एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण लक्ष्मणः संयताञ्जलिः।
सीतासमक्षं काकुत्स्थमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥
evam uktas tu rāmeṇa lakṣmaṇaḥ saṁyatāñjaliḥ
sītā-samakṣaṁ kākutstham idaṁ vacanam abravīt
evam = thus; uktaḥ tu = spoke; rāmeṇa = when Rāma; lakṣmaṇaḥ = Lakṣmaṇa; saṁyata-añjaliḥ = joined His palms together and; sītā-samakṣam = in the presence of Sītā-devī; kākutstham = to the descendant of Kakutstha; idam = the following; vacanam = words; abravīt = spoke.
When Rāma spoke thus, Lakṣmaṇa joined His palms together and spoke the following words to the descendant of Kakutstha in the presence of Sītā-devī.
1 Mother Sītā, being the Supreme Lord Rāma’s internal potency, is the eternal mediator between Lord Rāma and the living entities in their service to Him. The potency, being the ultimate transparent via media, reveals the potent. Here Lakṣmaṇa represents the living entities.
Lakṣmaṇa could not tolerate these words of Rāmacandra which also took into consideration Lakṣmaṇa’s comfort. In Lakṣmaṇa’s opinion, He should have been ordered to locate a place that delighted Sītā and Rāma, not a place [that was also] comfortable to Lakṣmaṇa.
Lakṣmaṇa spoke to Rāma in the presence of Sītā-devī. This indicates that [He spoke to His object of surrender] in the presence of His mediator.1