Shravaṇ bhakt kee gaathaa kyaa ye
hai santo kee vaanee
Maat Pitaa ke charaṇo pe
nyavchhaavar kee zindagaanee
Putrahen the riṣhi shaantavan poorva shreṣhṭh gaṇ bole
Santo kee sevaa mė apne aas ke taar pirole
Sevaa se vardaan mllaa khushiyȯ se manvaa ḍole
Aȧkhe khokar beṭaa paayaa Shravaṇ bhakt saa gyaanee
Ȧngheen the maat pitaa our patnee thee takraar
Sab kuchh sehtaa vintee kartaa prabhu se Shravaṇ Kumaar
Maat Pitaa ko aȧkhe dedo sunlo meree pukaar
Gurudev ko tej prabhu ne bhakti kee seemaa jaanee
Aadesh milaa teerath karvaade nain mile phir unko
Teerath karne chalaa biṭhaake kaavariyaa mė unko
Teerath sab karvaa ke apne lauṭ rahaa thaa ghar ko
Sarjoo nadee kinaare maangaa maat pitaa ne paanee
Paanee laane chale Shravaṇ aavaaz ne dhokaa khaayaa
Jo hee ḍuboyaa nadee me Ioṭaa teer kahee se aayaa
Hiran ke badle Dashrathjee ne Shravaṇ kaa khoon bahaayaa
Kaȧp uṭhe jab aakar dekhaa tarap rahaa ik praaṇee
Lekh vidhi ko kisne badlaa kyȯ raajan pachhtaaye
Bhool manuj se hotee aayee kaahe neer bahaaye
Maat Pitaa hai pyaase mere paanee kaun pilaaye
Aaṣhish tumhe mai doongaa raajan gar pahuchaaḍo paanee
Idhar chale raajaa jal bharke Shravaṇ ne chhoree kaayaa
Aahat sun raajaa kee samjhe beṭaa jal bhar Iaayaa
Chup hai kyȯ too aaj laaḍle baree der se aayaa
Kyaa bole kyaa naa bole par baat paree batlaanee
Cheetkaar uṭhee dono kee sunkar kaape dhartee ambar
Pankhheen panchhee se tarpe kaape krodh se thar thar
Kahaȧ hamaaraa Shravaṇ laadlaa jaldee chal too lekar
Chheen lee kyo andhe kee laaṭhee bol bol agyaanee
Gale lagaake Shravaṇ kee kaayaa karne lage vilaap
Maroge beṭaa beṭaa karke diyaa rajan ko sraap
Soch rahe Dashrathjee man me kaise jaage paap
Chhor gaye duniyaa ko dono ban gayee amar kahaanee
Maat Pitaa ke charaṇo pe nyavchhaavar kee zindagaanee
This is the saintly saga of the great devotee Shravan Kumar who sacrificed his life at the feet of his parents.
Rishi Shantavan and his wife greatly desired to have a child. He was advised to perform more prayers and to be of service to more advanced sages who could bless him with the means of getting a son. The couple did as advised and was granted the blessing of a son, however, unfortunately, they both became blind.
Shravan continued to look after his parents while growing up. He then got married. The wife refused to tolerate the plight of the blind parents. Shravan prayed fervently for God to listen to his cry and restore his parents’ eyesight.
Shravan was advised to take his parents to a special pilgrimage that could restore their sight. Shravan took the parents on his shoulders to complete the pilgrimage. On the return journey, the parents asked Shravan to fetch them some water from the Sarju River.
Shravan went to the river to get water for his parents. As he dipped his lota into the river an arrow came from somewhere and fatally struck Shravan. The gurgling sound of the lota dipping into the water was mistaken by King Dasrath to be a deer. When Dasrath came to the spot he saw Shravan Kumar gasping for breath.
Dasrath started lamenting, but, Shravan advised him that no one could change the hands of fate. So why shed tears in lamentations? Voicing concern as to who will now give his parents water to drink, Shravan told Dasrath. I will give you the blessing of a dying man O King if you can please give water to my thirsty parents so that their thirst can be satisfied.
