Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 31: Rāma Allows Lakṣmaṇa to Follow Him to the Forest
Text 2.31.28
रामस्त्वनेन वाक्येन सुप्रीतः प्रत्युवाच तम्।
व्रजापृच्छस्व सौमित्रे सर्वमेव सुहृज्जनम्॥
rāmas tv anena vākyena suprītaḥ pratyuvāca tam
vrajāpṛcchasva saumitre sarvam eva suhṛj-janam
rāmaḥ tu = Rāma; anena = with these; vākyena = words [of Lakṣmaṇa]; suprītaḥ = was very pleased; pratyuvāca = [and] replied; tam = to Him; vraja = go; āpṛcchasva = [and] take permission from; saumitre = son of Sumitrā-devī; sarvam eva = all of; suhṛt-janam = Your well-wishers.
Rāma was very pleased with these words [of Lakṣmaṇa and] replied to Him: “Son of Sumitrā-devī, go [and] take permission from all of Your well-wishers.
Here Rāma reveals that He has permitted Lakṣmaṇa [to accompany Him].
NOTE. Lord Rāmacandra was most pleased with Lakṣmaṇa because He wanted to completely engage in devotional service with faith. In this regard, He states in Bhagavad-gītā 12.20:
ye tu dharmāmṛtam idaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate
śraddadhānā mat-paramā bhaktās te ’tīva me priyāḥ
“Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith, making Me the supreme goal, are very, very dear to Me.”