Shloka 5

अयोध्याकाण्डे अष्टत्रिंशः सर्गः

Sita in Bark Garments; Public Outcry and Dasaratha’s Lament

Devanagari script

इयं हि कस्यापकरोति किञ्चित्तपस्विनी राजवरस्य कन्या।या चीरमासाद्य जनस्य मध्येस्थिता विसंज्ञाश्रमणीव काचित्।।।।

Transliteration

iyaṃ hi kasyāpakaroti kiñcit tapasvinī rājavarasya kanyā | yā cīram āsādya janasya madhye sthitā visaṃjñā śramaṇīva kācit ||

Translation

ആ തപസ്വിനി—രാജശ്രേഷ്ഠന്റെ പുത്രി—ആർക്കെങ്കിലും അല്പമെങ്കിലും അപകാരം ചെയ്തിട്ടുണ്ടോ? ചീര ധരിച്ചു ജനമദ്ധ്യേ നിൽക്കുന്നു, ബോധം നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ട ഒരു സഞ്ചാരി ശ്രമണിയെന്നപോലെ.

Word by Word

इयम्this (woman)

हिindeed, for

कस्यof whom / to whom

अपकरोतिdoes harm, injures

किञ्चित्anything, even a little

तपस्विनीthe ascetic woman

राजवरस्यof the best of kings

कन्याdaughter

याwho (she who)

चीरम्bark garment

आसाद्यhaving obtained/received

जनस्यof the people

मध्येin the midst

स्थितāstanding, situated

विसंज्ञाsenseless, unconscious

श्रमणीa female ascetic

इवlike, as if

काचित्some (unknown) woman

Context

Sita, daughter of Janaka, the greatest among kings, stands amidst people wearing bark garment like an ascetic with her senses switched off. To whom and what harm has she done?

Characters & Entities

Daśaratha

Kaikeyī

Sītā

Janaka

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma rejects harming the blameless: the verse argues that righteousness requires protecting innocents from undeserved suffering and public humiliation.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha points to Sītā’s stunned presence in bark-cloth among the crowd and questions what wrongdoing could justify such treatment.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral indignation grounded in justice: Daśaratha’s conscience protests the extension of exile’s hardship onto Sītā.