The story of Kusha Grass and The Birth of Kush – the son of Sri Ram and Sita

Kusha or Darbha is the name of the grass that is widely used in prayers and rituals in Hindu tradition. An interesting folktale connects Kusha grass to the birth of Kush, the son of Sri Ram and Sita. As per the folktale, after her banishment from Ayodhya, Sita gave birth to Luv at the ashram of Sage Valmiki.

One day Sita left Luv in the custody of Sage Valmiki and went into the forest to collect firewood. But when the sage left for his daily prayers, Luv wandered into the forest and followed his mother. Upon returning, Sage Valmiki on not finding the child became tense.

Valmiki searched for Luv everywhere but was unable to find him. The sage thought that some wild animals might have carried the child away. He could not even think about saying this to Sita. Therefore, he took a Kusha grass, used his divine powers, and created another Luv, who had all the qualities and characteristics of the original Luv.

Sita soon returned with Luv and was surprised to see the twin. Valmiki then explained what had happened. As he was born from Kusha grass, the twin was named Kush.

Please note that such stories related to Ramayan are very famous in various regions and cultures. However, the original story states that Sita had given birth to twins.