Hanumana's birth

Jambuvana said Hanumana was the only one who was capable of performing this task. He said he would talk about Hanumana's greatness.

There was an apsara once who was cursed by Vushwamitra once to become a vanari. She was married the vanara Kesari. One day when the vanari, Anjana was on a mountain, a gentle breeze blew. It was spring and Anjana was aroused with the breeze touching her body. This aroused Vayu himself, and he caught Anjana and forcibly had intercourse  with her. Anjana was aghast and started cursing her luck.
Vayu said he was not able to control himself seeing her. He said a son would be born will be born with great strength. He would have speeds faster than Vayu.
The boy was born soon on the day of the new moon. The day he was born, he saw the sun in the sky. Thinking it to be a fruit, the baby jumped off and went to eat the fruit.
With a single jump, he reached the Sun. Rahu was going to swallow the sun. Seeing the boy, Rahu got scared and fled. He went to Indra and said a second Rahu had come to swallow the sun.

Indra wanted to see what was happening. Getting on his mount, Airavata, he went to this boy. Indra thought if he went closer the boy may leave the Sun and try and eat him. Indra picked his weapon, Vajra, and hurled that at the innocent boy. The boy fell on the Malaya mountains and in the process, his cheek (Hanu) broke, which was why he called Hanumana.

Jamuvana then said Hanumana, you alone can solve the issue. Please go and get news of Sita for us.

Hanumana said he would narrate another incident about his life. In the pilgrimage of Prabhasa, the sages used to come for their bath. An elephant used to come and kill the sages with its tusks. The sages went to my father for help. My father killed the elephant with its bare hands. My father then went and told the rishis that the elephant was dead. Pleased the sages asked my father to ask for a boon. My father asked for a son. The sages said he would have a son who would be famous in all three worlds, Thus I was born. My mother was in the Malaya mountain when the wind came and blew her clothes away, thus I was called Pawan Nandan. We are all sons of Gods and none of our mothers had us through their husbands, so please do not point at me alone.

He said he would jump across and cross the ocean as if it was a child's play. It was a task of Rama and he would achieve that. I will make Angada proud of me.
The Vanaras said there was no one whose strength could be compared with that of Hanumana.

Hanumana then got ready to jump.

Vanaras Born

After Narayan was born, the other Gods took birth as Vanaras.
Brahma asked the Gods to mate with the Vanara women that they found in the forests.
Indra and Surya made love to the same Vanara woman who first gave birth to Vali, from the grace of Indra and the Sugriva, from the grace of Surya. Angada was born as the son of Vali.

From Pavan's grace was born Hanuman and from Brahma's grace was born Jambuvana.
Hemkuta was born by the grace of Varuna and five Vanaras were born from the power of Yama.
Kesari was born with the grace of Shiva.
Nila was born from Agni and Pramathi from Kubera.
From the power of Dhanvantri, Sushena was born with knowledge of Ayurveda.
Mahendra and Devendra were the sons of Sushena.
Dadhimukha was born from the grace of Chandra.

Joy of all

Hearing the news of Rama's birth, the sages in the forests started dancing in joy.
The Gods in the heavens started celebrating.
Devyani, Saraswati and Brahma were lost in their dance. Indra and Sachi were dancing away.

Ladies, clad in their finest attire and jewels were lining up on the pathways of Ayodhya to have a glimpse of Rama.

Birth of Sita

While Sita was born after Rama, Let me tell you about the birth of Sita before the birth of the Lord.

Vedavati had given up her life and in that same spot, the city of Mithila had come up.

(Vedavati and her story is told in the Uttara Kanda, the last part of Ramayana.)

The great sage Janaka, became the king of Mithila. He was running around, pulling a plow with his hands on the fields. He was childless and hd been told he would be able to get a child in this manner.

Urvashi was flying in the skies, and seeing her Janaka was passionately aroused. His semen flowed and mixed with the earth, and took the form of an egg.

On the touch of the plow, the egg came up and was visible to all. The king broke opened the egg and saw a girl child inside the egg.

A voice was heard from the skies - This is your daughter. Raise her as your child.

Janak, elated, took the child home.

When he reached home, his queen wanted to know whose child this was. Janak repeating what had happened, asked his wife to take this child and raise her.

Lakshmi started growing in Janaka's house. Born in the furrow, she was called Sita. 

Bhagirath

One day, in the heavens, Shiva began singing. So divine was his singing, that Narayana (Vishnu) who was there could not control himself. He became liquefied and this was Narayani Ganga. Brahma collected this in his pot and kept it with him.
Stopping his take Kapila said, if you can get this Ganga to earth, not only your uncles but many others would attain salvation. Kapila also said someone in your dynasty is destined to bring Ganga down to earth.

Bowing to Kapila, Anshuman returned with the horse, back to Ayodhya. He told all that he had heard and seen to Sagara.
Sagara was in deep shock. Then he controlled himself and said my sons were not destined to live long.
Crowning Anshuman king, Sagara went to the forests to pray and please the Gods to get Ganga down to earth.
He could not get Ganga but in the process, Sagara passed away in the forests.

In Ayodhya, Anshuman crowned his son,Dilip, King of Ayodhya and went to the forests to pray for Ganga. His prayers were not were not successful and he too died in the forests.

After sometime, Dilip also went to the forests to pray for Ganga. He was childless and had left his two wives in Ayodhya. He too died in the forests.

Dilip's death was not welcomed by the Gods. In this dynasty, Vishnu would be born to King Dasharatha. If Dilip dies childless, where would Vishnu be born? They asked Shiva to go and help.

Shiva went to Ayodhya. By the blessings of Shiva, one the queens became pregnant. When the queen gave birth, it was not a child but a mass of flesh. They were shocked to see this. In the dead of the night, the queens took this mass of flesh and left it on the banks of River Sarayu.

Early Morning. Ashtavakra rishi was going for his bath in the river. His body was bent in eight places, which is why he was called Ashtavakra. He accidentally stepped on the mass of flesh. He looked at that and said if this is someone who is playing a practical joke on me, may you be burnt immediately. If you are a deformed child, then may you get a body and structure like that of Vishnu.

The mass imeediately transformed itself into a handsome young boy. The queens had been watching this. Seeing the boy rise, they came and embraced him. They bowed down before Ashtavakra and after taking his blessings took the boy back home with them. He was named Bhagirath.