Ramayana: "Ashvamedha Yagna"

                                  Ashwamedha Yagna in Uttara Kanda

Ram carried out Ashvamedha Yagna to expand his kingdom, (The Ashvamedha Yagna was a ritual where an emperor sent out a horse along with a huge army to several nearby kingdoms, the local king could permit the horse to wander – signaling that his kingdom may be annexed, or tie up the horse – indicating that he was ready to fight the emperor’s army to prevent his kingdom from being annexed.) The horse wandered into the forest where Ram’s twin sons lived and they tied the horse, not understanding its importance.

Ram sent Hanuman to get the horse. Hanuman, seeing Luv and Kush recognized that they were the son’s of Ram. He let them capture him and tie him up. There Hanuman started meditating on the name Ram. Worried Ram sent his brothers to look for the horse. As they saw Hanuman tied up and two boys guarding him, they thought that the two boys had stolen the horse. So Rams’ brothers started attacking Luv and Kush. Luv and Kush defeated all of them, knocking them unconscious. Ram heard about this and correctly guessed that two kids at a hermitage who can defeat an entire army could be no ordinary kids. Eventually, Ram himself came to deal with with them in battle not knowing they were his children and introduced himself and met his sons the very first time and invited them to Ayodhya to perform the Yagya.

Valmiki composed the Ramayana (having twenty four thousand verses) and taught to luv & Kush to sing it. Later, Rama held a ceremony during Ashvamedha yagna, which the Rishi Valmiki, with Luv and Kush, attended. Luv and Kush sang the Ramayana in the presence of Rama and his vast audience. Rama summoned all his brothers and ministers to listen to the ballad. Rama himself was put to the turmoil, for the ballad sung by these youngsters narrated the legend of Sita.

When Luv and Kush recited about Sita’s exile, Ram became grievous, and Valmiki produced Sita. Ram then learned that Luv and Kush are his children. Once Sita witnessed the acceptance of her children by Ram, Sita sought final refuge in the arms of her mother Bhumi, to receive her and as the ground opened, she disappeared into it.