Shravana Kumara -- A Story from Ramayan

The story of Shravana Kumara depicts the dedicated service to parents. It dates back to time of King Dasaratha's rule.

A young Brahmin boy named Shravana Kumar lived in Dasaradha's kingdom. He is the only son of his parents, who both are very old, blind and weak in physical strength. As a dutiful son Shravana Kumar used to take care of his parents by providing with every need. He is very devoted son and as he knows his parents might face trouble if he leave them, he used to carry both his parents in a yoke/bangy (kavadi) where ever he travels.

One day his parents told him that they had become quite aged. They, therefore, wanted him to take them to the various places of pilgrimage : this could make them fully satisfied and give them abundant peace of mind. It is a typical Hindu belief that a pilgrimage to the various shrines and holy places undertaken in old age, purifies the soul and takes one nearer to one's Maker ere the icy hand of Death touches one. To a Hindu mind nothing is more precious, than becoming one with the great Maker of this Universe. As a dutiful son would have, Sharavana Kumar undertook the mission to satisfy the desire of pilgrimage requested by his parents.

Shravana Kumar was travelling through forest carrying his parents and due to length of journey and heat of summer his parents are thirsty and asked son to provide some water. Shravana Kumar placed the yoke containing both his parents under shade of a tree and went to nearest pond to fetch water. At that time King Dasaratha, who came for pleasure hunting expedition to the same forest, listened to the noise near the pond. He mistook the noise to be caused by a deer drinking water, shot an arrow in the direction of the noise which hit Shravana Kumara. Realizing the grave mistake committed the king rushed to the spot and found the brahmin boy reaching his last breathe. Shravana Kumar explained his parents position, requested the King to quench the thirst of his parents who are rested under the tree.

Dasaratha has fetched the water from the pond and offered the same to the parents of Shravana Kumar. Unable to hear the familiar voice of their beloved son and realizing that it is not their son who fetched the water for them, the old couple enquired the whereabouts of their son. When Dasaratha narrated how the hastiness of his action resulted in the death of their son, Shravana Kumar's mother died immediately of a heart attack. Sharavan Kumar's father died few moments later, cursing Dasaratha to meet similar death after being separated from his beloved son.

King Dasaratha who is childless at that point of time had mixed feelings. He felt sad for being responsible for the death of a family by his action. He at the same time reflected and felt happy a bit that in order for the curse to come true, he would be blessed with a son. Years later Dasaratha meets death when separated from his son Rama.