Shloka 3.43.24
मायामृगदर्शनम् (The Vision of the Illusory Deer)
पश्य लक्ष्मण वैदेह्याः स्पृहां मृगगतामिमाम्।रूपश्रेष्ठतया ह्येष मृगोऽद्य न भविष्यति।।।।न वने नन्दनोद्धेशे न चैत्ररथसंश्रये।कुतःपृथिव्यां सौमित्रे योऽस्य कश्चित्समो मृगः।।।।
sā taṁ samprekṣya suśroṇī kusumāny apacinvatī | hemarājatavarṇābhyāṁ pārśvābhyām upaśobhitam || prahṛṣṭā cānavadyāṅgī mṛṣṭahāṭakavarṇinī | bhartāram api cakranda lakṣmaṇaṁ cāpi sāyudham ||
As she gathered flowers, Sītā—slender-hipped, flawless-limbed, and radiant like pure gold—caught sight of that deer, made all the more lovely by gold-and-silver hues along its flanks. Delighted, she called out to her husband and to Lakṣmaṇa as well, armed and ready.
O Lakshmana, see the eagerness of Sita. Such a deer of exceptional beauty will not be found in this forest. There is no equal to this animal even in the Nandan garden of Indra, or the Chaitraratha, the garden of Kubera. Where can such an animal be found on earth?
The verse sets up how sensory attraction can initiate moral trial. Dharma teaching: be cautious when delight arises from the extraordinary, because it can precede deception and danger.
Sītā, collecting flowers, sees the dazzling deer and calls to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.
Alertness and preparedness are implied through Lakṣmaṇa being armed, reflecting the protective vigilance expected in exile.