Thereat girt with the bow and sword, (Rāma) rushed where the deer was; and beheld him illumining all before him with his beauty, and bow in hand (Rāma beheld) him in that vast forest, darting away after gazing at him,-and sometimes seeming to have got beyond arrow range, and at others tempting Rāma (by his vicinity). And sometimes influenced by fear and bewildered, (the deer) seemed to course the welkin; and in the forest now he became visible and now vanished from sight. And like the autumual lunar disc enveloped by indented clouds, he momentarily showed himself, and anon discovered himself at a distance.
बद्धासिर्धनुरादाय प्रदुद्राव यतो मृगः। तं स्म पश्यति रूपेण द्योतयन्तमिवाग्रतः॥ अवेक्ष्यावेक्ष्य धावन्तं धनुष्पाणिर्महावने। अतिवृत्तमिवोत्पाताल्लोभयानं कदाचन॥ शङ्कितं तु समुद्मास्तमुत्पतन्तमिवाम्बरम्। दृश्यमानमदृश्यं च वनोद्देशेषु केषुचित्॥ छिन्नाभैरिव संवीतं शारदं चन्द्रमण्डलम्। मुहूर्तादेव ददृशे मुहुर्दूरात् प्रकाशते॥