व्रीडितं लक्ष्मणं दृष्ट्वा राघवः प्रत्युवाच ह।
एष मन्ये महाबाहुरिहास्मान्द्रष्टुमागतः॥
vrīḍitaṁ lakṣmaṇaṁ dṛṣṭvā rāghavaḥ pratyuvāca ha
eṣa manye mahā-bāhur ihāsmān draṣṭum āgataḥ
vrīḍitam = embarrassed; lakṣmaṇam = Lakṣmaṇa; dṛṣṭvā = upon seeing; rāghavaḥ = rāghava; pratyuvāca ha = replied; eṣaḥ = King Daśaratha; manye = I think; mahā-bāhuḥ = the mighty-armed; iha = here; asmān = [all of] us; draṣṭum = to see; āgataḥ = is coming.
Upon seeing Lakṣmaṇa embarrassed, Rāghava replied, “I think the mighty-armed King Daśaratha is coming to see [all of] us here.
1 This is a simple lesson on how to deal with a trustworthy dependant who has committed an error of judgement, is too embarrassed to admit it and has changed the topic. Just peacefully go along with that without harrassing and ragging him or her forever.
Though Rāma knew Lakṣmaṇa’s intent, He went along with Lakṣmaṇa’s changed topic of discussion to pacify His embarrassment and therefore spoke the second line of this verse.1