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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.1.19

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 1: Daṇḍaka’s tapasvins seek protection. They welcome Rāma, Sītā & Lakṣmaṇa and claim the King’s protection as subjects who have renounced force

In the sequence: they explain that a King's authority carries the duty of protection: even in the forest, they remain his subjects → because they have renounced force and mastered their anger, they depend upon him for safety

3.1.19

te vayaṃ bhavatā rakṣyā bhavadviṣayavāsinaḥ
nagarastho vanastho vā tvaṃ no rājā janeśvaraḥ

We, dwellers in your realm, are to be protected by you; whether in the city or in the forest, you are our king, the lord of the people.

Words: te — those, such; vayaṃ — we; bhavatā — by you; rakṣyā — to be protected; bhavadviṣayavāsinaḥ — dwellers in your realm; nagarastho — dwelling in the city; vanastho — dwelling in the forest; vā — or; tvaṃ — you; no — our; rājā — king; janeśvaraḥ — lord of the people

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.