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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.9.8

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 recalls being ashamed that they had to approach him when he ought to have offered service first

3.9.8

mayā tu vacanaṃ śrutvā teṣām evaṃ mukhāc cyutam
kṛtvā caraṇaśuśrūṣāṃ vākyam etad udāhṛtam

But I, having heard this word fallen thus from their lips, and having rendered service at their feet, uttered this speech:

Words: mayā — by me; tu — but; vacanaṃ — the word; śrutvā — having heard; teṣām — of them; evaṃ — thus; mukhāc — from the mouth; cyutam — fallen, issued; kṛtvā — having rendered, made; caraṇaśuśrūṣāṃ — service at the feet; vākyam — speech; etad — this; udāhṛtam — uttered

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.