After the mighty deeds of Rāma had come to their close, the consecration of Vibhīṣaṇa as king of the rākṣasas took place. The Pushpaka chariot, wondrous to behold, appeared before Rāma, and upon it he journeyed towards Ayodhyā, accompanied by his companions. Along the way, he met the sage Bharadvāja, whose presence lent sanctity to the journey. At Rāma's bidding, Hanumān, the son of the Wind-god, was sent ahead; soon after, Rāma met Bharata, his devoted brother. The auspicious occasion of Rāma’s own consecration as king followed, and all the assembled armies were dismissed. Joy and delight spread throughout his kingdom, and Sītā, Vaidehī, was sent away as destiny decreed. Yet, whatever else concerning Rāma was destined to unfold upon the earth, the venerable sage Vālmīki composed in the later portion of his great poem, ensuring that every aspect of Rāma's story, even those yet to come, would be preserved. This marks the fourth sarga in the Bālakāṇḍa of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. Vālmīki, the revered sage, composed the entire story of Rāma—who had attained his kingdom—using wondrous words and profound meaning. He uttered twenty-four thousand verses, divided into five hundred sargas, six kāṇḍas, and a supplementary Uttara section. Having completed this monumental work, including what was yet to be, the wise sage pondered: "Who indeed shall recite this?" As he considered, Vālmīki saw two sons of the king: Kuśa and Lava. These brothers, righteous and renowned, dwelt in the hermitage, endowed with melodious voices. Seeing their intelligence and accomplishment in the Vedas, Vālmīki taught them the poem, for the sake of enhancing the Vedas. The vow-observing sage thus composed the entire Rāmāyaṇa—the great story of Sītā and the destruction of the son of Pulastya. The poem was sweet to recite and sing, furnished with three measures, endowed with seven kinds of metres, and accompanied by string and rhythm. Filled with the sentiments of love, compassion, humor, fury, terror, heroism, and more, Kuśa and Lava sang it. The two brothers, skilled in music and the art of intonation and modulation, with melodious voices, appeared like incarnate Gandharvas. Endowed with beauty and auspicious marks, speaking sweetly, they seemed as if sprung from the very body of Rāma. Having mastered the entire noble and righteous narrative, they rendered the whole poem, blameless in their recitation. In gatherings of sages, twice-borns, and the virtuous, the brothers sang as instructed, with full concentration. Great-souled and greatly fortunate, adorned with all auspicious marks, they performed among assembled sages of purified minds. Standing in the midst of the assembly, they sang the poem, and all the sages, hearing it, had eyes brimming with tears. Overcome with great wonder, the sages exclaimed, "Excellent! Excellent!" Filled with joy, they praised the two Kuśīlava singers, saying, "Ah, the sweetness of this song, and especially of the verses!" Though these events had happened long ago, they were presented as if before one’s very eyes—the brothers embodied the story so well. Together, they sang sweetly, with passion and accomplished melody, earning the praise of sages renowned for their austerity. As Kuśa and Lava sang with even greater passion and extraordinary sweetness, a delighted sage standing nearby gave them a water pot. Another, pleased and of great fame, gave them bark garments; another gave a black antelope skin, and yet another a sacred thread. One sage gave a water vessel, another gave a girdle of muñja grass, yet another a staff, and another a loincloth. Another sage gave them an axe, yet another gave ochre robes, and another gave a garment of bark. One, filled with joy, gave a matted hair band and a wooden rope; a certain sage gave ritual vessels, and another gave a bundle of firewood. One gave a staff made of udumbara wood, while some offered blessings; other great sages joyfully pronounced words of long life. Thus, all the truth-speaking sages gave them gifts, saying, "This wondrous tale has been proclaimed by the sage." This poem, the supreme foundation of poets, was completed in proper order, sung by those skilled in all songs. It brings long life, generates strength, and delights all who hear it. Everywhere, the two singers were praised whenever they performed. On the streets and royal roads, Rāma’s elder brother, Bharata, saw the two Kuśīlavas and brought them to his own house. Rāma, destroyer of enemies, honored the two who were worthy of honor; seated on a divine golden throne, the lord paid them homage. Surrounded by counselors and brothers, he saw the two, handsome and well-mannered. Rāma said to Lakṣmaṇa, Śatrughna, and Bharata, "Let this story of these two, radiant as gods, be heard." He encouraged the singers to perform the tale, rich in varied meaning and expression. Kuśa and Lava sang sweetly and passionately, with voices drawn from their very hearts. They sang with perfect harmony of strings and rhythm, clearly conveying the meaning. Their song delighted every limb, mind, and heart, and its melody, pleasing to the ear, shone in the assembly. These two ascetics, possessing the marks of royal birth, were skilled singers and great in austerity. Even Rāma declared them wondrous. He urged all to listen to the noble story of their mighty deeds. Then, prompted by Rāma’s words, the brothers began to sing, following the proper method. Rāma, seated among the assembly, gradually became absorbed in the desire to listen. Now, hear the fifth chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Bāla Kāṇḍa.