The Journey to Prayag and Dasharath's Haunting Past

"Lakshman, you are the only one with weapons," Ram said to Lakshman. "Could you go in front? Seeta will walk behind you, and I will follow her to protect her completely."

The following day, they arrived at Prayag. Prayag is a sacred place because it is the meeting point of three rivers: Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. It is believed that bathing at this confluence brings good fortune. Before going to Maharshi Bharadvaj's ashram, they bathed at the confluence. Afterward, they visited the ashram, where Maharshi Bharadwaj embraced Ram. The Maharshi felt as if he had merged with Brahman. Ram inquired about a peaceful and secure place to stay, and after considering several options, the Maharshi suggested that Chitrakoot would be the most suitable place.

After returning alone to the palace at Ayodhya, Prime Minister Sumantra saw that King Dasharath and Queen Kaushalya were despondent. Kaushalya, drowning in grief, asked Sumantra to take her to Ram and Seeta in the forest, saying she would also stay with them. Meanwhile, Dasharath, due to grief and sorrow, was on the verge of death and asked Sumantra where Ram was. He expressed his deep love for Ram and his remorse for his actions in the past. Dasharath's condition started deteriorating, and he shared with Kaushalya about a heinous crime he had committed when he was young and how he believed it was now time for his punishment. This piqued Kaushalya's curiosity, and she begged the emperor to disclose everything to her.

"My dear Kaushalya," began Dasharath, "I was unusually talented at archery when I was young. I could hit a target unseen based only on its sound. One fateful night, I sat on my chariot and set out for hunting on the Sarayu riverbank. It was pitch dark; I listened intently for the sound of a beast. Suddenly, I thought I heard a wild animal drinking water. I shot an arrow in the direction of the sound, and then I heard the groan of a wounded human being. Horrified by what I had done, I ran toward the cry only to see a young man soaked with blood, wounded by my arrow.

"'Oh, sinner, you have killed me,' the youth said indignantly to me. 'My name is Shravan Kumar; my blind parents are in that cottage. They are thirsty. Take this pot of water for them to drink. Don't tell them anything until you quench their thirst. I am in intense pain due to this arrow; please remove it from my body.'

"As I removed the arrow from Shravan Kumar's body, the boy looked at me and then passed away. When I took the pot of water and reached the hut's door, I saw Shravan Kumar's parents – helpless, aged, and blind – awaiting their son. When I entered the hut, they thought their son had arrived.