For generations, the Lakshman Rekha has been remembered as one of the most famous moments in the Ramayana. The story is familiar: Lakshman leaves Sita in the forest, draws a protective line around the hut and warns her not to cross it. But there is a surprising problem with this popular version. The famous line is not described in Valmiki’s Ramayana during the scene of Sita’s abduction. So where did the Lakshman Rekha come from? The answer takes us from Valmiki’s verses to later Ramayana traditions, and even to a sharp remark made by Mandodari.
