Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 42: Mārīca Becomes an Enchanting Deer
Text 3.42.14
स रावणवचः श्रुत्वा मारीचो राक्षसस्तदा।
मृगो भूत्वाश्रमद्वारि रामस्य विचचार ह॥
sa rāvaṇa-vacaḥ śrutvā mārīco rākṣasas tadā
mṛgo bhūtvāśrama-dvāri rāmasya vicacāra ha
saḥ = the; rāvaṇa-vacaḥ = Rāvaṇa’s words; śrutvā = upon hearing; mārīcaḥ = Mārīca; rākṣasaḥ = rākṣasa; tadā1 mṛgaḥ = a deer; bhūtvā = became; āśrama-dvāri = the entrance to āśrama; rāmasya = Lord Rāma’s; vicacāra ha = and wandered about.
Upon hearing Rāvaṇa’s words, the rākṣasa Mārīca became a deer and wandered about the entrance to Lord Rāma’s āśrama.
1 Technical note: tadā bhūtvā.
This summary [of Mārīca’s activity] is elaborated from the next verse.