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The Ramayana is a well-known epic in Hinduism, with the author being Valmiki. He composed twenty-four thousand verses and taught them to Lava and Kusa, the twin sons of Lord Rama and Mother Seetha.
कृत्वापि तन्महाप्राज्ञः सभविष्यं सहोत्तरम् |
चिन्तयामास कोन्वेतत्प्रयुञ्जीयादिति प्रभुः ||
mahapraaj~naH prabhuH = great scholar, godly-saint Valmiki; sabhaviShyam saha uttaram = with leading, with sequel; tat = that Ramayana; kR^itvaa tu = having composed, but; kaH = who; nu = really; etat = all this; prayu~njiiyaat iti = well render, thus; chintayaamaasa = thought over.
Translation: Though that great scholar composed thus with leading and sequel legends, that godly saint thought over thus ‘really, who will render all this ballad…’
तस्य चिन्तयमानस्य महर्षेर्भावितात्मनः |
अगृह्णीतां ततः पादौ मुनिवेषौ कुशीलवौ || १-४-४
tataH = then; muniveShau kushiilavau = Kusha, Lava in hermits. attire; chintayamaanasya = thoughtful one; bhaavitaatmanaH = contemplating soul; tasya maharSheH = his, of the Sage’s; paadau agR^ihNiitaam = feet taken [touched.]
Then Lava and Kusha who are in the attire of hermits have touched the feet of that contemplative soul Valmiki, who is now thoughtful.
Uttara Kanda
Uttara Kanda has the mentions of Lava Kusa of how they met their father and returned back to Ayodhya. It is the last Book of the great epic Ramayana and it deals with the return of Rama to Ayodhya and his coronation to the throne. This Kanda also gives a description of the birth of Lav and Kush, the two sons of Rama in the hermitage of Valmiki and the episode ends with the description of the last days of Rama in the world.
Agni Pariksha of Sita
After coming back to the kingdom of Ayodhya, Rama wanted Sita to prove her purity and chastity. Sita was captivated in Ashokvan so Sita was asked to go through the test of fire. Sita’s ordeal did not end here. Soon, the citizens questioned about Sita’s integrity and chastity since she has spent a long time in the Ashokvan. Ram believed Sita and he knew that Sita was truthful however he had to listen to the requests of the citizens of his kingdom. Thus, Sita was sent to exile for the second time. Rama instructed Lakshmana to accompany Sita and leave her in the forest.
Birth of Lava Kusa
When she was left in the forest, Sita was already pregnant. During this time, she found herself alone in the forest. Sage Valmiki was kind enough to give shelter to Sita in his ashram. Sita gave birth to two twins in this ashram. Maa Sita was believed to be of 44 years in age when she given birth to Luva and Kusha. They were known as Luv and Kush – the twin sons of Rama. Sage Valmiki took the responsibility of the two twins and educated them. They were imparted military skills and soon the two little kids grew up into brave and courageous youths. They were hence educated and trained by rishi Valmiki.
yāmeva rātriṃ śatrughna parṇaśālāṃ samāviśat
tāmeva rātriṃ sītāpi prasūtā dārakadvayam [VRM – 7.66.1]
Meaning: On the same night in which Satrughna took shelter in the hermitage, Sita gave birth to two sons.
This an extract from the Uttara Kanda of the Ramayana. The same chapter then goes on to describe how the two sons get the name of Lava and Kusa. After the birth of the sons, the disciples there informed Valmiki of this and told to protect the new born children from ghosts and demons.
On the same night Satrughna housed himself in a thatch-cottage Sita gave birth to twin sons. In the midnight the Muni boys came to Valmiki and communicated unto him is auspicious intelligence, saying “O illustrious Sir, the loved spouse of Rama hath given birth to two sons ; do thou so protect them that evil spirits might not injure them.” Hearing aring those words the highly effulgent Valmiki went there and attained to great delight on beholding those two highly effulgent sons, resembling the newly risen sun and the celestials.
Thereupon he made arrangements against the oppression of ghosts and goblins. Thereupon taking Kusa (the upper part of the grass) and Lava (the lower part) the great ascetic Valmiki made those arrangements. And giving Kusa sanctified by Mantras unto the hands of elderly women he said, “do ye rub the person of the elder boy with these” ; and giving them Lava he said “do ye rub the person of the younger brother with this. And according to this I shall name the first Son Kusa and the second Lava ; and by those names they shall be celebrated on earth.”
