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The Legend of Shravan Kumar ( Subject to Correction )

The Legend of Shravan Kumar

Bon Ami Laishram

After the landslide victory of the Aam Admi Party in the Delhi Assembly Election, 2020, the AAP cadres & supporters started entitling their leader Arvind Kejriwal as ‘ Delhi ke Shravan Kumar’ . The title seemed familiar to me but I didn't pay much attention to that. Then, I came across footage of a boy carrying his both parents on tricycle from the city of Varanasi to Bihar. A humanitarian team stopped by, spoke to the boy and helped with foods and water on the way itself. The spokesperson of the team mentioned that the boy was in the shoes of Shravan Kumar. These two mentions took me back to Class 1 colored and pictured chapter of Social Studies or English text book which featured a portrait of a teenage boy taking his physically disabled and blind parents to pilgrimage. He couldn't afford feasible and comfortable transport facilities, henceforth; he tangled two baskets across a bamboo rod, settled his parents on the open baskets, Shravan took the bamboo rod on his shoulder & he walked through the road to pilgrimage with his parents sitting on his left and right tangled baskets. My mother taught me this particular chapter of Shravan Kumar and she continued her further narration with the Ramayana. My mother is my best nursery tutor ever. She taught me till Class 5.

The old parents felt thirsty on the trip. They asked for drinking water to their son. Shravan Kumar stopped under the shade of a tree, placed his parents under the shade, he requested his old parents to wait for a little while under the shade till he returned with drinking water. 

Shravan left to fetch drinking water from nearby lake. Prince Dhasharata ( Father of Lord  Rama ) was in hunting expedition on the same lane. The prince heard sound of deer nearby the bank of lake. The skin was almost like a deer. The prince took an aim and shot. His arrow struck his target but he heard human screaming due to pain. Prince realized that he mistakenly shot a human. He shot Shravan Kumar while fetching water. He held injured Shravan on his laps & begged for forgiveness and also asked if he had any wish or ambition. Shravan Kumar didn't ask for wealth. He politely narrated his journey and requested the prince to serve drinking water to his thirsty parents immediately. Shravan Kumar also ensured Prince Dhasharata to foster and take care of his old physically disabled parents before taking his last breath on the laps of Prince Dhasharata. Prince Dhasharata was left with pain and regret.

Prince Dhasharata took the water pot and walked towards the tree where Shravan left his old parents. Prince Dhasharata wasn't in position to reveal the truths to old thirsty couple. Therefore, he portrayed as their son Shravan Kumar and served water to the old thirsty couple. The old parents ‘re sensible then. They soon realized that the person who served them drinking water wasn't their son Shravan. They started enquiring about their son Shravan to the person. Prince Dhasharata politely begged for pardon and forgiveness and narrated the illusions which led him to shoot their son Shravan till the last breath and wishes of Shravan. Prince humbly sought their permission to allow him to take them along to his kingdom Ayodhaya. However, the old physically disabled parents weren't in the state. The demise of their only son hit them so hard that they decided to leave the world in one go. In response to Prince’s request, they replied with harsh curse, “We are departing our mortal breathing bodies following our son, likewise, oh prince of Ayodhaya , may you also encounter the same fate because of your son ! " 

King Dhasharata met the same fate. His beloved son Prince Ram was exiled for 14 years by him against his own will to fulfill the vow that he ensured his third wife long ago. Prince Rama was accompanied by his wife Princess Sita and step brother Prince Laxman. The old king fell ill soon after. He was in utter regret and grievance for all he made his beloved heir and crown prince Ram go through just a moment before his royal coronation as the king of Ayodhaya. His health deteriorated day by day. Finally, he was on his death bed surrounded by his three queens, royal priests, and royal physicians. He repeatedly uttered his beloved son's name Ram, Ram, Ram on his death bed and sought for forgiveness for all he has been going through with his wife and half-brother repeatedly before taking his last breath. The old king could live longer with his beloved son as his successor , however, Karma was chasing him to give him the final conclusion of his life. It's all about the unconditional love which parents have for their children and vice versa. Children may find world even after their parents but parents have no world after their children as their children mean world to them. World is blank to them without their children. This is what Shravan's parents felt when they learned about the mortal departure of their beloved son.

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