Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.3126

c7.3126

KUŚA II. One of the two sons of Śrī Rāma, the other, being Lava. 1). Birth. To Sītā forsaken by Rāma a son called Lava was born while she was living at the āśrama of Vālmīki. One day Sītā took Lava to the stream to bathe him, and Vālmīki, who did not know about it was upset not to see the child in the āśrama. He feared that it might have been eaten up by some animal, and fearing that Sītā might die when she missed the child he created a child with Kuśa grass and laid it where Lava was lying before. When Sītā returned to the āśrama after their bath Vālmīki explained the whole situation to Sītā. Since the second child was created with Kuśa grass he was called Kuśa, and he was made the second son of Sītā (Uttara Rāmāyaṇa and Kathāsaritsāgara, Alaṅkāravatilambaka, Taraṅga 1).