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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.5.13

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

3.5.13

yat karoti paraṃ dharmaṃ munir mūlaphalāśanaḥ
tatra rājñaś caturbhāgaḥ prajā dharmeṇa rakṣataḥ

Of the supreme merit that a sage living on roots and fruit acquires, a fourth part belongs to the king who protects his subjects by dharma.

Words: yat — which; karoti — performs; paraṃ — supreme; dharmaṃ — merit, dharma; munir — the sage; mūlaphalāśanaḥ — living on roots and fruit; tatra — therein; rājñaś — of the king; caturbhāgaḥ — a fourth part; prajā — the subjects; dharmeṇa — by dharma; rakṣataḥ — of (the king) protecting

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.