The Ramayana epic centers around Rama, the crown prince of the city of Ayodhya, providing a profound meditation on the paradox of the hero as both human and divine. After rescuing a sage from persecution by demons. Rama attends a tournament in the neighboring city of Mithila where he wins the prize and the hand of Sita, the princess of Mithila. But a court intrigue involving one of the king s junior wives and a maidservant forces Rama into a fourteen-year banishment to the jungle with his wife, Sita, and his loyal brother Lakshmana. When Sita is abducted by the demon king Ravana, Rama goes...