त्वामासाद्य महात्मानं धर्मज्ञं धर्मवत्सलम्।
अर्थित्वान्नाथ वक्ष्यामस्तच्च नः क्षन्तुमर्हसि॥
tvām āsādya mahātmānaṁ dharmajñaṁ dharma-vatsalam
arthitvān nātha vakṣyāmas tac ca naḥ kṣantum arhasi
tvām = You; āsādya = having approached; mahā-ātmānam = the Supreme Soul; dharmajñam = who knows dharma; dharma-vatsalam = and who is fond of dharma; arthitvāt = because we want [something from You]; nātha = O Lord; vakṣyāmaḥ = we will say [something]; tat ca = so; naḥ = us; kṣantum arhasi = please forgive.
O Lord, having approached You, the Supreme Soul who knows dharma and who is fond of dharma, we will say [something] because we want [something from You]. So please forgive us.
1 The sages knew that one who is fully surrendered unto the Lord in pure devotional service has no desire for self-satisfaction or self-protection. But because they did seek His protection from the rākṣasas, which is a material desire, they felt sorry for it and begged Him to forgive; this prayer is actually appropriate because we are meant to serve the Supreme Lord and we are not meant to make the Supreme Lord serve us. Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: etena upāyatvādhyavasāya eva cetanasya kṛtyaṁ prārthanaṁ tu na kartavyam. haṭhāt kṛte ’pi kṣamāpaṇaṁ kartavyam ity uktaṁ bhavati.
Out of extreme distress, the sages wanted Rāma to protect them from the rākṣasas. Therefore, they requested the Lord to forgive them.1
While these sages wanted to point out that Rāma’s care and protection [of His citizens] in His kingdom is natural [to Him], they point out from the next verse how a designated and worldly king cares for and protects [his citizens].