This is one of the stratagems used by Duryodhana, the epic's
antagonist, to murder the five Pandava brothers, who are his cousins and the
epic's heroes, in the Mahabharata, the later of the two major Hindu epics.
Duryodhana constructs a splendid palace for the Pandavas
without informing them that it is entirely made of lac, a potentially
combustible element.
Duryodhana has his servants set the palace on fire after the
Pandavas have settled in, in an attempt to burn them alive.
The Pandavas are spared thanks to their uncle Vidura's
foresight, who not only warns them about the danger, but also builds an
underground passage and a tunnel to transport them far away without being
detected.
When the house is set on fire, the Pandavas flee down the
tunnel and are safe from Duryodhana for a while since they are thought to have
perished in the fire.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
