Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 31: Rāma Allows Lakṣmaṇa to Follow Him to the Forest
Text 2.31.18
एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण लक्ष्मणः श्लक्ष्णया गिरा।
प्रत्युवाच तदा रामं वाक्यज्ञो वाक्यकोविदम्॥
evam uktas tu rāmeṇa lakṣmaṇaḥ ślakṣṇayā girā
pratyuvāca tadā rāmaṁ vākyajño vākya-kovidam
evam = thus; uktaḥ tu = spoke; rāmeṇa = when Rāma; lakṣmaṇaḥ = Lakṣmaṇa; ślakṣṇayā = in sweet; girā = words; pratyuvāca tadā = replied; rāmam = to Rāma; vākyajñaḥ = who knew how to speak [convincingly]; vākya-kovidam = who was [Himself] expert in speech.
When Rāma spoke thus, Lakṣmaṇa, who knew how to speak [convincingly], replied in sweet words to Rāma who was [Himself] expert in speech.
As we know from text 2.1.17, uttarottara-yuktau ca vaktā vācaspatir yathā: “Rāma would speak in debate like Bṛhaspati.” Rāma was thus qualified in this manner. Still, Lakṣmaṇa was capable of satisfying [Rāma] by intelligently refuting Him in response.
Lakṣmaṇa refutes Rāma’s arguments from the next verse.