Nigam neti siv dhyan na pava
Chaupai 6, Under Doha 27 · Aranya Kand
Chaupai Text
निगम नेति सिव ध्यान न पावा। मायामृग पाछें सो धावा॥ कबहुँ निकट पुनि दूरि पराई। कबहुँक प्रगटइ कबहुँ छपाई॥ ६ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nigama neti siva dhyāna na pāvā। māyāmṛga pāchẽ so dhāvā॥ kabahuṃ nikaṭa puni dūri parāī। kabahuṃka pragaṭai kabahuṃ chapāī॥ 6 ॥
Meaning
The Vedas, saying 'not this, not this,' cannot reach Him, and even Shiva cannot attain Him in meditation—yet that very Rama was running after the deer made of illusion. It would sometimes come near and then run far away; sometimes it appeared and sometimes it hid itself.
Context
This is Chaupai 6, Under Doha 27 from Aranya Kand, in the episode “Golden Deer and Maricha's Death”. The episode describes Maricha disguising as a golden deer, his death by Rama's arrow, and receiving liberation.