SECTION XLII.
Speaking these harsh words unto Rāvana, Māricha being afraid of him said, "We shall both go. Surely shall I be deprived of my life by him (Rāma) taking up his scimitar and having a bow and arrows in his hands, if I go before him again. Meeting with his prowess thou shalt never return with thy life; he is like the noose of Death unto thee though thou hadst baffled its power. Thou art vicious-souled, what can I do for thee? Be thou crowned with success O ranger of the night, I shall go." The Lord of Rākshasas being pleased with Marietta's words embraced him warmly and said, "This is worthy of thy heroism that thou hast addressed thyself to act after my desire. Thou wert another Rākshasa before and hast now become true Māricha. Do thou now with me ascend this chariot coursing in the air, crested with jewels and driven by asses having faces of a demon. Enchanting Vaidehi thou shalt wend thy way and away shall I carry the daughter of the king of Mithilā by force (when there shall be neither Rāma nor Lakshmana by her.)" Thereupon Tāraka's son assented to Rāvana's words, and both of them ascending the chariot like unto a heavenly car set out for the hermitage. And beholding diverse towns, forests, mountains, rivers, kingdoms and cities they reached the forest of Dandaka and the asylum of Rāma. And descending now from the golden car the lord of Rākshasas together with Māricha beheld Rāma's asylum. Taking him (Māricha) by the hand Rāvana spake saying "There stands the asylum of Rāma surrounded by palm trees. Do thou do that for which we have come here." Hearing the words of Rāvana, the Rākshasa Māricha assuming the wonderful shape of a (golden) deer began to range at large before Rāma's hermitage. The points of its horns were like unto (two) excellent jewels, its countenance was diversified with white and black colour, its face was like a red lotus, its ears were like unto two blue lotuses, its neck was little raised, its belly was like a saphire, its sides were like unto Madhuka flowers, its color was like that of a filament of a lotus, its hoops were like unto Baidurjas (a gem of a dark color); of lean thighs; of firm joints; its tail having the diversified color of a rainbow was upraised. It was of a pleasant and cool hue and crested with various jewels.
And in no time the Rākshasa assumed the shape of a beautiful deer. To tempt Vaidehi that ranger of the night, assuming a beautiful countenance painted with diverse metals, illumining the beautiful forest and Rāma's asylum with its beauty, and ranging at large on the green field and living on grass, began to proceed. That one of lively presence having its body painted with hundreds of silver drops and living on twigs of trees began to range in the forest. Sometimes walking into the plantain house, sometimes walking around the forest of Karnikā, sometimes coming within the compass of Sitā's vision, that best of deer having its back painted with gold began to range slowly around the hermitage. It began to walk at pleasure near Rāma's asylum. Sometimes going, sometimes stopping, at one time running very swiftly and receding the next moment, that best of deer began to range at large. Sometimes playing around, sometimes lying on earth and sometimes following the deer-herd having come within the threshhold of the asylum and then followed again by them that Rākshasa assuming the form of a deer came back to see Sitā. He then began to range at large in the beautiful forest (extending far and wide). Seeing him other forest-deer came (by him) and smelling him fled away into different quarters. That Rākshasa, though expert in killing deer, did not eat them up, though touching, inorder to hide his real self. In the meantime Vaidehi, of auspicious looks whose eyes inebriate like wine, being engaged in plucking flowers, was going sometimes to the Karnika grove and sometimes to the mangoe grove. That best of women, ever inured to living in the forest and possessed of a graceful countenance, walking and plucking flowers, saw that jewelled deer, having its body deversified with pearls and diamonds. It had beautiful teeth and lips and had its down resembling silver. She began to behold with affection and with her eyes expanded with surprise. That illusive deer seeing Rāma's wife began to move around as if lighting up that forest (with the fire of its beauty). Beholding that deer ornamented with diverse jewels, and the like of which she had never seen before, the daughter of Janaka was struck With immense wonder.