Even though the āśrama had always been protected by Rāma, it would appear to the [ordinary] wretched [souls] that the āśrama was now under Rāma’s protection.

NOTE. Sutīkṣṇa was delighted that the Lord of his meditation had now appeared in front of him and so he was peaceful in the service of his master. Such a situation is described in the following prayer:

bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ
praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ
kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ
praharṣayiṣyāmi sanātha-jīvitam

“By serving You constantly, one is freed from all material desires and is completely pacified. When shall I engage as Your permanent eternal servant and always feel joyful to have such a fitting master?” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 1.206)

Śrīla Prabhupāda has commented on this nice verse as follows:

In His teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has declared every living entity to be an eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the constitutional position of all living entities. Just as a dog or servant is very much satisfied to get a competent, perfect master, or as a child is completely satisfied to possess a competent father, so the living entity is satisfied by completely engaging in the service of the Supreme Lord. He thereby knows that he has a competent master to save him from all kinds of danger. Unless the living entity comes to the guaranteed protection of the Supreme Lord, he is full of anxiety. This life of anxiety is called material existence. To be completely satisfied and devoid of anxiety, one must come to the position of eternally rendering service to the Supreme Lord. This verse is [...] from the Stotra-ratna (43), by Śrī Yāmunācārya.