So, Valmiki took a grass (Kusha), cut it off (lava) into two parts and sanctified it with mantras. He instructed the women there to rub the upper part to the elder boy and the lower part to the younger boy. That is how they came to be known as Lava and Kusha. [7.66.4-7] It is known in some folk-lores that some probably take that ritual that Valmiki did to save the new born twins from the effect of ghosts, demons etc. as a cloning process, but it is not. As evident from the scripture, Sita gave birth to two sons, there were no clones made by Valmiki.
And just so that there’s no doubt that Rama is the father, here is what Valmiki tells Rama about the paternity of Lava and Kusha, in another excerpt from the Uttara Kanda of the Ramayana:
I tell you the truth, O Rama, that these irrepressible twin brothers are your sons, O descendant of Raghu. I am the tenth son of Pracheta, so, far from speaking untruth it does not even spring up in my mind. I therefore know the truth that these twins are thy sons.
Origin of Kusa – as twin of Lava
One variation of the legend interpreted the origin of Lava’s twin brother Kush. Once, Sita was going for a bath to the nearby river (tamsa), and while she was going for bath she requested muni Valmiki to take care of her son Lava, and muni nodded his head as he was busy writing. After going some steps she observed that muni was continuously immersed in writing, so she took Lava with herself.
After some time when Muni looked for the child who was supposed to be with him, he could not find Luv. Muni was not aware of the fact that Sita herself had taken Luv with her. Muni was concerned what he would say when Sita wil return and ask for her kid.
So he made a child from nearby Kush (a grass utilized for producing mats and roofs of kutiya’s in ancient India) and gave life to it. When Sita returned, Muni was surprised to see that Luv was with her, so he asked Sita to take care of both children as her own children. Since Valmiki muni used Kush to make the child, the child was given the name Kush.
Glory of Lava Kusa
The two youngsters are known to sing the ballad among the assemblages of sages and saints, and win laurels. Rama on seeing the boys singing on the streets and king’s ways of Ayodhya, brings them to his palace, and summons all his brothers and ministers to listen to the ballad. Rama himself is put to the turmoil, for the ballad sung by these youngsters narrates the legend of Seetha. But he himself collecting his calm, Rama paid his attention to listen the ‘Legend of Seetha’ – Seethaayah charitam mahat as Valmiki calls ‘Ramayana’.
The Ramayana has verses describing the attributes of Lava Kusa:
कुशीलवौ तु धर्मज्ञौ राजपुत्रौ यशस्विनौ |
भ्रातरौ स्वरसम्पन्नौ ददर्शाश्रमवासिनौ || १-४-५
kushiilavau tu = Kusha and Lava; dharmaj~nau = virtue-knowers; raajaputrau = princes; yashasvinau = glorious ones; svarasampannau = endowed with melodious voice; bhraatarau = brothers; aashramavaasinau = residents of [of same] hermitage; [Valmiki] dadarsha = seen;
Glorious Kusha and Lava are the virtue knowing princes, and they are endowed with melodious voice, besides being the residents of the same hermitage, thus Valmiki saw them saluting at his feet.
रूपलक्षणसम्पन्नौ मधुरस्वरभाषिणौ |
बिम्बादिवोत्थितौ बिम्बौ रामदेहात्तथापरौ || १-४-११
ruupalakShaNasampannau = privileged with in appearance charm; madhurasvarabhaShiNau = melodiously voiced in voicing; bimbaat iva utthitau bimbau = reflections issued forth like [from original] reflection; raamadehaat = from Rama’s body; tathaa aparau = like that, separately.
They have charm in their appearance and melodiousness in their voice, they are like the two reflections of one original object, and thus they came out from the body of Rama, separately.
Vishnu’s reflection is Rama; and Kusha, Lava are two reflections of Rama, and thus, in turn, these two princes are adorable like Vishnu, as in bimba-pratibimba nyaaya , image-reflection syndrome.
Valmiki as their Guru
Lava and Kush were born in Maharshi Valmiki’s ashram. Before their birth Sita had requested Valmiki to accept her kids as his disciple. Valmiki basically started education Lava and Kush when they were around 5 years of age. He trained them in archery and they were able to launch arrows at the speed of sound. He also trained them about divine & celestial warfare. He made them masters in archery so that nobody on this planet could conquer them in war. He established a connection between his mind and Lava and Kush’s mind and directly transmitted all his knowledge to them.
After military skills, he taught them the art of singing and playing the veena. He taught them the Ramayana, which was written by Maharshi Valmiki himself, keeping Rama as the centre point. Later, Luv and Kush used their singing skills to infuse love for Sita in the Ayodhya’s people.