The king proceeded to fill the container with water to take to the parents. Shravan died as the king left towards the parents. Hearing the footsteps the blind parents thought it was the return of their son Shravan. Happing they cried, “Why did you take so long to return, O darling child? And why are you so quiet? You are not talking about anything?” Dasrath did not know what to say or what not to say. He proceeded to tell the parents what happened.
The very earth and skies trembled at the plight of the wailing parents. Like birds whose wings are torn away, they cried. Then, trembling with anger at the king they demanded of him to take them to the body of their dead son. Why did you snatch away the walking stick of the blind people, you ignorant fool, they lamented.
They hugged the body of their dead son and in desperation, they cursed the King that one day he would die while crying out for his own son. And, receiving the curse, Dasrath started to wonder, “How is it that sins arise in our minds?”
Footnote: the ramayan chowpaayee that captures the outcome of this curse of Rishi Shantavan:
राम राम कही राम कही राम राम कही राम
तनु परिहरि रघुबर बिरह राऊँ गयू सुरधाम
Crying ‘raam raam’ again and again, and yet again, the king departed his body – as well as the Raghu lineage and ascended to God.
श्रवण भक्त Shravan Kumar the devotee गाथा saga, sotry संतों saints वाणी words मात-पिता mother and father, parents चरणों feet न्यौछावर sacrifice ज़िन्दगानी life पुत्रहीन childless, sonless ऋषि शान्तवन rishi shantavan पूर्व east श्रेष्ठ best गण group, multitude बोले said सन्तो की सेवा service of saints अपने your आस के तार पिरोले string of hope वरदान blessing, boon खुशियों मनवा डोले create happiness आँखे खोकर lost eyesight बेटा son पाया found, got ज्ञानी wise अँगहीन blind मात-पिता parents पत्नी wife तकरार dispute सब कुछ everything सहता tolerate विनती करता requested, begged प्रभु से of God आँखे देदो give eyesight please सुनलो listen, hear मेरी पुकार my call, my cry गुरुदेव Guru, teacher तेज light, splendor सीमा limits जानी life आदेश instruction, order तीरथ करवादे performed teerath/pilgrimage नैन eyes तीरथ करने after pilgrimage चला बिठाके went sitting काँवरिया में in kaawariya लौट return घर home सरजू नदी river sarju किनारे banks माँगा asked पानी water पानी लाने fatch, bring water आवाज़ sound, voice धोका खाया deceiving, disguised डुबोये dipped नदी में in river लोटा lota, container तीर arrow कही से from somewhere आया came हिरन deer बदले instead of दसरथजी Dasrath खून बहाया blood shed, spilled काँप tremble, shudder उठे got up जब when आकर came देखा saw तरप रहा gasping, yearning प्राणी breath लेख विधि written law (fate) किसने who बदला change क्यों why राजन King पछताए repent भूल mistakes मनुज mankind काहे why नीर बहाये shed tears प्यासे thirsty पिलाये give to drink आशीष bless, blessing दूँगा will give गर पहुचाडो पानी if you bring water जल भरके filled water छोरी काया left body आहत hurt सुन hear राजा king समझे understand बेटा son जल भर लाया brought water चुप silent क्यों why आज today लाडले darling बरी देर से आया you returned very late क्या what बोले say ना not बतलानी to tell चीत्कार screams, wails दोनों both सुनकर hearing कापे trembled धरती earth पंखहीन wingless पँछी birds क्रोध anger कहाँ where हमारा our जल्दी चल quicly take छीनली snatch, stripped अंधे blind लाठी walking stick बोल speak अज्ञानी ignorant गले throat, chest लगाके hugging काया body विलाप moaning, crying मरोगे you will die बीटा-बीटा करके crying for your son दिया gave श्राप curse सोच रहे thinking, wondering कैसे how जागे arise पाप sins छोर गए gone दुनिया world दोनों both अमर कहानी immortal story
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.