Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 31: Rāma Allows Lakṣmaṇa to Follow Him to the Forest
Text 2.31.10
स्निग्धो धर्मरतो वीरः सततं सत्पथे स्थितः।
प्रियः प्राणसमो वश्यो भ्राता चासि सखा च मे॥
snigdho dharma-rato vīraḥ satataṁ sat-pathe sthitaḥ
priyaḥ prāṇa-samo vaśyo bhrātā cāsi sakhā ca me
snigdhaḥ = affectionate; dharma-rataḥ = absorbed in dharma; vīraḥ = heroic; satatam = always; sat-pathe = on the proper bath of behavior; sthitaḥ = situated; priyaḥ = dear; prāṇa-samaḥ = equal to My very life; vaśyaḥ = submissive; bhrātā ca = a brother; asi = You are; sakhā = friend; ca = and; me = My.
Your are affectionate, absorbed in dharma, heroic, always situated on the proper path of behavior, dear, equal to My very life, submissive, a brother and My friend.
These features of Lakṣmaṇa were favorable features because of which He was capable of executing what Rāma wanted to be done.
GLOSS. [The glossator reads vidheyaś ca instead of bhrātā cāsi that] Lakṣmaṇa was Rāma’s servant.