Kuśa and Lava Capture the Aśvamedha Horse

Rāma’s Aśvamedha horse came at last to the neighbourhood of Vālmīki’s āśrama. There the boy Lava, Sītā’s son, seized it and defeated Śatrughna’s whole guard-army. His twin Kuśa then joined him. In the end Rāma came to the field, learned from Vālmīki that the boys were his sons, and heard them sing the Rāmāyaṇa. The Padma Mahā Purāṇa tells this in the Pātāla Khaṇḍa, Chapters 54 to 66.

Lava seizes the horse

After the many battles of its long journey, the Aśvamedha horse came near Vālmīki’s āśrama. Lava was Sītā’s son, born and raised in Vālmīki’s āśrama. He saw the fine sacrificial horse with the golden proclamation tied to it, and he seized it. He was sure of himself because of his training in archery and the weapons Vālmīki had given him. Śatrughna’s guard-soldiers saw the horse taken. They went to the boy and told him to let it go. Lava sent them away.

Śatrughna’s general Kālajit was a warrior who frightened whole armies. He was sent with the full four-division army to bring the horse back. He saw that the boy looked like Rāma, and he spoke kindly: “O boy, leave the best horse. I am the fierce general of this king. Seeing that you look like Rāma, pity rises in my heart.”

Lava laughed and answered: “Go and tell Rāma that the horse is seized. I do not care even for crores like you. Your mother gave you the name Kālajit only for its sound, not for your courage. Show me your strength.”

Lava defeats the army and kills Kālajit

The battle that followed was remarkable. Lava broke Kālajit’s arrows in the air. He destroyed his chariot and made him get down. Kālajit then mounted an elephant. Lava struck the elephant, cut off its trunk, climbed onto its tusks, and knocked Kālajit from its back. They fought hard with mace and sword. Lava cut off Kālajit’s right arm, then his left arm, then his feet. At last the general tried to butt him with his head, and Lava cut off his crowned head with a sword.

When the general fell, the whole army scattered. Rivers of blood ran on the field. Elephants lay cut in two. Horses with golden saddles fell into pools of blood. Charioteers collapsed in their chariots. None survived.

Hanumān falls unconscious

Śatrughna heard that Kālajit had fallen. He sent Hanumān, the great warrior and Rāma’s devoted servant, to deal with the boy. Lava defeated Hanumān too, and Hanumān lay unconscious on the field.

Śatrughna defeats Lava

Then Śatrughna himself entered the battle. They exchanged many arrows. Śatrughna was amazed at how much the boy looked like Rāma, but he fought with full force. He made Lava unconscious. Lava was bound and placed in Śatrughna’s chariot like a prize of war. Pupils from Vālmīki’s āśrama ran to tell Sītā what had happened.

Sītā heard that her son had been taken, and she grieved deeply: “With you I bore the sorrow of Rāma’s leaving me. Now, without you, how shall I live in the forest?”

Kuśa arrives

Sītā’s grief was at its height when Kuśa arrived. He had been at Ujjayinī, worshipping Mahākāla on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Māgha, and he had won many varas (boons). His right arm was throbbing, a sign of battle. He saw his mother in tears and said: “When I, your son, am standing by you, your suffering is gone. While I live, tears should not fall from your eyes.” He asked for divine armour, a bow, a helmet, a sword and a shield. He bowed at Sītā’s feet and ran to the battle.

Kuśa’s coming changed the whole field. Kuśa and Lava, who was now free, together threw Śatrughna’s army into confusion. Kuśa threw the heroes toward the east, and Lava drove them toward the west. The army was completely broken. Śatrughna himself fought Kuśa face to face and was made unconscious on the golden battlefield.

Śatrughna had asked Kuśa for his name and his parents. Kuśa answered: “I know only that Sītā, who is devoted to her husband, gave me birth. We two live in the forest, devoted to worshipping the feet of Vālmīki. We are Kuśa and Lava.”

Rāma comes to the field

The news reached Rāma. Two extraordinary boys, who had his own likeness, had made Śatrughna and Hanumān unconscious. Bhagavān Rāma himself came down to the battlefield. In the presence of Bhagavān Rāma the fighting stopped.

Recognition at Vālmīki’s āśrama

Rāma came to know that the two boys in Vālmīki’s āśrama were his sons. He went to Vālmīki and asked: “Who are these two boys who look like me and are skilled in archery? They easily bound Śatrughna and Hanumān.”

Vālmīki told him the whole account. He had found Sītā in the forest, abandoned and with child. He had given her shelter. He had seen her give birth to twin sons. He had performed their saṃskāras (sacred rites of life), taught them the Vedas and the Rāmāyaṇa, and watched them grow into great warriors and singers.

Vālmīki also gave the words of Varuṇa: “Sītā stands at the head of chaste women. She does not deserve to be abandoned. She is the highest well-being of all that is well. No one but your dear Sītā alone creates Brahmā, Śiva and the other devas. Those who think on Sītā’s feet gain perfection at once. You are the father of all the worlds, and Sītā is the mother. So your wrong view of her is not right.”

Vālmīki went on: “Before this, the ṛshis saw the world full of one Rāma. Now, because of your two sons, the whole world has become full of three Rāmas. You are the master of the three worlds. Accept these two sons, who have knowledge, good character and virtue. Now Sītā has given all the world clear proof of her purity by bringing back to life the army she had struck down.”

The singing of the Rāmāyaṇa

Rāma sent Lakshmaṇa to Vālmīki’s āśrama to bring Sītā and the boys. Lakshmaṇa was full of fear because of his earlier fault in leaving Sītā in the forest. He went with Sumantra in a chariot. In the assembly before Rāma, Kuśa and Lava sang the whole Rāmāyaṇa that Vālmīki had composed. The singing was so beautiful that devas, asuras, gandharvas and all three worlds were enchanted. The sweetness of their voices was greater than nectar.

Sources

• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Pātāla Khaṇḍa, Chapters 54 to 60
• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Pātāla Khaṇḍa, Chapter 60
• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Pātāla Khaṇḍa, Chapter 61
• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Pātāla Khaṇḍa, Chapters 61 to 63
• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Pātāla Khaṇḍa, Chapter 63
• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Pātāla Khaṇḍa, Chapter 45 (cross-reference) and Chapters 63 to 65
• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Pātāla Khaṇḍa, Chapter 66