When Rama carried out the Ashvamedha Yagya, the horse strayed into their forest, which brought them into conflict with their own father. The horse wandered freely over the land. No one stopped it, or came in its way. In fact, wherever the horse went through a village or a town, the people came out in crowds to welcome it, and acknowledged the authority of Rama freely and gladly.
Till one day the horse wandered into a quiet forest by the banks of the Ganga. Lakshmana and his warriors followed, quite certain that neither they nor the horse would meet any challenge. Suddenly ‘Stop!’ commanded a voice. Lakshmana and his warriors stopped in surprise to see who had challenged them. A boy was standing in their path, while another the same age, was holding the sacred horse.
‘Who are you?’ demanded Lakshmana. ‘How dare you stop the sacrificial horse from proceeding on its way? Don’t you know the penalty for challenging my king’s authority? You will die for this!’
‘We acknowledge no man’s sovereignty except that of our father Rama’s,’ said the boys with equal pride and anger.
Lakshmana’s face changed. He dropped his weapons. ‘Did you say your father Rama’s?’ he asked in surprise.
‘Yes,’ answered the boy holding the horse. ‘We are his sons. I am Kush, and this is my brother Lav.’
‘Where do you live?’ asked Lakshmana, trying to find out all he could about the boys without telling them who he was.
‘We live with our mother Sita, here in the forest,’ said Lav.
‘And our guardian Valmiki,’ added Kush.
Lakshman was now convinced that he was speaking to his brother’s sons, the sons of Rama, king of Kosala.
The twins led Lakshmana to Valmiki. Lakshmana explained how the boys had stopped the sacred horse in its progress around the land. He asked Valmiki’s permission to present the boys to the king. Valmiki gave them his blessing. ‘Go with the prince my sons,’ he said. ‘Sing of the glory of Rama your father. Let all the world know his story.’
The boys Lav and Kush went with Lakshmana, quite unaware of who he was and who the king they were going to meet.
In Ayodhya, Lakshmana led the boys to the royal palace, where Rama was holding court, surrounded by his ministers, advisers and friends. There, in front of the entire assembly, the two young boys began to sing.
Not aware that Rama was their progenitor, they captured the horse and declined to release it. They engaged in conflict and defeated Ram’s brothers (Bharata, Shatrughna and Lakshmana) with ease. Eventually, Rama himself came to confront them in battle, but after witnessing their prowess, he invited them to Ayodhya to perform the Yagya. It was at that point that he learned of their identity as his sons. Upon learning about them, Lord Rama wanted to meet his wife, Sita.
But Sita refused. ‘My only wish was to see my sons safe with their father,’ she said. ‘I have now seen that happen. All that I now desire is to return to my mother, the Earth.’ So saying, Sita folded her hands, and called upon her mother to take her within her. All at once the earth opened beneath Sita’s feet, and before the astonished gaze of the King of Kosala and his court, Sita vanished from this world forever.
Rama was heartbroken. But he returned to Ayodhya with his sons Lav and Kush. Rama ruled Kosala for many years more, with Sita’s golden image forever by his side. Lav and Kush were taught all the arts of kingship, and when they were old enough, Rama built two capital cities, the city of Shravasti for Lav and that of Kushavati for Kush. Ram then left his throne and his kingdom in the joint care of his twin sons. His days on earth were over, and it is said that very soon after he walked into the river Sarayu, to be welcomed by Brahma and to be absorbed into his being as Vishnu.
Lava Kusa as precedents of lord Rama
Luv and Kush grew to be just rulers like their father. Luv was coronated and ruled from Kushavati ( now kushinagar) and Luv ruled his part of the kingdom from Shravasti. Laxman, Bharat and Shatrugan’s sons got their share of kingdom as well. Ayodhya was abandoned after Lord Rama. One may recollect that many people from Ayodhya went with Ram into the Sarayu river. When King Vikramaditya found Ayodhya, it was nothing but a combination of forest and ruins of ancient temples and buildings. It took great research to locate sites in Ayodhya connected with Ram’s life. Although after Ram, Ayodhya must have been visited frequently by Ram’s sons for pilgrimage. Kush on such a visit to Ayodhya might have married a Naga princess and constructed a Shiva temple for her. The Nageshwarnath temple which Kush is said to have built- with whose help King Vikramaditya is said to have located present day Ayodhya bears testimony to this story. Also, tulsi ramcharitmanas does not mention Luv and Kush fighting with their uncles. In fact, Tulsidas finished the story with Ram’s coronation. He mentioned that he did not want to write about sita’s exile. Valmiki has written about Luv and Kush and Ram-Sita’s departure. Valmiki has written nothing nothing but the truth as was his nature.
