Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 31: Rāma Allows Lakṣmaṇa to Follow Him to the Forest
Text 2.31.3
यदि गन्तुं कृता बुद्धिर्वनं मृगगजायुतम्।
अहं त्वानुगमिष्यामि वनमग्रे धनुर्धरः॥
yadi gantuṁ kṛtā buddhir vanaṁ mṛga-gajāyutam
ahaṁ tvānugamiṣyāmi vanam agre dhanurdharaḥ
yadi = if; gantum = to go; kṛtā buddhiḥ = You have decided; vanam = to the forest; mṛga-gaja-āyutam = filled with wild beasts and elephants; aham = I; tvā = You; anugamiṣyāmi = will follow; vanam = to the forest; agre = or walk ahead of; dhanurdharaḥ = while holding My bow.
If You have decided to go to the forest, I will follow or walk ahead of You to the forest filled with wild beasts and elephants while holding My bow.
Lakṣmaṇa prays for exclusive service to Rāma here.
Yadi (“if”) indicates that Lakṣmaṇa disagrees with Rāma having to go to the forest. Lakṣmaṇa will serve Rāma by using His bow. Why? Because the forest is filled with wild beasts and elephants. Lakṣmaṇa will either go in front of Rāma or behind Rāma—wherever there is a fear of wild beasts—while staying fully alert. That He will go with Rāma is clear from the next verse.
GLOSS. Lakṣmaṇa wanted to accompany Rāma, not follow behind Him, because it will be mentioned later that He wanted to walk in front with a bow in hand.