In the Ramayana, Lakshman is horrified when Shabari offers him berries after tasting them to check if they are sweet; he considers the food contaminated, but Ram has no problem eating the berries for he rises above such cultural meanings and is able to recognize that they exist in context and are not universal. What makes sense in one culture may not make sense in another. This discomfort with contamination following contact with saliva is implied in the verse where Hanuman casually puts Ram’s royal ring in his mouth.
