Research source

THE CUCKOO, THE HERON, THE HEATHCOCK, THE PARTRIDGE, THE NIGHTINGALE, THE SWALLOW, THE SPARROW, AND

Date of account: English edition published 1872
Source: Zoological Mythology; or, The Legends of Animals, Volume 2 (of 2)
Reference: Zoological Mythology; or, The Legends of Animals, Volume 2 (of 2) · selected passage 43
Rights: public_domain
Language: English
Record updated: 2026-08-25

Record summary

In the Râmâyanam,[134] Marîcas, who is possessed by a demon, becomes, by order of Râvanas, the king of the monsters, a golden stag spotted with silver, having four golden horns adorned with pearls, and a tongue as red as the sun, and tempts Râmas to pursue him in order to procure his silver-spotted skin, for which Sîtâ…

Published source text

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Source passage

Source text · mention only

In the _Râmâyanam_,[134] Marîcas, who is possessed by a demon, becomes, by order of Râvanas, the king of the monsters, a golden stag spotted with silver, having four golden horns adorned with pearls, and a tongue as red as the sun, and tempts Râmas to pursue him in order to procure his silver-spotted skin, for which Sîtâ has expressed a desire, that she might lie down upon it and rest herself. In this way the stag (here an equivalent of the hare) succeeds in separating Râmas from Sîtâ. It then emits a lamentable cry, imitating the voice of Râmas, so as to induce Lakshmanas, his brother, to come to his assistance, and leave Sîtâ alone, that Râvanas may then be able to carry her off with impunity. Lakshmanas leaves her unwillingly, because, perceiving that the stag shines like the constellation of the head of the stag (or gazelle, Mrigaçiras), he suspects it to be an apparition of Marîcas, who, as a stag, has already caused the ruin of many other princes who have hunted him. The moon, in Sanskrit, besides the name of Çaçadharas, or who carries the hare, has also that of Mrigadharas, or who carries the gazelle (or stag). The solar hero loses himself in the forest of night while pursuing the gazelle-moon.

Historical context

Contextual commentary · mention only

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Modern context

Contextual commentary · mention only

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