The Curse Fulfilled: Dasharatha's Final Days

"When I took the pot of water and reached the hut's door, I saw Shravana Kumara's parents – helpless, aged, and blind – awaiting their son. When I entered the hut, they thought their son had arrived. 

"'Son, what took you so long?' they asked. 

"Filled with guilt and shame, I was unable to speak. The blind couple then became suspicious. I prostrated myself before them and confessed that I had accidentally caused the death of their son. Overwhelmed by this tragic news, the blind and elderly couple fell silent, tears streaming down their sightless eyes. I led them to the riverbank, where their son lay lifeless. They told me that their only reason for living was their beloved son, and that without him, their lives had lost all meaning.  

"'Just as we are dying from the separation from our son, you too will die from the loss of your son,' they cursed me and then burned themselves alive on their son's funeral pyre.

"The curse of Shravana Kumara's parents is coming true. I can hear them calling out to me. I believe my time has come, Kaushalya. The grip of death is tightening around me. Will Rama come to release me from this curse? Can I see Rama one last time before I pass? Only Rama can save me from the clutches of death."

After Rama left for the forest, Dasharatha remained alive for only six days. In his final moments, he repeated Rama's name six times. When the news of the King's death spread, the palace was filled with grief. All the queens were sobbing and screaming as they held the King's dead body. The entire palace, including the servants, was overcome with sorrow as they mourned the loss of their ruler. The city of Ayodhya was also shrouded in despair, with sadness reaching every household. The morning after Dasharatha's passing, the sages arrived at the palace. Maharshi Vashishtha wished to alleviate the grief, and until Bharata returned, King Dasharatha's body was treated with oil. Messages were sent to ensure Bharata and Shatrughna's immediate return.

Bharata experienced nightmares during the night, suspecting something terrible had occurred at the palace. His suspicions were confirmed when a messenger informed him that Maharshi Vashishtha awaited him in Ayodhya. Bharata and Shatrughna quickly prepared their chariot and hastened toward Ayodhya. Eight days later, they arrived home.

Bharata and Shatrughna arrived in a deserted city filled with sadness. The two brothers then went to Queen Kaikeyi's room to find her lying on a bed of gold. She rose to embrace Bharata and Shatrughna. After they sought her blessings by touching her feet, she showered them with parental affection, kissing their foreheads. Bharata inquired about the whereabouts of his father, brothers Rama and Lakshmana, and sister-in-law Sita, as they were all missing.