Hearing those words, the demon Marīca was filled with delight. He embraced Rāvaṇa tightly and spoke with satisfaction, “Now you truly possess courage and act according to my wishes; you are indeed Marīca, and no longer the demon you once were.” Rāvaṇa, pleased, gestured toward a swift, bird-like chariot, adorned with gleaming jewels. “Come, mount this chariot with me,” he said. The chariot was yoked with donkeys bearing ghastly faces, adding to its fearsome appearance. Rāvaṇa outlined his plan: “After you entice Vaidehī, you may depart as you wish. In that deserted place, I will seize Sītā, the princess of Mithilā, by force.” Marīca, son of Tāṭakā, agreed to Rāvaṇa’s proposal. Together, they boarded the bejeweled chariot, which soared like a flying palace. Swiftly, they departed from the circle of hermitages, passing over cities and forests, beholding mountains, rivers, realms, and towns. Their journey took them to the Daṇḍaka forest and finally to the very hermitage of Rāghava. Arriving at their destination, Rāvaṇa and Marīca dismounted from the golden-adorned chariot. Rāvaṇa took Marīca by the hand and pointed out, “This is Rāma’s hermitage, surrounded by banana trees. Friend, quickly do that for which we have come.” Hearing these words, Marīca, the rākṣasa, prepared himself. He assumed the wondrous and astonishing form of a deer. His horns were made of the finest jewels, his face shone with both white and black hues, and his mouth glowed like a red lotus. His ears resembled blue lotuses, his neck was slightly raised, and his belly sparkled like blue sapphire. His flanks shone like honey-colored flowers and the filaments of a lotus, while his hooves gleamed like beryl. His slender, well-formed legs moved gracefully, and his radiant tail sparkled with all the colors of Indra’s rainbow. Adorned with various gems and glossy hues, Marīca became a deer of supreme beauty, illuminating the lovely forest and Rāma’s hermitage. He moved delightfully across the green meadows, his body adorned with minerals, all to entice Vaidehī. His coat was marked with hundreds of silvery spots as he roamed, nibbling tender leaves from the trees. He wandered through the banana grove and among the kārṇikāra trees, lingering with gentle steps, awaiting Sītā’s gaze. With a back patterned like a lotus, the marvelous deer shone near Rāma’s hermitage. Sometimes he moved away swiftly, only to return, frolicking on the ground or sitting quietly. He approached the hermitage gate, mingling with herds of deer, turning back again and again, longing for Sītā to notice him. He traced dazzling patterns as he moved, captivating the other forest-dwelling deer, who approached to sniff him, but then scattered in all directions. Yet Marīca, delighting in the hunt, mingled among them, careful not to eat, so as to hide his true nature. At that very moment, Vaidehī—Sītā, with lovely eyes—was absorbed in gathering flowers among the blossoming karnikara, ashoka, and mango trees. Her radiant face shone as she moved through the forest, her eyes intoxicating in their beauty. As she collected flowers, she beheld the jewel-like deer, its limbs adorned with pearls and gems, its teeth and lips gleaming, its hair shimmering like silver and precious metals. Astonished, Sītā gazed at the magical deer with affection, her eyes wide with wonder. The deer, too, looked upon Rāma’s beloved, illuminating the forest with his presence. Never before had Sītā, the daughter of Janaka, seen such a many-gemmed, dazzling creature. Her heart filled with delight and amazement. Now listen to the next part of the story. As Sītā, lovely-hipped and radiant, gathered her flowers, she beheld the deer whose sides shone with the hues of gold and silver. Delighted and captivated by his flawless form, radiant as polished gold, she called out for her husband and for Lakṣmaṇa, the armed one. Again and again, she called, her gaze fixed on the wondrous deer, “Come, come quickly, O noble one, with your younger brother!” Summoned by Vaidehī, both Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa—the tigers among men—looked about and saw the extraordinary deer. Lakṣmaṇa, ever vigilant, grew suspicious. He said to Rāma, “I think this deer is none other than Marīca, the demon. Roaming the forest, delighting in the hunt, this shape-shifting demon has slain many kings.” Lakṣmaṇa continued, “This is the illusion of a master of illusion. This deer form is his creation, O tiger among men, shining like a Gandharva city. O Rāghava, such a jewel-adorned deer does not exist. Lord of the earth, this is surely an illusion—there can be no doubt.