Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 57: Śrī Rāma Meets Lakṣmaṇa
Text 3.57.1
राक्षसं मृगरूपेण चरन्तं कामरूपिणम्।
निहत्य रामो मारीचं तूर्णं पथि निवर्तते॥
rākṣasaṁ mṛga-rūpeṇa carantaṁ kāma-rūpiṇam
nihatya rāmo mārīcaṁ tūrṇaṁ pathi nivartate
rākṣasam = the rākṣasa; mṛga-rūpeṇa = in the form of a deer; carantam = and who had moved about; kāma-rūpiṇam = who could assume any form he willed; nihatya = after killing; rāmaḥ = Śrī Rāma; mārīcam = Mārīca; tūrṇam = quickly; pathi = on His path; nivartate = turned back.
After killing Mārīca, the rākṣasa who could assume any form he willed and who had moved about in the form of a deer, Śrī Rāma quickly turned back on His path.
1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhāva-dīpa: rākṣasam iti. praveśitāyām ity-ādir madhye ekaḥ sargaḥ prakṣiptaḥ kvacit pustakeṣu dṛśyate. sa ca mūla-kośeṣv adarśanān na vyākhyātaḥ.
Till now, [the author] has described the incidents pertaining to the abduction of Sītā-devī. Now he begins to describe the events that took place after Lord Rāma followed the deer.
GLOSS. In between [the previous chapter and this chapter], an interpolated chapter beginning with praveśitāyām is found in some manuscripts. Since it is not found in the original, I have not commented on it.1