When this message reached to Rama, rather than renouncing the kingdom he renounced Sita, his wife, who was pregnant with twins, without saying anything to her. He just told his brother, “Take her into the deep forest and leave her in some Hindu seer’s ashram.”

She asked again and again, “Where are you taking me?”, and Lakshmana could not say anything. What to say? – he had tears in his eyes, and she was left in the deep forest. This is detachment?

That reminds me:

Rama’s father, Dashrath, had four wives. Rama was the eldest son, and Bharat was the youngest among four brothers. Bharat was the son of the youngest woman. Of course, the youngest had much more power over Dashrath than the others. The youngest had asked him, just one time…. If she asked anything, he would not refuse it. And such a henpecked old man…he promised her without knowing what she was going to ask.

When the time came, she asked Dashrath, “You should remember what you have promised me. Now fulfill your promise! Send Rama for fourteen years in exile outside your kingdom, and make my son Bharat the king.” And that old man followed this stupid idea. Rama was exiled, and Sita and Lakshmana, his younger brother, followed him, because they were absolutely convinced that this was unjust.

They were staying in a small cottage deep in the forest in South India, and Sita saw a deer made of gold running just in front of their cottage. Rama is thought to be Bhagwan, and he could not…Even an idiot could have realized that deer are not made of gold. And these so-called, self-styled Bhagwans have been calling the whole world a dream – but that gold deer was not a dream. So Sita sent him to catch the gold deer.

Such utter ignorance! Even you would have recognized that deer are not made of gold. And the whole world is illusory! – but the gold and the deer made of gold seemed to be ultimate realities.

He went into the forest to find the golden deer. And he had told Lakshmana not to leave the place, because Ravana was the king of Sri Lanka; his place was very close, and there was every danger that he may try to abduct Sita, “So whatever happens, you remain here.”

And soon Rama found that golden deer had turned into a monster, so he started shouting for help. Lakshmana was in a dilemma: to go to his help…but he has been told not to leave Sita alone under any conditions.

Sita is thought to be one of the most holy women of India. She said to him, “Go to save your brother.”

Lakshmana said, “But my brother has told me to stay here to protect you.”

She said, “I know your protection. You always want your brother to die so that you can have me!” This is the holy woman, making such an absurd excuse to force him to go!

Now, feeling abused, he went to look for Rama. But he made a line in front of the cottage and told Sita, “Don’t go outside this line whatever happens.”