Having endured the burden of a terrible curse, the noble king—renowned as a destroyer of enemies—eventually regained his kingdom and once more took up the protection of his people. The sacred sacrificial hall of Kalmāṣapāda, about which you inquire, O Rāghava, stands near his hermitage, a place marked by auspiciousness. Upon hearing the grim tale of this king, one visitor entered the leaf-hut and, with deep respect, greeted the great sage within. Thus concludes the sixty-fifth sarga of the glorious Uttarakāṇḍa in the revered Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. On that very night, as Śatrughna entered the leaf-hut, Sītā gave birth to two sons. At midnight, the young sons of the sage joyfully brought the news of Sītā’s auspicious delivery to Vālmīki. They said, “The wife of blessed Rāma has given birth to two sons; therefore, O mighty one, please perform a protective rite that destroys evil beings.” Hearing these words, the great sage Vālmīki approached; the two newborns shone with the radiance of young moons, resembling the sons of the gods in their energy and beauty. With a heart full of joy, Vālmīki beheld the boys and performed for them the protective rite that wards off evil. Taking a handful of kuśa grass and some lava, Vālmīki consecrated the children with sacred mantras. The elder, consecrated with kuśa grass, was purified and received the name Kuśa. The younger, consecrated with lava and purified by the elder women, was named Lava. Thus, Sītā’s two sons were named Kuśa and Lava; by these names, the sage declared, they would become celebrated. Receiving the protective rite from the sage’s own hand, the boys, with focused minds, were purified of all stain. The elder women continued the rite, during which there was joyous mention of their birth, the naming, and the auspicious arrival of Sītā’s sons, with the sacred name of Rāma being recited. At midnight, Śatrughna received this exceedingly joyful news. Going to the leaf-hut, he said to his mother, “By good fortune!” Thus, the delighted and noble Śatrughna passed the swift-moving annual night of the month of Śrāvaṇa in happiness. At dawn, having completed his morning rites, Śatrughna respectfully took leave of the sage, palms joined in reverence, and departed, journeying westward. Reaching the bank of the Yamunā, he spent seven nights traveling and finally arrived at the hermitage of renowned sages. There, in the company of sages led by Bhārgava, the illustrious king passed his time in delightful conversation. That night, surrounded by sages adorned with golden ornaments, the heroic scion of Raghu, noble son of the king, enjoyed many kinds of stories in their company. Thus ends the sixty-sixth sarga of the glorious Uttarakāṇḍa in the ancient and sacred Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki. As night descended once more, Śatrughna approached Cyavana, the descendant of Bhṛgu, and questioned him about the strength of Lavaṇa. “O Brāhmaṇa,” he asked, “tell me also of the power of the spear, and who in former times were destroyed by this foremost of spears when they met in single combat.” Hearing these words, the great-souled Cyavana, radiant with energy, replied to the descendant of Raghu: “Countless are the deeds performed by the progenitors of the Ikṣvāku dynasty, O descendant of Raghu. Listen, as I recount what has transpired. Long ago in Ayodhyā, there was a mighty king, son of Yuvanāśva, renowned as Māndhātā, whose valor was celebrated in all three worlds. Having brought the entire earth under his rule, this lord of men set his sights on conquering even the realm of the gods. When Māndhātā began preparations to seize the world of the gods, great fear arose in Indra and among the deities. Honored by the hosts of gods, the king took a vow—to share Indra’s throne and half his kingdom. Knowing the king’s ambitious intent, Indra, lord of the gods, addressed Yuvanāśva’s son with gentle persuasion: ‘You are king among men, O best of men; yet, without first making the earth wholly obedient, you desire the kingdom of the gods. If, O hero, the entire earth is under your command, then, with your servants, armies, and vehicles, you may rule the kingdom of the gods here.’ To this, Māndhātā replied, ‘Where, O Śakra, is my authority hindered upon the earth?’ The thousand-eyed Indra answered, ‘There is a demon named Lavaṇa, son of Madhu, in Madhuvana, who does not obey your command, O blameless one.’ Hearing these harsh and dreadful words from Indra, the king was ashamed; he cast down his face and could not reply. After this, Māndhātā, somewhat abashed, returned to his own realm. Yet, harboring resentment in his heart, he gathered his servants, armies, and vehicles, and set out to subdue Madhu’s son. Desiring battle with Lavaṇa, Māndhātā sent a messenger to summon the demon. The messenger went and spoke many unpleasant words to Madhu’s son. But as he spoke, the demon Lavaṇa devoured the messenger.” Thus the tale unfolds, revealing the formidable power of Lavaṇa and the challenges faced by even the greatest of kings.