ABSTRACT
The Reamker is the Khmer version of the ancient Indian epic the Ramayana. This tale arrived in Southeast Asia as part of the literary and linguistic influences that traveled to the region from the Indian Subcontinent as early as in the first centuries before the Common Era. The excerpt is drawn from the early part of the tale in which we meet the titular figure of the epic, Rama, and his bride-to-be, Sita. It tells of the contest sponsored by Sitas father to identify a husband for her. The episode illustrates a practical manifestation of the power of Rama, not merely as one who has demonstrated the approbation of the divine, but as one who can use his magical power to defeat those who would threaten humanity. The influence of the Indianized epic can be found in this written tale and in the earlier architecture of the classical Khmer temples.
