ब्रह्मर्षि -जयशंकर प्रसाद

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is lekh ka punarikshan evan sampadan hona avashyak hai. ap isamean sahayata kar sakate haian. "sujhav"

navin komal kisalayoan se lade vrikshoan se hara-bhara tapovan vastav mean shanti-niketan ka manohar akar dharan kiye hue hai, chanchal pavan kusumasaurabh se digant ko paripoorn kar raha hai; kintu, anandamay vashishth bhagavanh apane gambhir mukhamandal ki gambhiramayi prabha se agnihotr-shala ko alokamay kiye tatha dhyan mean netr band kiye hue baithe haian. prashant mahasagar mean sote hue matsyaraj ke saman hi donoan netr alaukik alok se alokit ho rahe haian.

raghukul-shreshth maharaj trishanku samane hath jo dakar kh de haian, kintu samathry kisaki jo us anand mean badha dale. dhyan bhagn hua, vashishthaji ko trishanku ne sashtaang dandavath kiya, unhoanne ashirvad diya. sabako baithane ki ajna huee, savinay sab baithe.

maharaj ko kuchh kahate dekhakar brahmarshi ne dhyan se sunana arambh kiya. trishanku ne poochha-‘‘bhagavanh! yajn ka kya phal hai?’’

phir prashn kiya gaya-‘‘manushy sharir se svarg-prapti ho sakati hai?’’

uttar mila-‘‘nahian.’’

phir prashn kiya gaya-‘‘apaki kripa se sab ho sakata hai?’’

uttar mila-‘‘rajanh, usako tum n to pa sakate ho aur n ham dila sakate haian.’’

trishanku vahaan se uthakar, pranamoparant doosari or chale.

tho di hi door par bhagavan vashishth ke putragan apas mean shastravad kar rahe the. trishanku ne unhean pranam kiya, aur kaha-‘‘ap manav-sharir se svarg jane ka phal denevala yajn kara sakate haian?’’

putr shishy ne kaha-‘‘bhagavan vashishth ne kya kaha?’’

trishanku ne uttar diya-‘‘bhagavan vashishth ne to asambhav kaha hai.’’

yah sunakar vashishth-putroan ko b da krodh hua, aur b di ugrata se ve bol uthe-‘‘matimand trishanku, tujhe kya ho gaya, guru par avishvas! tujhe to is pap ke phal se chandalatv ko prapt hona chahie.’’

is shrap se trishanku shri-bhrasht hokar chandalatv ko prapt hua; svarg ke badale chandalatv mila-puny karate pap hua!

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shri-bhrasht hokar trishanku vilap karata hua ja raha hai ki sahasa narad ka darshan hua. sarvabhaum maharaj ki aisi avastha dekhakar narad ne poochha-‘‘rajanh! yah kya?’’ bilakhate hue trishanku ne sari katha sunaee. narad ne kaha-‘‘ap kyoan hatash hote haian, maian apako ek katha sunata hooan, sunie-

‘‘bahut din hue vishvamitr namak ek raja apani chaturangini sena ko lie hue, akhet karata hua, vashishthashram mean pahuancha. vahaan shantimayi prakritik shobha dekhakar brahmarshi vashishth ke darshan ki abhilasha usake chitt mean utpann huee. vahaan ke atithy se vah bahut hi prasann hua. aranyavasi rrishikalpoan ki saral abhyarthana se vah anandit hua; parantu jab use sasainy amantran mila, tab bahut hi chakit hua. jab usane vahaan jakar dekha ki kuchh nahian hai, tab aur bhi ashcharyanvit hua. bhagavanh vashishth ne brahmavidya-svaroopini ‘kamadhenu’ se sab vastuean maang lian aur kee din tak un sainikoan ke sahit vishvamitr ko rakha.

‘‘jab vah vida hone laga, tab unase vidaee ke svaroop mean us kamadhenu ko maangane laga. jab unhoanne n diya, tab unhean du:kh dene laga. tapovan ko usake sainikoan ne charoan or se gher liya. kintu vashishth keval shant hokar sahan karane lage. akasmath pallav-deshiy manushyoan ki yuddh-yatra ho rahi thi, un saboan ne dekha ki brahmarshi, ek unmatt kshatriy se sataya ja raha hai, to sabhoan ne l dakar vishvamitr ko sasainy bhaga diya, aur vashishth ashram mean shanti virajane lagi; kintu vishvamitr ko us apaman se param du:kh hua, aur vah tapasya se shankar ko prasann karane laga.

