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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.9.5
Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 9: Rāma’s promise to the ṛṣis. He explains their refusal to spend tapasvin power on curses and declares that protecting them binds him more strongly than his own life
In the sequence: he takes up her own principle that a warrior carries a bow to prevent cries of distress: the Daṇḍaka munis have already sought his protection against repeated attacks
3.9.5
vasanto dharmaniratā vane mūlaphalāśanāḥ
na labhante sukhaṃ bhītā rākṣasaiḥ krūrakarmabhiḥ
Dwelling in the forest, devoted to dharma, living on roots and fruits, they find no ease, terrified by the rākṣasas of cruel deeds.
Words: vasanto — dwelling; dharmaniratā — devoted to dharma; vane — in the forest; mūlaphalāśanāḥ — living on roots and fruits; na — not; labhante — they obtain; sukhaṃ — ease, comfort; bhītā — frightened; rākṣasaiḥ — by the rākṣasas; krūrakarmabhiḥ — of cruel deeds
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.