वसतस्तस्य रामस्य वने वनचरैः सह।
ऋषयोऽभ्यागमन्सर्वे वधायासुररक्षसाम्॥
vasatas tasya rāmasya vane vanacaraiḥ saha
ṛṣayo ’bhyāgaman sarve vadhāyāsura-rakṣasām
vasataḥ = while resided; tasya rāmasya = Rāma; vane = in that forest; vanacaraiḥ saha = along with the forest-dwellers; ṛṣayaḥ = the sages; abhyāgaman = approached Him with the prayer; sarve = all; vadhāya = to kill; asura-rakṣasām = the asuric rākṣasas [who had obstructed their performance of dharma].
While Rāma resided in that forest, all the sages along with the forest-dwellers approached Him with the prayer to kill the asuric rākṣasas [who had obstructed their performance of dharma].
1 This is spoken by none other than Śūrpaṇakhā herself. Unlike modern fellows with academic misconceptions, she is clear about what is dharma and what isn’t, even though she and her other brothers aren’t adherents of dharma. As set out in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.40, that which is prescribed in the Vedas is dharma and that which is prohibited in the Vedas is adharma. And the Vedas prescribe certain activities and attitudes and prohibit certain other activities and attitudes. Even Śūrpaṇakhā understood it, while some of the modern scholars can’t understand such a simple thing.
The sages approached Rāma, giving Him an opportunity to meet them. This, in turn, was favorable for His destruction of [their] obstacles [to their surrender unto Him]. This is pointed out in this verse.
Rāma was in that forest, that is, Śarabhaṅga’s forest. This will be confirmed later on—śarabhaṅgāśrame rāmam abhijagmuś ca tāpasāḥ: “The ascetics at Śarabhaṅga’s āśrama approached Lord Rāma [to surrender unto Him].” (Rāmāyaṇa 3.6.6) These were the Vaikhānasas, Vālakhilyas and other sages.
The forest-dwellers were residing in the forests of Citrakūṭa and by the Pampā:
pampā-vana-nivāsānām anu mandākinīm api
citrakūṭālayānāṁ ca kriyate kadanaṁ mahat
[The sages told Rāma:] “[The rākṣasas] are [also] inflicting great violence upon the residents of the forests by the Pampā and Mandākinī as well as those residing at Citrakūṭa.” (Rāmāyaṇa 3.6.17)
Those rākṣasas had disregarded Lord Rāma [and tormented the sages and forest-dwellers.] The sages of Daṇḍaka Forest will
inform Lord Rāma:
te vayaṁ bhavatā rakṣyā bhavad-viṣaya-vāsinaḥ
nagarastho vanastho vā tvaṁ no rājā janeśvaraḥ
“We reside in Your territory. [Therefore,] You should protect us. Whether You reside in the city or the forest, You are our king and ruler.” (Rāmāyaṇa 3.1.19)
Asura-rakṣasām indicates that rākṣasas with an asuric nature, that is, the nature of taking way others’ lives [needlessly] inflicted violence upon the sages and other forest-dwellers. Thus, Vibhīṣaṇa, [though born in the rākṣasa race] is excluded here—vibhīṣaṇas tu dharmātmā na tu rākṣasa-ceṣṭitaḥ: “However, Vibhīṣaṇa is a dhārmika soul, not acting like the rākṣasas.”1 (Rāmāyaṇa 3.17.24) There were some asuras like Kabandha who were also inflicting violence.
The sages submissively approached Rāma with the prayer to have them killed. There is no surrender without submission.