Sita’s desires with a smile

Lakshman tried to speak up his doubts that this could be a guile

“Mother! This deer that glitters may not be really gold

This could be some demon, cunning, deceptive, and bold

I hope You remember Surphanaka who was young and slim

Who later revealed her old body, once Brother Rama behaved grim

This is the nature of all rakshasas; we must not be deceived

A bitter lesson, regarding their nature, we have already received”

On hearing Lakshman speak, Mother Sita’s face fell

The disappointment in Her Heart, tears came out to tell

Thinking deeply for a moment, She accepted with a nod

That the beautiful deer could be the disguise of a fraud

Seeing Mother Sita’s tears, Lord Rama’s heart began to melt

Allowing His Wife to be disappointed, to Him, was great insult

Whether the deer was true or fake

An attempt for Her, He wanted to make

“I’ve decided to go for the deer” Lord Rama said

Smiling at Mother Sita, He turned His head

He asked obedient Lakshman to fetch His bow

The reason for His decision, He explained though

“Lakshman, Sita has desired for the deer

Fulfilling Her wish, to me, is very dear

She has never desired for anything as far as I know

But She has walked difficult paths for Me in a row

I do not want to sit back simply without trying

While, with an unfulfilled desire, Her heart is crying”

On hearing Lord Rama say this, Mother Sita was glad

Yet, She was afraid that something might go bad

“Lord! I know You would do this and more for Me

But this desire of Me is nothing, so let it be

As Lakshman says that deer could be some demon

Such acts by those wicked beings are always common

I do not want a deer, putting our lives at risk

Even a small mistake can make our fortune whisk

So, let the golden deer roam and go its way

The attempt to catch it, please keep at bay”

In His decision, to go for the deer, Lord Rama remained

The reason for sticking to His decision, Lord Rama explained

“Dear! One reason, I think I should go for the deer, is You

The other, is to know the truth behind the deer, which is new

I too think this deer must be some demon’s treason

In that case, to go, I have all the more reason

Why should some asura come here in guise?

Is their strength in the jungle again on rise?

How can we sit back and relax when we think,

Demons are still roaming in our ashram’s brink?

So let me go and try to snatch this deer for You

While Lakshman stays behind and protects You

I will be getting You a gift if this deer is true and rare

You and the deer, in our ashram, will make a beautiful pair

In case I find this deer is a pretense

Then I will kill it for such offense

A whole army, all by myself, did I not take on

So please do not be scared while I am gone

I am protected by mantras, sage Vishwamitra taught

I cannot be, by anyone’s deceit, defeated or caught”

Mother Sita, though worried, felt Lord Rama was right

Lakshman was completely satisfied knowing Lord Rama’s might

Lord Rama received the bow and arrows His brother brought

Kissing His wife good-bye, after the golden deer, He sought

He slowly walked out of the ashram looking for the deer

The deer was loitering amidst shrubs in a space that was clear

Lord Rama rubbed on Himself some herbs as a cover scent

Bending His knees and hiding Himself, towards the deer, He went

He came close to the deer about a distance, four feet

To hug it from behind, He leaped, and the deer took fleet

He was surprised when He thought how the deer could have sensed

While His smell, sound, and presence from it were completely fenced

The deer had run off quite a distance but was very much in sight

Only after Lord Rama went close to it, it again took flight

The deer repeated this act in a cunning way

Lord Rama, far from the ashram, it led astray

Lord Rama observed how the deer hovered within His sight

And how, only when He went close to it, it showed fright

Lord Rama noticed, from the shrubs, it pretended to eat

Leaves were all intact, green, fresh, whole, and neat

Lord Rama also noticed the other animals showing fear

When the golden deer, though very tiny, went to their near

Birds on the trees fluttered above and it took long to settle

Even larger stags ran away from it in spite of their mettle

Stronger and stronger became Lord Rama’s suspicion

So He hid Himself and watched the deer for rendition

The deer, to His surprise, started to search for Him

It traced back the path, through which it led Him

It went past the tree, Lord Rama was hiding

As if in doubt and in hurry, it was striding

Now it was not as relaxed as it was before

Nor did it munch or drink, as it did before

It went through shrubs and bushes tearing them rough

To its gentle appearance, such behaviour was tough

Lord Rama was sure that it was no gentle being

And that it had come there for some evil doing

Lord Rama came out of his hiding and clapped

The deer turned back in the direction and gasped

This time before the flurrying deer could take flight

Lord Rama’s arrows pierced it with the speed of light

“Lakshman! My Brother! Help! Help! Help!”

