Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 42: Mārīca Becomes an Enchanting Deer
Text 3.42.28
राक्षसः सोऽपि तान्वन्यान्मृगान्मृगवधे रतः।
प्रच्छादनार्थं भावस्य न भक्षयति संस्पृशन्॥
rākṣasaḥ so ’pi tān vanyān mṛgān mṛga-vadhe rataḥ
pracchādanārthaṁ bhāvasya na bhakṣayati saṁspṛśan
rākṣasaḥ = rākṣasa; saḥ = the; api = though; tān = those; vanyān = forest; mṛgān = deer; mṛga-vadhe = in killing [and eating] deer; rataḥ = delighted; pracchādana-artham = to conceal; bhāvasya = his cruel nature; na = not; bhakṣayati = he did eat; saṁspṛśan = but simply touched them.
Though the rākṣasa delighted in killing [and eating] deer, he did not eat those forest deer but simply touched them to conceal his cruel nature.