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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.42.17
Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 42: Mārīca’s false cry. Mortally wounded, he calls in Rāma’s voice, Rāma fears for Sītā and takes another deer’s meat before hurrying back
In the sequence: Rāma recognizes that Lakṣmaṇa's suspicion was correct and fears what the false cry may cause Sītā and his brother to do
3.42.17
taṃ dṛṣṭvā patitaṃ bhūmau rākṣasaṃ ghoradarśanam
jagāma manasā sītāṃ lakṣmaṇasya vacaḥ smaran
Seeing that rākṣasa, fearsome to look upon, fallen to the ground, he (Rāma) went in mind to Sītā, recalling Lakṣmaṇa's words.
Words: taṃ dṛṣṭvā — having seen him; patitaṃ bhūmau — fallen on the ground; rākṣasaṃ — the rākṣasa; ghoradarśanam — fearsome to look upon; jagāma manasā — went in mind; sītāṃ — to Sītā; lakṣmaṇasya vacaḥ — Lakṣmaṇa's words; smaran — recalling
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.