Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 52: Rāma Crosses the Gaṅgā on Guha’s Boat
Text 2.52.21
ततस्तु विगते बाष्पे सूतं स्पृष्टोदकं शुचिम्।
रामस्तु मधुरं वाक्यं पुनः पुनरुवाच तम्॥
tatas tu vigate bāṣpe sūtaṁ spṛṣṭodakaṁ śucim
rāmas tu madhuraṁ vākyaṁ punaḥ punar uvāca tam
tataḥ tu vigate bāṣpe sūtam = when the sūta stopped crying; spṛṣṭa-udakam = washed his mouth with water; śucim = and became clean; rāmaḥ tu = Rāma; madhuram = words; vākyam = the following sweet; punaḥ punaḥ = repeatedly; uvāca = spoke; tam = to him.
When the sūta stopped crying, washed his mouth with water and became clean, Rāma repeatedly spoke the following sweet words to him.
Sumantra washed his mouth with water because he had cried— a cause of uncleanliness.