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

अयोध्याकाण्डे सर्गः ३७ · चीरधारणं, सीतासंकल्पः, वसिष्ठोपदेशः

Bark-Robe Episode and Vasistha’s Admonition

Spoken by VasisthaSetting: AyodhyāPre-departure preparations for exile

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

అప్పుడు వసిష్ఠుడు అన్నాడు—“దేవి! చీరను తొలగించి నీ కోడలికి ఉత్తమాభరణాలు ఇవ్వు; ఆమెకు చీరధారణ విధించబడలేదు.” అని చెప్పి, ఆమె ఆ వస్త్రం ధరించకుండా వసిష్ఠుడు ఆపాడు।

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Word by Word

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• pravidhīyate: is provided/arranged
• 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')
• Role: क्रिया (verbal action)

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

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

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

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

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

Sandhi Notes

• Sandhi resolution applied: atho+uttamāni → atha + uttamāni
• uttamāni+ābharaṇāni → uttamāni + ābharaṇāni
• devi!dehi → devi + dehi
• cīram.na → cīram + na
• cīramasyāḥ → cīram + asyāḥ
• pravidhīyate+iti → pravidhīyate + iti
• iti+nyavārayat → iti + nyavārayat
• tadvasanaṃ → tat + vasanaṃ

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.

The teaching

Austerity is not to be imposed as humiliation; dharma is guided by wise ordainment and protection of the blameless.

Duties in tension

• Kaikeyī’s attempt to enforce exile-austerity on Sītā vs. dharma of propriety and protection of a royal daughter-in-law
• Symbolic punishment vs. just ordainment (vidhi)

Ethical theme

Strī-dharma / rājagṛha-maryādā

How it resolves

Authoritative correction by guru (śiṣṭācāra)

For your practice

Cultivate viveka: distinguish genuine renunciation from punitive display; protect dignity where dharma does not require hardship.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Restrained, protective, ritual-corrective

Themes

• Dharma
• Maryādā (social propriety)
• Strīdharma (women’s conduct, protection)
• Compassion
• Ritual authority

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

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.