Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 21: Rāma Consoles Kausalyā and Lakṣmaṇa
Text 2.21.39
तामेवमुक्त्वा जननीं लक्ष्मणं पुनरब्रवीत्।
वाक्यं वाक्यविदां श्रेष्ठः श्रेष्ठः सर्वधनुष्मताम्॥
tām evam uktvā jananīṁ lakṣmaṇaṁ punar abravīt
vākyaṁ vākyavidāṁ śreṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sarva-dhanuṣmatām
tām1 evam = this; uktvā = having said; jananīm = to His mother; lakṣmaṇam = and Lakṣmaṇa; punaḥ = then; abravīt = spoke; vākyam = the following words; vākyavidām = of the knowers of speech; śreṣṭhaḥ = the best; śreṣṭhaḥ = and the best; sarva-dhanuṣmatām = of the archers.
Having said this to His mother and Lakṣmaṇa, the best of the knowers of speech and the best of the archers then spoke the following words.
1 Technical note: tām jananīm.