Chapter 12 — Uttara Kanda, Sarga 12

Valmiki Ramayana — Uttara Kanda

Verse 12.3

अथ दत्त्वा स्वयं रक्षो मृगयामटते स्म तत्। तत्रापश्यत्ततो राम मयं नाम दितेः सुतम्॥ कन्यासहायं तं दृष्ट्वा दशग्रीवो निशाचरः। अपृच्छत्को भवानेको निर्मनुष्यमृगे वने॥ अनया मृगशावाक्ष्या किमर्थं सह तिष्ठसि। मयस्तदाब्रवीद्राम पृच्छन्तं तं निशाचरम्॥

atha dattvā svayaṃ rakṣo mṛgayāmaṭate sma tat| tatrāpaśyattato rāma mayaṃ nāma diteḥ sutam|| kanyāsahāyaṃ taṃ dṛṣṭvā daśagrīvo niśācaraḥ| apṛcchatko bhavāneko nirmanuṣyamṛge vane|| anayā mṛgaśāvākṣyā kimarthaṃ saha tiṣṭhasi| mayastadābravīdrāma pṛcchantaṃ taṃ niśācaram||

English Meaning

Having given her away, the Rākşasa was wandering about for the purpose of hunting, when, o Rāma, he happened to see Diti's son, named Maya. And seeing him accompanied by his daughter, that night-ranger the Ten-necked one asked him, saying, 'Who are you that (wanderest) alone in this first devoid of men as well as deer? And are you accompanied by this one having the eyes of a young deer?' Thereat Maya, O Rama, answered that nightranger, when he had asked this.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)