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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.5.10

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 5: The ṛṣis appeal for protection. Tapasvins display the victims of rākṣasa attacks, Rāma promises to defend them and gives his exile a purpose

In the sequence: they argue that a ruler who takes taxes must protect his people, while a ruler who protects tapasvins receives a share of their merit

3.5.10

adhārmas tu mahāṃs tāta bhavet tasya mahīpateḥ
yo hared baliṣaḍbhāgaṃ na ca rakṣati putravat

Great, dear one, would be the unrighteousness of that lord of the earth who takes the sixth part as tribute yet does not protect his people like his own children.

Words: adhārmas — unrighteousness; tu — but, indeed; mahāṃs — great; tāta — dear one; bhavet — would be; tasya — of that; mahīpateḥ — lord of the earth; yo — who; hared — takes; baliṣaḍbhāgaṃ — the sixth part as tribute; na — not; ca — and; rakṣati — protects; putravat — like his own children

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. 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.