Shloka 2.38.1
अयोध्याकाण्डे अष्टत्रिंशः सर्गः — Sita in Bark Garments; Public Outcry and Dasaratha’s Lament
तस्यां चीरं वसानायां नाथवत्यामनाथवत्।प्रचुक्रोश जनस्सर्वो धिक्त्वां दशरथं त्विति।।।।
tasyāṃ cīraṃ vasānāyāṃ nāthavatyām anāthavat | pracukrośa janaḥ sarvo dhik tvāṃ daśarathaṃ tv iti || 2.38.1 ||
When Sītā—though she had a lord—was seen wearing bark cloth like one bereft of protection, all the people cried out, “Shame on you, Daśaratha!”
Beholding Sita who was wearing a bark garment, like one without a support, though having a husband, all the people cried bitterly exclaiming O Dasaratha, fie on you.
Rāja-dharma and accountability: the populace judges the king’s actions by their impact on the innocent, insisting that authority must protect, not expose, the vulnerable.
As Sītā appears in ascetic garb, the public reacts with outrage and grief, directing blame toward Daśaratha.
Public moral conscience: collective empathy for Sītā and insistence on justice from the ruler.