Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 42: Mārīca Becomes an Enchanting Deer
Text 3.42.30

कर्णिकारानशोकांश्च चूतांश्च मदिरेक्षणा।
कुसुमान्यपचिन्वन्ती चचार रुचिरानना॥

karṇikārān aśokāṁś ca cūtāṁś ca madirekṣaṇā
kusumāny apacinvantī cacāra rucirānanā

karṇikārān = towards karṇikāra; aśokān ca = aśoka; cūtān = mango trees; ca = and; madira-īkṣaṇā = [and] whose eyes were delightful; kusumāni = flowers; apacinvantī = while plucking; cacāra = walked; rucira-ānanā = Sītā-devī whose face was pleasant.

Sītā-devī, whose face was pleasant [and] whose eyes were delightful, walked towards karṇikāra, aśoka and mango trees while plucking flowers.

“Whose face was pleasant” and “whose eyes were delightful” indicate that Sītā-devī was happily excited—which would lead to activities that would be described later.1


 

1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: madirekṣaṇā. anena rucirānanena ca vakṣyamāṇa-kāryopayogy-ullāso dyotyate.