𝗟𝗮𝘃𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗞𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁..

Lava and Kusha sing Ramayanam to the sages in the forest..
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Sage Valmiki trained the boys Lava and Kusha to sing the story of Ramayanam.
The boys went around in the forest visiting hermitages and ashrams and gave discourses with songs while the sages there sat in rapt ectasy..
They are overwhelmed with the song and the story, and they are filled with utter love for the boys..
The dwellers of the forest have only very little to give as presents to the boys.. and they give them what they have.. and what they treat as their own greatest possessions..
The affection shown by the Sages for Ramayanam and the boys Kusha and Lava is given below in Valmikis own words..
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Chapter 3 of Balakandam of Valmikiramayanam.. slokas 15 to 25
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The two sons of King Rama named Kusha and Lava, who were endowed with all signs of exalted race, who were blemishless who were of great mind and character, who were the heirs to great fortune, sang the story of Rama in the congregations of learned scholars, brahmins, sages and pious people.. They presented the entire chronicle which was replete with vitue, which was inherently great, in a very attractive and facile manner as rendered by their preceptor, Sage Valmiki.
Once the twin princes Kusha and Lava presented the story of Ramayanam in the august presence of many great Sages of exalted souls .. who were gathered in the forest. The sages sat around them listening to the story in rapt attention.
Hearing the great story the sages were filled with astonishment and pleasure , they shed tears of happiness and were making encouraging exclamations like “great, great, carry on,carry on.. “etc.
Their minds and hearts were filled with happiness on hearing the story of Rama and the Sages who were partial towards virtue praised the boys Kusha and Lava, who presented the story.. Indeed, the boys deserved a lot of praise.
The sages were praising the sweetness of the songs, and the beauty of the metric composition of words as slokams. They were exclaiming that they felt as if they were seeing the episodes which happened a lot of time ago, when described by the boys, seemed to be happening before their eyes.
And the twin brothers continued to sing their well composed songs which were replete with presentation of exact moods or bhavas.. the songs were sweet, the songs were passionate, the songs were rich in meaning and melody and was amenable to very pleasant and sweet swaras and music.
The twin children went around from hermitage to hermitage of sages of praiseworthy penance, singing everywhere the sweet song of Rama rich in story, meaning and music
A sage who was greatly pleased with the song stood up and presented the boys with pots used for religious rituals .
Another pleased saint presented them with nice bark garments.
Another sage presented them with pieces of the skin of black deer. used to be tied to the holy threads.
Another gifted to them holy threads to be worn.
Yet another sage presented them with small water pots with handles ( Kamandalu) and another chose to present them with belts make of Dharbha.. which are to be tied around the waist..
Yet another fan of a sage presented them with wooden seats where the boys could sit while doing chanting of mantrams.
Some other happy listener presented the boys with small axes used for cutting twigs and pieces of wood used for offerings in fire in the ashram..
One ascetic presented them with clothes dipped in ochre of saffron colour..
Another presented them with pieces of garment of wooden bark. One sage presented them with strings that could be used to tie their matted locks.
Another chose to present them with ropes which could be used to tie bundles of twigs and logs which are to be cut and carried from the forest to the hermitage.
One sage presented the boys with wide pots which were to be used for kindling fire and offering oblations ( homakundams).
It was the turn of another sage to present them with bundles of twigs.. used for oblations.
Some others offered them with seats made of fig (Ficus racemosa wood.. audumhara.. Atthi maram ) special seats very auspicious on religious occasions
And all sages praised them with very sweet and blessing words.
The sages, extremely pleased with the song of Rama rendered by the twins Lava and Kusha blessed them with holy vedic chants invoking long life and welfare for the two children.
The sages who were capable of granting all boons and were good to their words ever blessed the children with their whole hearts.

रूपलक्षण संपन्नौ मधुरस्वरभाषिणौ।
बिंबादिवोद्धृतौ बिंबौ रामदेहात्तथाऽपरौ॥११
तौ राजपुत्रौ कार्त्स्न्येन धर्ममाख्यानमुत्तमम्।
वाचोविधेयं तत्सर्वं कृत्वा काव्यमनिन्दितौ॥१२
ऋषीणां च द्विजातीनां साधूनां च समागमे।
यथोपदेशं तत्वज्ञौ जगतुस्तौ कुशीलवौ।
महात्मानौ महाभागौ सर्वलक्षाणलक्षितौ॥१३
तौ कदाचित्समेतानामृषीणां भावितात्मनाम्।
आसीनानां समीपस्थाविदं काव्यमगायताम्॥१४
तच्छ्रुत्वा मुनयः सर्वे बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणाः।
साधु साध्विति तावूचुः परं विस्मयमागताः॥१५
ते प्रीतमनसः सर्वे मुनयः धर्मवत्सलाः।
प्रशशंसुः प्रशस्तव्यौ गायमानौ कुशीलव॥१६
अहो गीतस्य माधुर्यं श्लोकानां च विशेषतः।
चिरनिर्वृत्तमप्येतत् प्रत्यक्षमिव दर्शितम्॥१७
प्रविश्य तावुभौ सुष्ठु तदा भावमगायताम्।
सहितौ मधुरं रक्तं संपन्नं स्वरसंपदा॥१८
एवं प्रशस्यमानौ तौ तपःश्लाघ्यैर्महात्मभिः।
संरक्ततरमत्यर्थं मधुरं तावगायताम्॥१९
प्रीतः कश्चिन्मुनिस्ताभ्यां संस्थितः कलशं ददौ।
प्रसन्नो वल्कले कश्चिद्ददौ ताभ्यां महायशाः॥२०
अन्यः कृष्णाजिनं प्रादाद्यज्ञसूत्रं तथाऽपरः।
कश्चित् कमण्डलुं प्रादान्मौञ्जीमन्यो महामुनिः॥२१
बृसीं ददौ तदा चान्यः कुठारमपरो मुनिः॥२२
काषायमपरो वस्त्रं चीरमन्यो ददौ मुनिः।
जटाबन्धनमन्यस्तु काष्ठरज्जुं मुदाऽन्वितः॥२३
यज्ञभाण्डमृषिः कश्चित् काष्ठभारं तथाऽपरः।
औदुंबरीं बृसीमन्ये स्वस्ति केचित्तदाऽवदन्॥२४
आयुष्यमपरे प्राहुर्मुदा तत्र महर्षयः।
ददुश्चैव वरान् सर्वे मुनयः सामवादिनः॥२५