Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 50: The Meeting of Rāma and Guha
Text 2.50.49
तस्य भूमौ शयानस्य पादौ प्रक्षाल्य लक्ष्मणः।
सभार्यस्य ततोऽभ्येत्य तस्थौ वृक्षमुपाश्रितः॥
tasya bhūmau śayānasya pādau prakṣālya lakṣmaṇaḥ
sabhāryasya tato ’bhyetya tasthau vṛkṣam upāśritaḥ
tasya = of Rāma; bhūmau = on the ground; śayānasya = who was about to sleep; pādau = the feet; prakṣālya = after washing; lakṣmaṇaḥ = Lakṣmaṇa; sabhāryasya = with His wife; tataḥ = that place; abhyetya = left and; tasthau = stood; vṛkṣam = the tree; upāśritaḥ = under.
After washing the feet of Rāma who was about to sleep on the ground with His wife, Lakṣmaṇa left that place and stood under the tree.
To wash the feet before going to bed is a habit of kings. It is also in line with Lakṣmaṇa’s own function of rendering Rāma menial service. Rāma had performed ācamana before going to sleep. Lakṣmaṇa then left that place where Rāma slept and came and stood before Guha under the tree.