With skilful heed the mighty lord Fixed well the shaft and strained the cord. Upon the deer his eyes he bent, And like a fiery serpent went The arrow Brahma’s self had framed, Alive with sparks that hissed and flamed, Like Indra’s flashing levin, true To the false deer the missile flew Cleaving his flesh that wondrous dart Stood quivering in Márícha’s heart.

In plain words: Rama carefully aims and shoots an arrow made by the god Brahma. It flies like a fiery snake or a lightning bolt of Indra, the king of the gods, and strikes the false deer in the heart.