Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 5: Rāma Meets Sage Śarabhaṅga
Text 3.5.26
तस्य पादौ च सङ्गृह्य रामः सीता च लक्ष्मणः।
निषेदुः समनुज्ञाता लब्धवासा निमन्त्रिताः॥
tasya pādau ca saṅgṛhya rāmaḥ sītā ca lakṣmaṇaḥ
niṣeduḥ samanujñātā labdha-vāsā nimantritāḥ
tasya = Śarabhaṅga’s; pādau ca = feet; saṅgṛhya = after touching; rāmaḥ = Rāma; sītā = Sītā; ca = and; lakṣmaṇaḥ = Lakṣmaṇa; niṣeduḥ = sat down; samanujñātāḥ = after they were permitted to do so; labdha-vāsāḥ = given seats; nimantritāḥ = and honored by the sage.
After touching Śarabhaṅga’s feet, Rāma, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa sat down after they were permitted to do so, given seats and honored by the sage.
NOTE. Though Lord Śrī Rāma is the Supreme Lord, He had descended as a kṣatriya and so He propagated the honorable code of conduct of the kṣatriyas by touching the feet of the saint Śarabhaṅga in line with His teaching:
yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tad tad evetaro janāḥ
sa yat pramāṇam kurute lokas tad anuvartate
“Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.” (Bhagavad-gītā 3.21)