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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.40.16

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 40: The golden deer appears. Mārīca yields to Rāvaṇa, travels to the hermitage and assumes a jewelled deer’s form that attracts Sītā while frightening the real deer

In the sequence: Mārīca becomes a marvelous deer with gemlike horns, sapphire-colored features, silver spots, golden coloring, and an iridescent tail

3.40.16

manoharasnigdhavarṇo ratnair nānāvidhair vṛtaḥ
kṣaṇena rākṣaso jāto mṛgaḥ paramaśobhanaḥ

of a lovely, glossy hue, covered with jewels of many kinds—in a moment the rākṣasa became a most beautiful deer.

Words: manoharasnigdhavarṇo — of a lovely, glossy colour; ratnair nānāvidhair — with jewels of many kinds; vṛtaḥ — covered; kṣaṇena — in a moment; rākṣaso jāto — the rākṣasa became; mṛgaḥ — a deer; paramaśobhanaḥ — most beautiful

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.