Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 12: Agastya Requests Rāma to Protect the Sages
Text 3.12.27
प्रथमं चोपविश्याथ धर्मज्ञो मुनिपुङ्गवः।
उवाच राममासीनं प्राञ्जलिं धर्मकोविदम्॥
prathamaṁ copaviśyātha dharmajño muni-puṅgavaḥ
uvāca rāmam āsīnaṁ prāñjaliṁ dharma-kovidam
prathamam ca = first; upaviśya = sat down; atha = then; dharmajñaḥ = who knew dharma; muni-puṅgavaḥ = the best of sages; uvāca = the sage spoke to Him [as follows]; rāmam = Rāma; āsīnam = sat down; prāñjalim = and joined His palms together in supplication; dharma-kovidam = who was expert in dharma.
The best of sages, who knew dharma, first sat down. Rāma, who was expert in dharma, then sat down and joined His palms together in supplication. The sage spoke to Him [as follows].