RamaayaN by Valmiki - 29 Who these two boys are !

RamaayaN by Valmiki 29

MadanMohan Tarun

‘Who these two boys are!’

Shatrughna reached to Madhupuri. He enquired about Lavanaasur. He was out in jungle. Shatrughna had prepared a strategy to kill him. He waited at the door of his house till he returned back. After returning back from jungle, Lavnaasur tried to enter into his house to get the famous trident, but Shatughna did not give him any chance to do so. He killed him on his own door in a memorable fight.

Killing of Lavanaasur brought great name and fame to Shatrughna. He went so busy in organising his kingdom in Madhupuri that he could not return to Ayodhya for more than twelve years. He gave peaceful, happy, healthy and safe administration to his people. He left for Ayodhya when Ram was performing Ashwamaidha yagya.

Shatrughna spent one night at Valmiki’s ashram on the way to Ayodhya. At night he heard melodious voice of two boys who were singing Ram-katha and playing musical instrument. Valmiki told him that those two boys were Kusha and Lava. Shatrughna met Sita before leaving for Ayodhya and paid respect to her.

Shatrughna did not say anything about Sita or about her two sons to Ram, thinking that it may be painful to him. Shatrughna left Ayodhya within seven days or Madhupuri.

Ram led a lonely life. He never disclosed his heart before others but his brothers knew that he was never comfortable after he sent Sita to the jungle.

All the famous kings, scholars, Brahmins, Rishis, Vibhishan, Hanuman, and Sugreeva with his whole army were invited to take part in this yagya. They all came and were welcomed with great respect by Ram and his mighty brothers.

Idol gold of Sita was made for the performance of the rituals in yagya.

Valmki sent Kusha and Lava to Ayodhya to perform 20 cantos of his RamaayaN. That two, twelve year old boys became attraction to all in whole Ayodhya. People were surprised to see them both who resembled exactly like Ram.

Kush and lava performed RamayaN in their melodious voice before well known kings invited there, experts on various subjects, proficient in knowledge of words, who were well versed in music, knower of relation between the syllables, those who were well versed in astrology, knower of rituals, logicians, and best among  the knower of Vedas. Puranas and Brahmins. Knower of chitra kavya and experts in vocal music and all types of dances. Nothing was a mystery for them.

Kush and Lava were instructed by the poet to perform twenty cantos daily. today was the first day of  their performance .

Before presenting 20 cantos from Ramayan in their melodious voice with playing their instrumental music, Kusha introduced Ramayan by his guru Valmiki before the experts on various subjects sitting there -

‘This great epic is creation of venerable sage Valmiki. This has twenty thousand slokas and hundred legends. It has five hundred cantos and six kandas (parts). Presently he is working on its seventh kand titled as ‘Uttarkand’.’

Kusha and Lava enchanted all by their faultless high class performance.

Ram himself was so much impressed that he asked his brother Bharat to award those two unique boys with eighteen thousand gold coins and whatever else they wanted.  But both of them denied to accept the gift, respectfully, and said -‘we live in jungle and have been brought up there. Our needs are limited. We eat only fruits and roots of trees.’

Those two boys made Ram restless. It never had happened before. He wanted to know ‘who these boys are!’

            ( Ibspired by Valmiki)