In the meantime, some of the warriors came there and, looking at the children of the Rishis, said, “Who are you? Who has tied up the horse to the plantain-tree?”

“We do not know anything about it,” replied the children. “There stands the boy who has tied up the horse to the tree and he will tell you why he has done so.”

In the meantime, Shatrughna and all other warriors reached there. Looking at the tenderness of Lava, they coaxed him and went to untie the horse, when the former loudly exclaimed, “I did capture the horse. I stand here to fight with you. Who is your Rama? Go and tell him that I am ready to fight with him. You say that I am a child, but I will kill you all and put down your pride.”

The warriors said to themselves, “It is unbecoming on our part to fight with these tender boys. All the kings will laugh at us if we fight with them. It is far better to untie the horse and walk quietly.” So saying, all the warriors went to untie the animal, when Lava let off arrows and cut off the hands of those who went to untie the horse. All the six billion warriors at once rushed upon the boy, who let off arrows and defeated them with heavy loss.

Then Shatrughna drove his chariot, but there was no room to move it, as there were heaps of the corpses of the warriors killed by Lava. He, however, pushed aside the corpses and went where the boy was standing. Finding him just like Rama, he asked him, “Whose child are you? You have killed all my warriors. I shall now severely punish you.”

“Very well, I shall see how you will save your life now,” replied Lava. Shatrughna got enraged and let off an arrow at the boy, who cut it off in no time. He then let off many arrows which Lava cut off and struck the former with his arrows. At last he threw at Lava the deadly arrow given by Kama to him for use in difficulty, when Lava said, “I do not know how to cut off this arrow. Kusha has a knowledge of it. If he had not gone to the forest for kandamuls, he would have cut it off.” Lava, however, let off a fiery arrow and cut off a part of the deadly arrow, but the remaining half of it struck the boy; consequently he fell insensible on the ground.

Shatrughna was moved, and having gone near the boy, looked at him attentively. He resembled Rama. Shatrughna applied water to his eyes and brought him to his senses; and in order to show him to Rama he put him into his chariot and proceeded further with the Shamakarna.

The children ran and informed Sita of the fate of her son Lava, when she fainted and, coming to herself, violently cried. She exclaimed with grief, “I am helpless and very unfortunate. Which heartless man has seized my child? My son, thou art tender. Thou must have been wounded. Thy eyes must have been broken by the arrows of the enemy. My children are too young. They live upon kandamuls and how will they be strong enough to fight with warriors? Those who raise a weapon against a child are not Kshatriyas. How is it that nobody felt pity at the child? Who has carried off the little wealth I had? Who has carried off the stick of a blind and lame woman? If my father Valmiki were here, he would go to his rescue, but unfortunately he has gone to Patal. Kusha has also gone to the forest; what shall I do now? Who will get my son back?”

In the meantime, Kusha returned from the forest and asked his mother where his brother was, when she, with tears in her eyes, informed him of what had happened to Lava. As soon as he was informed of the fate of his brother, he took up his bow and arrow and ran after Shatrughna and the other warriors. Kusha called out and said, “Who are you, thieves? Where are you going to take the stolen thing?” So saying, he let off arrows at the army of Shatrughna.

Shatrughna turned round and loudly said, “Child, I shall immediately seize and carry you off with us.” So saying, Shatrughna let off ten arrows at Kusha, which the latter cut off and broke the chariot and killed the four horses of the former with nine arrows; and with three arrows his helmet and chap were broken. Shatrughna fell on the ground and combated with Kusha, when the latter let off two arrows and cut off his two hands; and at the same time his head was cut off with another arrow.

On the fall of Shatrughna, his brother Nagendranath let off twenty arrows at the boy, but the latter broke off the arrows with one arrow and cut off the head of Nagendranath with an arrow of the size of the half moon. Having done this, he continued letting off arrows at the warriors, who could not overcome Kusha. The boy killed many billions of warriors and all the kings who had submitted to Rama.

Kusha then went and searched for his brother, whom he found in the chariot of Shatrughna. He was insensible. Kusha brought him to senses and embraced him affectionately.

Lava said, “Let us now go home with the Shamakarna.”

“I am sure many other warriors will come here to fight with us,” replied Kusha. “It is not safe to return home. Let us kill all who will come here to take the horse, and then return home.”

A few wounded warriors went and informed Rama that Shatrughna and six billion of the warriors were killed by two small boys of a Rishi. Rama was alarmed at the news and immediately despatched Lakshman with a large army to the seat of the war. He, looking at the beautiful boys of the age of twelve years, was greatly surprised at their bravery. The warriors said, “Capture, capture the boys. Where will they go now?”

The boys prayed to the sun, who was pleased with them and presented them with a successful weapon, which Lava took up and attacked the warriors of Lakshman and killed a large number of them, when Lakshman said to Kalajit, “As long as the two boys stand together, nobody can overcome them. Let us, therefore, separate them both and seize them.” So saying, Lakshman separated the boys with the assistance of all his warriors, but Lava let off one arrow, which produced kotis of arrows and killed the warriors.

Finding Lakshman in a bad position, a demon called Rudhi, a great friend of Rama, jumping into the air, came down where Lava was standing, and snatched the weapon from his hands and flew like a bird, when Lava also flew with him and, seizing the demon by his hair and turning him like a wheel, flung him down and instantly killed him.

Lakshman got enraged and let off at the two boys five arrows as powerful as lightning, which Lava cut off in a minute. Lava said to Lakshman, “You formerly killed Indrajit. Let me see your valour now. You fasted for fourteen years. No doubt you must have rested, and I shall just give it to you.” Until next time, Jai Shree Ram!

|| OM SAI SHRI SAI JAI JAI SAI || 

|| SHRI SATCHIDANANDA SADGURU SAINATH MAHARAJ KI JAI ||

Note: This narration is based on Ramavijaya: The Mythological History of Rama (Bombay, 1891, Dubhashi & Co.), a public domain text shared here for free reading.

The core sequence—Lava & Kusha capturing the Ashwamedha horse, defeating Shatrughna’s army, wounding/capturing warriors, and facing Lakshman—aligns with the Uttarakanda/Lava-Kusha episodes across variants. Regional texts sometimes swap name order (Lava/Lahu, Kusha/Kusha) — here I standardized to Lava and Kusha for consistency with earlier chapters you approved. For accuracy: certain names (Nagendranath, Kalajit, Rudhi) and precise arrow counts vary across manuscripts; treat them as narrative amplifications typical of oral tradition.