Coming awake hours before dawn, thoughts that had tormented Dasaratha the day before assailed him. Wanting to share them with Kausalya, on the sixth day of Rama's exile, at midnight Dasaratha, remorsefully recollected the misdeed he had committed unwittingly, in his youth. "Kausalya, man has to reap the fruit of all his deeds, be they good or evil. Only the foolish do not consider the consequences of their acts. A good act gains him merit but an evil act brings suffering. A wrong act committed thoughtlessly may be regretted but its outcome can never be stemmed.In my youth, I had mastered 'Shabdavedi' the great skill of shooting at any target, not by seeing it visibility, but by hearing it. This mastery that brought me great renown as an archer was also the cause of my sin. Its consequences make me suffer not in the next world, but here in this world and now."

"As a young prince hunting was my favorite sport and armed with the knowledge of 'shabdavedi', it was even more thrilling. On a beautiful evening I went on to the banks of the Sarayu. The Sun was westward bound, the heat had abated, birds sang frogs croaked in delight and I was exhilarated and excited. As thick clouds scudded across the skies, twilight gently embraced the earth. At that moment I heard a gurgling sound. Unable to see clearly, mistaking the sound to that of an elephant drinking water, I aimed my arrow towards that sound. The arrow piercing through the dusk struck an ascetic and not an elephant. The noise I heard was that of the ascetic filling his pot with water. My target fell into the waters of the Sarayu. To my horror, I heard a voice, which said, "How can weapons fall on me? Who shot this arrow and why? I do not rue my destruction, but what of my parents? How can they survive after death claims me? Who is that ignoble one who killed us all with a single arrow? Petrified with shock, feeling drained, my bow slipped to the ground.

"I rushed towards the sound and to my dismay beheld a young ascetic, whose body was covered with blood and dust. A broken pot lay by his side bearing mute witness to my sin. As I stood quivering with fear he looked at me like one who wanted to immolate me in the blaze of his anger."Speaking harshly he said, "To fetch a pot of water for my parents I had come here, but now that I am struck, my parents too will perish." He then asked me to quickly take some water to his old parents but warned me to pacify his father first, so as to avert any curses he may pronounce. He also asked me to remove the arrow still in his body, as the pain was unbearable. I stood rooted to the ground, miserable and horrified. Beholding my sorrow, he said gently, "My mind grows peaceful. I no longer grieve and I will soon be dead. And you, king will not be guilty of killing a Brahmin, for I am no Brahmin, but born of a 'Sudra' mother and a Vaisya' father". I then pulled out the arrow and he shuddered with pain, until death released him from his suffering. An innocent life was lost and I was to blame. Though unwitting it was still a sin irreversible and unpardonable.