THE RAMAYANA : 8.

(Delivered at the Shakespeare Club, Pasadena, California, January 31, 1900)

Rama was the most powerful of mortals; there were no giants or demons or anybody else strong enough to conquer him.

So, the giant king had to resort to subterfuge.

He got hold of another giant who was a magician and changed him into a beautiful golden deer; and the deer went prancing round about the place where Rama lived, until Sita was fascinated by its beauty and asked Rama to go and capture the deer for her.

Rama went into the forest to catch the deer, leaving his brother in charge of Sita.

Then Lakshmana laid a circle of fire round the cottage, and he said to Sita, "Today I see something may befall you; and, therefore, I tell you not to go outside of this magic circle. Some danger may befall you if you do."

In the meanwhile, Rama had pierced the magic deer with his arrow, and immediately the deer, changed into the form of a man, died.

Swami Vivekananda
To be continued  ....