Valmiki Ramayana 2.37.34: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 37, Shloka 34

अयोध्याकाण्डे सर्गः ३७ · चीरधारणं, सीतासंकल्पः, वसिष्ठोपदेशः

Bark-Robe Episode and Vasistha’s Admonition

Devanagari script

अथोत्तमान्याभरणानि देवि देहि स्नुषायै व्यपनीय चीरम् ।

न चीरमस्याः प्रविधीयतेति न्यवारयत्तद्वसनं वसिष्टः ॥३४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.37.34

Transliteration

athottamāny ābharaṇāni devi dehi snuṣāyai vyapanīya cīram |

na cīram asyāḥ pravidhīyate iti nyavārayat tad-vasanaṁ vasiṣṭhaḥ ||34||

Translation

Wtedy Wasisztha rzekł: "Królowo, zdejmij szatę z kory i daj twojej synowej najdoskonalsze ozdoby." Mówiąc: "Szata z kory nie została dla niej przeznaczona", Wasisztha powstrzymał ją przed przywdziewaniem tego ubioru.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• atha: then, thereupon
• atha: सम्बन्ध/प्रकरण-निर्देश (discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अथ)
• Form: अव्ययम् (निपातः/अनन्तरार्थकः) — indeclinable particle meaning 'then/thereupon'

• uttamāni: excellent, precious
• uttamāni: विशेषण (qualifier of ābharaṇāni)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (उत्तम) (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् — nominative/accusative plural neuter; विशेषणम्

• ābharaṇāni: ornaments
• ābharaṇāni: कर्म (object of dehi)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ābharaṇa (आभरण) (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् — nominative/accusative plural neuter

• devi: O queen (Devi)
• devi: सम्बोधन (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (देवी) (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — vocative singular feminine (address)

• dehi: give
• dehi: क्रिया (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा) (धातुः)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् — imperative, 2nd person singular; परस्मैपदम्

• snuṣāyai: to (your) daughter-in-law
• snuṣāyai: सम्प्रदान (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snuṣā (स्नुषा) (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे चतुर्थी विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — dative singular feminine

• vyapanīya: having removed
• vyapanīya: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (prior action to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vi-apa-√nī (वि+अप+नी) (धातुः) → व्यपनीय (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययभावे क्त्वान्तः (ल्यप्) — gerund/absolutive; 'having removed/taken away'

• cīram: bark-garment, bark robe
• cīram: कर्म (object of vyapanīya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cīra (चीर) (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — accusative singular neuter

• na: not
• na: निषेध (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (न)
• Form: अव्ययम् (निषेध-निपातः) — negation particle

• cīram: bark-garment
• cīram: कर्तृ/कर्म-स्थानी (grammatical subject in passive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cīra (चीर) (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — nominative singular neuter (subject of pravidhīyate)

• asyāḥ: of her
• asyāḥ: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation: 'of her')
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्) → asyāḥ (अस्याः) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे षष्ठी विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — genitive singular feminine (pronoun)

• pravidhīyate: is provided/arranged
• pravidhīyate: क्रिया (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dhā (प्र+धा) (धातुः) → प्रविधीयते
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् — present indicative, 3rd person singular; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive sense: 'is arranged/provided')

• iti: thus
• iti: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (इति)
• Form: अव्ययम् (उक्त्यर्थकः/वाक्य-समाप्ति-सूचकः) — quotative particle 'thus'

• nyavārayat: prevented, restrained
• nyavārayat: क्रिया (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-ava-√vṛ (नि+अव+वृ) (धातुः) → न्यवारयत्
• Form: लङ्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् — imperfect/past, 3rd person singular; परस्मैपदम्

• tat: that
• tat: विशेषण (qualifier of vasanaṃ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — accusative singular neuter; विशेषणम् (of vasanaṃ)

• vasanam: garment, clothing
• vasanam: कर्म (object of nyavārayat)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasana (वसन) (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — accusative singular neuter

• vasiṣṭhaḥ: Vasiṣṭha
• vasiṣṭhaḥ: कर्ता (agent/subject of nyavārayat)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha (वसिष्ठ) (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा विभक्तिः एकवचनम् — nominative singular masculine

Context

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.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Kaikeyī
• Sītā
• ornaments (ābharaṇa)
• cīra (bark garment)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes protecting the undeserving from imposed suffering: Vasiṣṭha asserts normative propriety that Sītā was not included in the exile’s austerities.

What is the narrative situation?

As bark garments are brought out, Vasiṣṭha intervenes to prevent Sītā from being made to wear them.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Vasiṣṭha’s guardianship of dharma—using moral and ritual authority to limit harm.