Bengali Ramayana - Sindhu

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Returning from the heavens, Dasharatha settled

down with his kingly duties. For years he looked after

his subjects like his own children. None of his wives

bore him any children. The king was sad. One his

wives, who was the daughter of the rishi Bhargava, gave

birth to a daughter, Hemlata. Lompada, the king of

Anga, was childless. When he heard that Dasharatha had

a daughter, he came to see her. Lompada's wife was

unable to bear children, he begged Dasharatha to let him

have the girl child. Dasharatha agreed and Lompada

took Hemlata with him. One day Dasharatha went

hunting. <br>Roaming in the forests he got lost. It was

getting dark. The king approached a clearing. Tired, he

sat down below a tree. Sindhu, son of rishi Andhaka,

came to that forest to fetch drinking water. He dipped

his pitcher in a stream flowing nearby. The pitcher

made lapping noises in the water. Dasharatha, sitting

nearby thought an animal had come to drink. Hoping to

kill it, he drew his bow and shot a Shabdabehdi arrow

in the direction of the noise. Sindhu, struck by the

arrow, fell down. Hoping to collect his prey, the king

approached slowly and noiselessly. Seeing Sindhu struck with

the arrow, he was scared and shocked. Sindhu was

asking for water. Cupping his hands, the king got some

water from the stream and put it in the boy's mouth. As

if the water worked like medicine, the boy opened

his eyes. Seeing the king with tears in his eyes, the

boy said "I am a rishi's son but do not worry, I will

not curse you. What had to happen happened. In a past

birth I was a prince. I was very fond of shooting

birds. Once I shot a bird that was playing around with

his mate. The dying bird cursed me saying I would die

a similar death in another birth. Your arrow, oh

king, has come as my death. That does not bother me.

What bothers me is what will happen to my parents. My

parents are blind. They will die without me. Take me to

them, that's what I beg of you." Sindhu started calling

out the name of Narayana. Instead of Narayana, blood

started flowing out of his mouth. Seeing him in that

condition, Dasharatha pulled the arrow out of Sindhu. He had

come to shoot an animal, instead he had killed a

tapasvi. <br>In his house, Andhaka's wife's left eye

stated fluttering. "Something bad is about is about to

happen", she told his wife "I wonder what is taking our

son so long. Normally he back by this time. It seems

he did not find any fruits close by for us to eat,

so he must have gone further into the forest." While

the rishi's wife was thus worrying, Dasharatha

approached with Sindhu. Thinking their son had come, the

rishi and his wife came out of their hut and said "Give

us some water to drink. Give us something to eat".