Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 31: Rāma Allows Lakṣmaṇa to Follow Him to the Forest
Text 2.31.1
एवं श्रुत्वा तु संवादं लक्ष्मणः पूर्वमागतः।
बाष्पपर्याकुलमुखः शोकं सोढुमशक्नुवन्॥
evaṁ śrutvā tu saṁvādaṁ lakṣmaṇaḥ pūrvam āgataḥ
bāṣpa-paryākula-mukhaḥ śokaṁ soḍhum aśaknuvan
evam = this; śrutvā tu = after hearing; saṁvādam = conversation; lakṣmaṇaḥ = Lakṣmaṇa; pūrvam = already; āgataḥ = had come with Rāma; bāṣpa-paryākula-mukhaḥ = and His face became filled with tears; śokam = His distress [at being separated from Rāma]; soḍhum = suppress; aśaknuvan = He could not.
Lakṣmaṇa had already come with Rāma. After hearing this conversation, He could not suppress His distress [at being separated from Rāma] and His face became filled with tears.
Sage Vālmīki had described that Rāma had agreed to take Sītā. In this chapter, he describes Lakṣmaṇa’s prayers [to go with Rāma to the forest].
Lakṣmaṇa had already come with Rāma from Kausalyā’s house and [so] He heard this conversation between Sītā and Rāma. He was distressed because of thinking, “It is with great difficulty that Śrī Rāma has agreed to Sītā-devī accompanying Him to the forest, even though she is half of His body. How will it be possible for Me to accompany Him?”