Lava and Kusha

- February 14, 2024


Did you know the legend behind how Lava and Kusha, Sita and Rama’s twin sons, were named?

Lava and Kusha
Illustration: Sanjhiya Mayekar

The Uttara Kand in Valmiki’s Ramayana tells us the story of the twins’ naming. When Sita gave birth to her sons in Valmiki’s ashram, the other sages asked Valmiki to protect them from evil spirits, as was the custom in those days.

Valmiki then took Kusha grass and cut (lava) it into two parts. He then instructed that the elder child be cleaned with the upper part and be named Kusha, and the younger child be cleaned with the lower part and be called Lava. That is how Lava and Kusha got their names.

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The Sons of Rama

The story of Rama and Sita was first set down by the sage Valmiki in his epic poem 'Ramayana.' Rama was the eldest son of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya, who had three wives - Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. Rama was the son of Kaushalya, Bharata of Kaikeyi and Laxmana and Shatrughna of Sumitra. The four princes grew up to be brave and valiant. Rama won the hand of Sita, the daughter of King Janaka. Dasharatha wanted to crown Rama as the king but Kaikeyi objected. Using boons granted to her by Dasharatha earlier, she had Rama banished to the forest. Sita and Laxmana decided to follow Rama. While in the forest, a Rakshasi, Shoorpanakha, accosted Laxmana but had her nose cut off by him. In revenge, her brother Ravana, king of Lanka, carried Sita away. Rama and Laxmana set out to look for her and with the help of an army of monkeys, defeated Ravana. On returning Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile, Rama banished Sita because of the suspicions of his subjects. In the ashrama of sage Valmiki, she gave birth to her twin sons, Luv and Kush.

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