Shravan Kumar, mentioned in the ancient Hindu text Ramayana, known for his filial piety towards his parents, was killed accidentally by King Dasharatha. Shravan Kumar’s parents, Shantanu and Gyanvanti (Malaya), were hermits. They were both blind. When they became aged, Shravan wanted them to take to the four most sacred places of Hindu pilgrimage to purify the soul. Since Shravan Kumar could not afford the transport, he decided to put each parent in a basket and tie each to an end of a bamboo pole, which he would carry on his shoulder while on their pilgrimage.
According to Punjabi folklore, Shravan’s mother was distantly related to King Dhashrath as his sister. According to Ramayana, while hunting in the forest of Ayodhya, then-Prince Dashratha heard a sound near a lake and unleashed an arrow, hoping to hit an animal. When he crossed the lake to collect his kill, he found that his arrow had fatally struck a teenage boy who was bleeding. The injured boy was Shravan, who then told Dasaratha he had come to the lake to collect water for his sick and aged parents, who were both blind and whom he had been carrying on a sling. With his dying breath, Shravan requested Dashratha to take water to his parents and to tell them what happened. Shravan then succumbed to his wounds and when Dasaratha took water for his parents and told them of his tragic mistake, they were unable to bear the shock. Despite acknowledging that it was an accident, they cursed Dasaratha that he too would experience “Putrashoka” (grief due to the loss of a son). Thus Shravan’s sick and thirsty parents died without drinking water.
This curse turned out to be true when king Dashratha had to suffer the exile of his most beloved and able son Rama who had to be exiled at his own orders (it was actually his beloved wife’s wish that could not be ignored since he had himself promised her boon years back when she had saved his life). So he did it unwillingly.
Local tradition holds that the place where Shravan died was named “Sarvan” in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh in India, and the spot where Dashratha shot his arrow came to be known as “Sarwara” and the place where Shravan’s parents died is called “Samadha”. An old and dilapidated memorial for Shravan on the banks of the lake is now withering away. Mukhed in the Nanded district of Maharashtra has a samadhi (shrine) dedicated to Shravana. The moral of this story is always respect and care for your elders like Shravan Kumar and don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes like Dashratha.
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