¹ The very fact that Mother Sītā talks about the rākṣasas in this regard indicates that she sensed that that they were up to some mischief. After all, being Lord Rāma’s constant companion for thirteen years in the forest, she was already aware of Rāma’s dealings with Mārīca and other rākṣasas in the past. In the recent past, she had witnessed Rāmacandra’s deadly slaughter of fourteen thousand rākṣasas. Being the daughter and wife of a kṣatriya, she certainly knew that among the non-spiritual populace, violence breeds violence. We also know from Śrī Govindarāja that the state of one’s mind is revealed in crisis, while asleep or when drunk. That these rākṣasas would strike back was evidently in the back of her mind. Why else would she bring up a reference to the rākṣasas here? Besides, Lakṣmaṇa had already mentioned to Rāmacandra in her presence that the wonderful deer was a mere magical appearance of Mārīca—and all three of them certainly knew very well who he was. Why would he dare to come to Rāma after all that he had been through, and that too, in the disguise of a fascinating deer, if not to allure Rāmacandra away from her? Intelligent Sītā-devī sensed that their master, Rāvaṇa, must have been in the background of this act too. Technical note: rakṣasāṁ vaśam āpannam ity anena rāvaṇa-preraṇayaiva mārīco ’trāgata iti sūcitam. tena tasyātrāgamane svāntryābhāvo vyañjitaḥ.