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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.5.9

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 acknowledge his standing in the Ikṣvāku family and his commitment to truth and duty, then ask permission to speak of their distress

3.5.9

tvām āsādya mahātmānaṃ dharmajñaṃ dharmavatsalam
arthitvān nātha vakṣyāmas tac ca naḥ kṣantum arhasi

Having come to you, the great-souled one, knower of dharma and devoted to dharma, we shall speak out of our need, O lord; and you should forgive us that.

Words: tvām — you; āsādya — having come to; mahātmānaṃ — the great-souled one; dharmajñaṃ — knower of dharma; dharmavatsalam — devoted to dharma; arthitvān — out of need, as suppliants; nātha — O lord; vakṣyāmas — we shall speak; tac — that; ca — and; naḥ — us; kṣantum — to forgive; arhasi — you should

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.