What was the reason for King Dasharath to kill Shravan Kumar?
Which curse was given by Shravan Kumar's parents to King Dasharath when they were separated from their son?
asked Apr 26, 2018 at 5:47
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I think Valmiki Ramayana doesn't mention name of the pitcher as Sravana Kumara. valmikiramayan.net/utf8/ayodhya/sarga64/ayodhya_64_frame.htm– The Destroyer ♦Commented Apr 26, 2018 at 5:58
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1No need to edit. I think Puranas mention him by that name. Let me see.– The Destroyer ♦Commented Apr 26, 2018 at 6:02
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1 Answer
Dasharatha confident in his skills of Sabdha bhedi (i.e hitting target by listening to its moment) mistakes that a hermit boy who is fetching water for his parents as an elephant shoots him.
This is mentioned in the following sloka of Valmiki Ramayana
pratibuddho muhur tena shoka upahata cetanaH | atha raajaa dasharathaH sa cintaam abhyapadyata || 2-63-1
He says that while he was Prince Regent of Ayodhya, he went out for hunting in a forest one day and heard the sound of a hermit-boy filling his pitcher with water by suberging it into Sarayu River. Mistaking the gurgling sound for trumpeting of an elephant the prince hit the boy with an arrow, which went deep into the body and mortally wounded him. On approaching the victim, he discovered the fatal blunder and tendered his heart felt apologies to the hermit boy, who asked him to extract the arrow from his body and inform his parents. The boy died soon after the arrow was drawn out from the body.
Upon discovering the fate of their son from Dasharatha himself the aging parents of the hermit boy will curse Dasharatha also to face the same fate and die of agony caused by separation from Son
vadhamapratiruupam tu maharSestasya raaghavaH | vilapanne va dharmaatmaa kausalyaam puna rabraviit || 2-64-1
aged parents of the deceased sage and informed about the death of their son and its cause, how he escorted them to their son to the river where he was lying dead, how embracing the boy they wept and offered libations of water to his spirit, how invested with an ethereal body, the spirit ascended to heaven while consoling the aged couple and finally how, having cursed the king that he too would die of agony caused by the separation from his son, the aged couple gave up their lives.
Although there is no mention of the hermit boys name as Shravan kumar in valmiki ramayana. I will try to identify if any of the puranas called him Shravan kumar.
