Valmiki Ramayana 2.37.34: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 37, Shloka 34
अयोध्याकाण्डे सर्गः ३७ · चीरधारणं, सीतासंकल्पः, वसिष्ठोपदेशः
Bark-Robe Episode and Vasistha’s Admonition
अथोत्तमान्याभरणानि देवि देहि स्नुषायै व्यपनीय चीरम् ।
न चीरमस्याः प्रविधीयतेति न्यवारयत्तद्वसनं वसिष्टः ॥३४॥
athottamāny ābharaṇāni devi dehi snuṣāyai vyapanīya cīram |
na cīram asyāḥ pravidhīyate iti nyavārayat tad-vasanaṁ vasiṣṭhaḥ ||34||
Da sprach Vasiṣṭha: „O Königin, nimm das Rindenkleid fort und gib deiner Schwiegertochter die erlesensten Schmuckstücke.“ Und mit den Worten: „Für sie ist Rinde nicht verordnet“, hielt Vasiṣṭha sie davon ab, jenes Gewand anzulegen.
O Kaikeyi! remove those bark robes and bestow on your daughter-in-law precious ornaments. She was not ordained to wear the bark. Vaisishta, saying so, prevented Sita from wearing that garment.
FAQs
Dharma includes protecting the undeserving from imposed suffering: Vasiṣṭha asserts normative propriety that Sītā was not included in the exile’s austerities.
As bark garments are brought out, Vasiṣṭha intervenes to prevent Sītā from being made to wear them.
Vasiṣṭha’s guardianship of dharma—using moral and ritual authority to limit harm.
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