Sumantra returned to Ayodhya and the people surrounded him. Everyone wanted to know about Rama. But Sumantra walked away towards the palace. He found king Dasharatha and queen Kaushalya grieving deeply.
On seeing Sumantra, Dasharatha who was in queen Kaushalya’s chamber said, “Where is my Rama? How are Seeta and Lakshmana?” Sumantra’s eyes welled up. He narrated the whole incident. He also gave the message of Rama.
King Dasharatha and queen Kaushalya lamented. The former observed, “O Sumantra! Please take me away to Rama. I can’t live without him.
There was always the name of Rama on the lips of king Dasharatha who lived with Kaushalya in her chamber. He hated Kaikeyi very much.
One day, King Dasharatha recollected an incident from his youth and narrated the story to Kaushalya, “I could hit a target merely by hearing a sound from it. I went hunting one night and sat waiting for some wild animal on a tree near the banks of the river. I heard a sound and shot off a fatal arrow in that direction. All of a sudden, “I heard the loud cry of a human being. I ran towards the direction from where the sound was coming. There, I found a young lad lying wounded by my arrow. On enquiry, I came to learn that he was Shravan Kumar who had come there to fetch water for his blind parents.
“I held him in my lap. He requested me to take water to his thirsty blind parents and inform them of my death after they had drunk water. I removed the arrow to rescue him but soon he breathed his last. I was filled with regret.
“I took the water to them. But they kept on asking me about their son.
“I sought their forgiveness, telling them the terrible deed I had committed. They wept and wept and died there and then. Before they breathed their last, they had cursed me, ‘O King, you too shall die grieving at the separation from your son like us!’ Today I am facing the sorrow of separation from my beloved Rama as a result of my past misdeed! I don’t think I have long to live, Kaushalya,” said Dasharatha.
After Rama’s exile Dasharatha remained alive for six more days. The king’s dead body was kept at a safe place. The whole kingdom was plunged into gloom.
