Boon and curse
The story of Dasaratha being cursed to suffer from separation of children in his last days
Once during hunting Dasaratha become tired. While resting on the banks of river Sarayu he heard a sound like that of an animal drinking water in the river. Without thinking much Dasaratha sent an arrow to the spot he heard the sound.
The king heard a cry and went to the spot where he passed the arrow. To his utter dismay he found his arrow being struck on a boy and the boy is about to breath his last. Before his death the boy told the king that he is a Vishya called Shravana Kumara was attending his aged parents who are doing tapa in the forest. The boy died soon and king went to the old couple with the pot filled with water.
The parents of shravana Kumara, who were not able to recognize the king because of their age and low vision, thought it is their son coming, scolded him for being late. King Dasaratha was not able to utter a world, but at last he told the couple the sad incidence of the death of their son by his hand and his innocence.
The aged man died on hearing the death of their son and before his death he told the king that the king also deserve to suffer from separation his son during his last days.
The grief-stricken King returned to Ayodhya.
It so happened in the last days of Dasaratha that none of his sons were with him, Rama and Lakshmana were being sent to forest by the demand of Kaikeyi and Bharatha and Shatrugna were out to their uncle Yudhajith’s country. Desaratha died unable to bear Rama, Sita and Lakshmana being sent to forest.