Shravan Kumar - The Devoted Son

Shravan Kumar was the most devoted and obedient son anyone had ever known. Both his parents were old and blind. Shravan took care of their every need with great love. He fed them, bathed them, and served them in every way he could. One day, his elderly parents expressed their wish to go on a holy pilgrimage. Since they could not walk, Shravan built a special carrying frame called a kavad — two baskets hung from a pole. He seated his mother in one basket and his father in the other, placed the pole across his shoulders, and set off on foot for the pilgrimage. While passing through a forest, his parents became thirsty. Shravan gently set them down in a safe spot and went to the river to fetch water. As he was filling his pot at the riverbank, King Dasharatha, who was hunting nearby, heard the sound of water being collected. Thinking it was an animal drinking at the river, he shot an arrow guided by sound alone. The arrow struck Shravan. As he lay dying, Shravan's only concern was for his parents. He begged the king to take water to his blind mother and father. Dasharatha was overcome with grief and remorse. Shravan's heartbroken parents cursed Dasharatha, saying he too would one day die from the pain of separation from his own son.