Shloka 3.43.26
मायामृगदर्शनम् (The Vision of the Illusory Deer)
प्रतिलोमानुलोमाश्च रुचिरा रोमराजयः।शोभन्ते मृगमाश्रित्य चित्राः कनकबिन्दवः।।।।
na vane nandanoddeśe na caitrarathasaṃśraye |
kutaḥ pṛthivyāṃ saumitre yo 'sya kaścit samo mṛgaḥ || 3.43.25 ||
Not in this forest, nor even in Nandana—the famed grove of Indra—nor in Caitraratha, Kubera’s pleasure-garden, is there any deer equal to this one. How then, O Saumitrī, could such a match be found anywhere on earth?
The stretches of hair on the deer's body bent both in the natural order and in the opposite direction look beautiful. The spots of gold on the skin are wonderful.
Dharma calls for caution when something appears unnaturally extraordinary. The verse implicitly warns that fascination with marvels can cloud truth (satya) and prudent conduct.
Rāma underscores to Lakṣmaṇa that the deer’s beauty is beyond even celestial gardens, intensifying the sense that it is extraordinary and potentially deceptive.
Rāma’s evaluative intelligence and awareness—he compares the sight against known standards (even divine realms) to judge its rarity.