Lakshman Rekha
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Lakshman Rekha, in Hindu mythology, is a line drawn by Lakshmana around their abode, to protect Sita, while he is away searching for Rama. As explained in the epic Ramayana, Rama goes chasing a deer, which is actually the demon Maricha in disguise, and does not return for long. Lakshmana who cannot bear to see Sita cry in grief, decides to go and search for Rama, subject to his condition that Sita should not cross the line he draws, so that she would be protected in his absence. Anybody attempting to harm Sita across the line would be singed by flames erupting from the line.
Once Lakshmana leaves in search of Rama, the Rakshasa king Ravana comes in the form of a sage and asks Sita for alms. Not expecting a trick, she unsuspectingly crosses the Lakshman Rekha to provide alms to him and Ravana kidnaps her in his Pushpaka Vimana.
Shree Raamcharitmaanas the popular rendering of Kathaa of Shree Raam does not feature the Lakshaman Rekha in the Aranya Kaand. However in Lanka Kaand Mumdoudari rebukes Raavan on his boisterous claims of valour by hinting that his claim of strength and valour is shallow for Raavan could not even cross a small line drawn by Shree Raam's younger brother Lakshaman.
Raadhey Shyaam Raamaayan mentions that the crossing of Lakshaman Rekha by Seetaa was done absent-mindedly by an anxious Seetaa only to honour the great Indian tradition of "Athithi Devo Bhav" : the guest is embodiment of Devs. Seetaa crosses teh boundary line only to give alms to Raavan once he insists that alms cannot be accepted across a barrier as having a boundary in between was against the principle of free will of the donor.
Lakshman Rekha, in modern Indian parlance, refers to a strict convention or a rule, never to be broken. It often refers to the ethical limits of an action, traversing which may lead to undesirable consequences.