Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 46: Rāma Leaves the Brāhmaṇas to go to the Forest
Text 2.46.11
एवमुक्त्वा तु सौमित्रिं सुमत्रमपि राघवः।
अप्रमत्तस्त्वमश्वेषु भव सौम्येत्युवाच ह॥
evam uktvā tu saumitriṁ sumantram api rāghavaḥ
apramattas tvam aśveṣu bhava saumyety uvāca ha
evam = thus; uktvā tu = having spoken; saumitrim = to Sumitrā’s son; sumantram api = Sumantra; rāghavaḥ = Rāghava; apramattaḥ tvam = attentive; aśveṣu = to the horses; bhava = be; saumya iti = O gentle one; uvāca ha = told.
Having spoken thus to Sumitrā’s son, Rāghava told Sumantra: “O gentle one, be attentive to the horses.”1
1 This shows Rāma’s love for the horses too. And as we will note later in this very Canto, when Rāma left Sumantra (and the horses), the horses became extremely distressed in love for Rāma.