Lord Rama was perplexed to hear the deer yelp

“Sita! My Love! Send Lakshman to Me now”

The deer imitating His voice, He knew not how

As if to answer all His questions

And as if to confirm all His suspicions

In the place of the deer that treacherously ran

There lay, bleeding and half dead, a gigantic man

When He went close and looked at the lying man’s face

Lord Rama identified the person through His memory’s trace

It was Maricha who Lord Rama’s arrow threw afar like a ball

While Lord Rama was protecting sage Vishwamitra’s yagna hall

Lord Rama was very angry and confused about Maricha’s acts

He wanted to collect from Maricha all the plans and facts

Lord Rama realised Maricha was not working alone

He approached Maricha and talked in a demanding tone

“Are you not Maricha who came to disturb My guru’s work?

Now to come here thus, who is the one, who offered you perk?

Already once, you got a chance to live again

Using it properly, some merits, could you not gain?

Why is it that you are bent in spoiling others’ peace?

Relishing what nature offers, why can’t you live in peace?

What have you gained by this act, other than loosing your life?

With people living in recluse, why do you always pick up strife?”

Lord Rama asked those questions in an angry snap

Like shooting His arrows during a fight without a gap

To His surprise, Maricha replied in an apologetic tone

Immense respect towards Lord Rama, by him, was shown

“Forgive me Lord, for, this service to my king I owed

To make my daily provider happy, my gratitude I showed

When my king asked me to trick You, I was completely shaken

For, a lesson about Your amazing might, I have already taken

When I warned my king about Your potent

My king from his way would not repent

For eating his salt and singing Your praise, he did scorn

A death sentence for me, for disobedience, he did warn

I realised my time of death had come too close

A proud death during my service, I happily chose

I know playing the fool with You is nothing but suicide

Yet, to be a good servant to my king, I did so decide

In trying to protect him from You, I have genuinely tried

And now in carrying out his orders, I am fully satisfied

Please do not hate me, for I am just the arrow

I did not act with a grudge to give You sorrow”

Lord Rama was no more angry with the dying man

He realised, the man, as a servant, has did the best he can

Anyway Lord Rama wanted to know who the king was

For that king to hate Him, He wanted to know the cause

“Who is this king, please do tell

The name of his country, please do spell

What are his future plans? Please do say!

Why did he choose this tricky way?”

“Lord! Before rendering answers to Your questions

From my life, I like to give You some visions

To what I have to say, please do listen

Then you tell me, how to end this mission

Lord! We first met while You were a teen

More than twenty long years, it has been

I was flying towards the sage Vishwamitra’s hut

You were facing us, demons, with tremendous gut

The first moment I saw Your hand go to the quiver

The next moment I saw my pals fall in a shiver

Before I could travel a dozen feet

I saw all my men were deplete

Then I was shocked to see Your attention on me

The next moment I felt myself flying to the sea

I realised an arrow delivered from Your bow

Hit me so hard, and I had to involuntarily go

I was stirred, and I was shaken, to the core

Even now I shiver though the incident is of the yore

From then on I chose a pious way of living

Renouncing my anarchic path of misgiving

Since then my king has been feeding me for my hunger

So within the belt of loyalty towards him, I have to linger

Only with this loyalty I tried to protect him from You

But those who give the same advice in his ministry are few

As a person who has given up the sinful way

For the person who fed me, I have to repay

So I came here, and till now, have acted well

Now my king’s name to You, You want me to tell

If I do thus, I will be betraying my king

And such act is very much a sinful thing

All my life, I could not be a very clean slate

I like to be good at the end of my fate

As I am in Your hold, if You hit

My king’s name, in pain, I may spit

But then I will be dying, failing in my duty

From such shameful death, please show me pity

I am at Your mercy, do as You please

Either way at Your feet, my life will cease

For, to the next world, I am on my way

Whether it is heaven or hell, is Your say!”

Saying thus, Maricha ended His plea

Lord Rama decided to leave him free

He silently walked to a nearby lake

And brought back water for Maricha’s sake

Maricha drank water from The Hands of Ram

Maricha in friendship, smiled at Ram

Maricha died at The Feet of Ram!

Finally uttering, “Jai Shri Ram! Jai Jai Shri Ram!!”