I’ve decided to go hunting today since I love it. I don’t know what to hunt for but let’s just see what happens, I feel like it is going to be a really good day.
*deer sprinting by*
*Dasharatha shoots an arrow for the deer and runs after it*
Instead of finding the arrow lodged in the body of a dead deer, he found it in a shriveled old man that was laying on the ground bleeding and crying of agony. He saw that his wife kept yelling for her husband, asking what happened. Why did he suddenly stop talking, why is he crying from pain. What was that sound? Was it a weapon? What happened? Dasharatha finally came out from behind the tress to address the older couple and try to help them out for his mistakes.
“Hello” he says,
“This is all my fault, I was hunting and didn’t realize that the deer had run away and I accidentally shot at your husband instead.”
“You did this to my husband, you cased his untimely death. He still could have lived got years, but because of you he is no more”, she says.
“I am deeply very sorry; I did not mean to cause this misfortune upon you.” Says Dasharatha.
“What am I supposed to tell my son when he returns from finding us food? He is going to be so hurt and I cannot even see him and help him. How will I wipe the tears from his eyes since I cannot even see them on his face? What am I supposed to tell him? That I couldn’t even take care of your father for an hour.” -his wife says
“I know I cannot bring him back from the dead but I can help in ensuring that you and your son live comfortably for the rest of your lives.” -Dasharata
“Is that going to bring my father back? Will it bring back my mother’s husband? How could do make such a mistake?” -Shravan
“Son, I did nothing on purpose. I am just trying to help you guys out” -Dasharatha
“I have taken care of my blind parents for years without anyone’s help and I can continue to take care of my mom without your help too. So no thank you. You have caused us enough pain and hurt already, do not make it worse with your words.” -Shravan
“My son is right. You do not understand this pain as you have not felt is yourself, but in the future you will. You will understand the pain of losing someone you love when someone close to you leave. It may not happen now or anytime soon but it will happen and that day you will remember me and my words. You will only understand my pain then and only then will you know the hurt you have caused to the both of us.” -she said
Dasharatha left the woods that day confused. He was young and did not understand what the woman had said to him but he knew that he would because she had said it with such conviction that he was sure it would happen and that scared him.
Author's Note: The original story is of Dasharatha hunting and accidentally shooting Shravan, the son of the 2 blind parents. His parents find out and curse Dasharatha that he too will know the pain of separation from his son one day only then would he understand.
PDE Ramayana: Dasharatha's Karma by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)
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Dasharahta, Shravan & his Parents: Death
I love the structure of this story. It almost reads like a play, with stage instructions (*deer sprinting by*) and lines attributed to certain people. That would actually be a really interesting story-telling technique... thanks for the inspiration! I also appreciate how you attempted to mimic the vernacular of the original text. It creates a very different experience for the reader, and I enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed that you chose to retell the story from Dasharahta's perspective and that instead of Shravan getting shot and killed, it was his father whose end came too soon! You strayed from the point of view the story was told in. In the beginning the story started in Dasharahta's point of view, but by the end of the story it was in third person. However, I really enjoyed that the story was told in more of a script manner than a straight story! It made it very easy and enjoyable to read!
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