तासामेवंविधा वाचः शृण्वन्दशरथात्मजः।
बबन्धैव तदा चीरं सीतया तुल्यशीलया॥
tāsām evaṁ-vidhā vācaḥ śrṇvan daśarathātmajaḥ
babandhaiva tadā cīraṁ sītayā tulya-śīlayā
tāsām = from those ladies; evam-vidhāḥ = such; vācaḥ = words; śrṇvan = [despite] hearing; daśaratha-ātmajaḥ = Daśaratha’s son; babandha eva tadā = dressed; cīram = with such ascetic clothes; sītayā = Sītā-devī; tulya-śīlayā = whose character was equal to His.
[Despite] hearing such words from those ladies, Daśaratha’s son dressed Sītā-devī, whose character was equal to His, with such ascetic clothes.1
1 The ladies from the inner quarters were Daśaratha’s wives. When Rāmacandra had begun to help Sītā-devī put on the ascetic garments over her silk clothes, they began to request Him to leave her in Ayodhyā. But Rāma did not carry out their request as Kaikeyī didn’t permit the arrangement proposed by them. This was sensed by the sage Vasiṣṭha who will now scold Kaikeyī for exiling Vaidehī along with Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.
Lord Rāma did so because Queen Kaikeyī did not permit [Sītā to reside in Ayodhyā].