Shravan Kumar’s parents were blind. Shravan served them day and night. One day his parents expressed a wish to go on pilgrimage. Shravan made a bamboo kanwar, seated his parents in its two baskets and set out, carrying them on his shoulder.
On the journey they reached a forest near Ayodhya. Evening was falling. Shravan seated his parents under a tree and went to the bank of the Sarayu to fetch water, as they were thirsty.
King Dasharatha had come to that same forest to hunt. In the dark he heard the sound of a pot filling with water and took it for an elephant drinking. He shot an arrow at the sound, which struck Shravan.
Dasharatha ran over, and the wounded Shravan said, “Do not worry about me. Please take this water to my thirsty parents.” Saying this, he gave up his life.
Dasharatha took the water to the parents and told them everything. They wept in grief for their son and, in the story, cursed Dasharatha that he too would die in grief at separation from his son. Later in the Ramayana, this curse comes to pass at the time of Ram’s exile.