Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 43: Sītā Sees the Magical Deer
Text 3.43.24
पश्य लक्ष्मण वैदेह्याः स्पृहां मृगगतामिमाम्।
रूपश्रेष्ठतया ह्येष मृगोऽद्य न भविष्यति॥
paśya lakṣmaṇa vaidehyāḥ spṛhāṁ mṛga-gatām imam
rūpa-śreṣṭhatayā hy eṣa mṛgo ’dya na bhaviṣyati
paśya = look; lakṣmaṇa = Lakṣmaṇa; vaidehyāḥ = Vaidehī’s; spṛhām = at hankering; mṛga-gatām imām = for this deer; rūpa-śreṣṭhatayā = as the most beautiful [creature]; hi = certainly; eṣaḥ = this; mṛgaḥ = deer; adya = today; na = not; bhaviṣyati = will be [here].
Lakṣmaṇa, look at Vaidehī’s hankering for this deer. As the most beautiful [creature], this deer will certainly not be [here] today!
Śrī Rāma implies that Sītā-devī hankered for the deer because it was hard to be found in the forest.
In the next verse, He states that it is rarely found not just there [in Daṇḍakāraṇya], but in other places too.