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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.1.20

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

3.1.20

nyastadaṇḍā vayaṃ rājañ jitakrodhā jitendriyāḥ
rakṣitavyās tvayā śaśvad garbhabhūtās tapodhanāḥ

We have laid down the rod of force, O king, having conquered anger and mastered our senses; we, whose wealth is austerity and who are as though unborn children, must ever be protected by you.

Words: nyastadaṇḍā — having laid down the rod (of force); vayaṃ — we; rājañ — O king; jitakrodhā — having conquered anger; jitendriyāḥ — having mastered the senses; rakṣitavyās — to be protected; tvayā — by you; śaśvad — ever, perpetually; garbhabhūtās — like children in the womb, wholly dependent; tapodhanāḥ — those whose wealth is austerity

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.