Shri Ram Vanvas Story: Hindu scriptures tell of Lord Rama’s 14-year exile. The primary reason for this is believed to be a boon from the goddess Kaikeyi. However, there are many other reasons, and even less often, it involves past lives. One of these reasons is the curse King Dasharatha received. So, let’s explore the curse King Dasharatha received, forcing Lord Rama to spend 14 years in exile.
King Dasharatha Received a Curse from Shravan Kumar’s Parents
The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita tells us that King Dasharatha once went hunting in the forest. He possessed a mastery of shooting arrows, meaning he could aim by simply listening to the sound. Once, he heard the sound of water being drawn from a riverbank and assumed it was a wild animal drinking. Therefore, he shot his arrow without even looking.
But King Dasharatha’s words caught the attention of Shravan Kumar, who was carrying water from the river to his blind, ageing parents. Although King Dasharatha went to Shravan Kumar and admitted his mistake, Shravan Kumar had already died.
But King Dasharatha took this water pot to Shravan Kumar’s parents. When Shravan Kumar’s parents learned that their only son had died because of King Dasharatha, they gave him wine. They said, “Just as we are dying in agony due to the separation from our son, you too will have to breathe your last in the separation from your beloved son.”
Lord Rama was exiled by Kaikeyi
According to the wine, King Dasharatha could only die if he was separated from his son. That is why, when Goddess Kaikeyi asked Lord Rama to go into exile for 14 years, he left Ayodhya. It was then that King Dasharatha gave up his life due to the separation from his son. This shows that even God had to suffer the consequences of his actions. Therefore, no one can escape the cycle of karma.