Mārīca
Sign in to saveIn the Hindu epic Ramayana, Maricha, or Mareecha (Sanskrit: मारीच, IAST: ), is a rakshasha, who was killed by Rama, the hero of the epic and an avatar of Vishnu. He is mentioned as an ally of Ravana, the antagonist of the epic. His most notable exploit is his role in the kidnapping of Sita, Rama's wife.
~11 min read
Encyclopedic overview
7 sectionsContents
- Legend
- Early life
- Facing Rama at Vishvamitra's yajna
- Encounter with Rama in Dandakaranya
- Role as the golden deer
- References
- Bibliography
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Maricha, or Mareecha (Sanskrit: मारीच, IAST: ), is a rakshasha, who was killed by Rama, the hero of the epic and an avatar of Vishnu. He is mentioned as an ally of Ravana, the antagonist of the epic. His most notable exploit is his role in the kidnapping of Sita, Rama's wife.
Cursed to be a rakshasa along with his mother Tadaka and brother Subahu, Maricha initially led his life terrorizing sages. He was defeated by Rama at the behest of the sage Vishvamitra. He tried again to kill Rama, but had to run for his life again. Ultimately, Maricha assumed the form of a golden deer and helped Ravana kidnap Sita.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Mārīca” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.