‘‘shankar ne prasann hokar use sab dhanurved ka jnan diya. ab vah dhanurvidya se bali hokar phir usi vashishthashram par pahuancha, aur mahatma vashishth ko pi da dene laga. jab vashishth ko bahut vyatha huee, tab ve usake samip pahuanche aur use samajhane lage; kintu balonmatt kshatriy un par shastroan ka prayog karane laga.

‘‘vashishth ne keval brahmatejamay-sahishnutaroopi dand se sabako sahan kiya. brahmarshi ke mukh par udvignata ki chhaya nahian, tap bhi nahian, keval shanti hi biraj rahi hai. vishvamitr vichalit hue. chitt ki chinta-shrotasvini ka pravah doosari or phira, aur vah kah utha-

‘‘dhigbalan kshatriyabalan’’

‘‘vah ab brahm-bal pane ki asha se ghor tapasya kar raha hai, ab usamean kuchh shanti ki chhaya p di hai.’’

itana kahakar narad antarbhoot hue. trishanku ghor chinta mean p da. ek-ek karake vashishth tatha unake putroan ki sab batean hriday mean bajane lagian. vishad tatha krodh ne use vivek-hin bana diya, chitt mean pratihiansa jal uthi-bar-bar ‘pratihiansa’ ki dhvani usake kanoan mean gooanjane lagi. kiankartavy-vimoodh hokar mantr-mugdh ki bhaanti vishvamitr ki tapobhoomi ki or chal p da.

vishvamitr trishanku se prasann hue. tapasya kar rahe haian, kintu eersha ne hriday ka adhikar nahian chho da. vashishth ke pratikool hokar kary karane mean vah bahut hi anandit hue, aur yajn karana svikar kiya. ‘madhuchchhanda’ ityadi putroan ko ajna di ki ve yajn ka samaroh karean. aur, brahmavadiyoan ko bhi nimantran diya gaya. sab hone laga. kintu, vahaan jata hi kaun hai?

vashishth-putroan ne sab se kah diya tha ki-‘‘chandal yajaman aur kshatriy achary dvara sampadit yajn mean kaun bhag lega!’’

avahan karane par bhi purodash grahan karane ke lie devagan nahian aye. vishvamitr krodhanvit hue, shruva patakakar kaha-‘‘yajn mean vighn dalanevale vashishth-putr bhasm hoan, aur trishanku vishvamitr ke tapasya-bal se sadeh svarg jay.’’

trishanku svarg ki or chala, kintu, devaraj ne kaha-‘‘tishth tishth’’-trishanku adh:patit hua. vishvamitr ne kaha-‘‘ab ham nee srishti kareange, aur barbaroan ko sabhy banaveange.’’ devagan chakit hue, aur unake anurodh se trishanku pun: nakshatr roop mean sthit hue. vishvamitr ke nav-kalpit ek nakshatr-golak mean nav-srishti se trishanku rahane lage. udhar agnyastr-roopi shrap se vashishth-putr bhasmibhoot hue.

vishvamitr aisa ugr kary karake kuchh shant hue, aur tapasya karane lage. log unhean ‘rrishi’ kahane lage. vah bhi nirantar tapasya se trailoky ko kampit karane lage.

ek divas shun:sheph dau d vishvamitr ke charan mean lipat gaya. jijnasa karane par jnat hua ki vah maharaj harishchandr ke yajn ka yajn-pashu banakar bali diya jayaga. uddand rajarshi ko kuchh daya aee, aur vah apane shat putroan mean se ek ko usake pratyavartan mean dene ke hetu sannaddh hue. putragan ne ajna n mani. ve bhi shapit tatha nirvasit hue. bhagavanh indr prasann hue. maharaj harishchandr ko bina narabali kiye hi yajn-phal mila, aur vishvamitr ‘rajarshi’ kahalane lage. kintu, ve brahmabal-labh ki asha mean phir tapasya aur nirahar-bhookhoan ko annadan karane lage.

bahut dinoan tak svayan nirahar rahakar ve bhookhoan ko annadan karate rahe. jis din unaka vakt poorn hua aur unhoanne pak banaya, bhojan ke samay mean ek bhookha brahman aya. vishvamitr ne apane vrat ka kuchh bhi dhyan n kiya, aur siddhann brahman ko khila diya.

brahman ne prasann hokar kaha-‘‘maharshi, tum b de dayamay ho.’’

sau putroan ko khokar, aur nirahar par bhi nirahar kar ke vishvamitr ne ‘maharshi’ pad ko prapt kiya. kintu, unhean shanti n mili. vashishth ki eeshrya se ve sada eershit rahate the, aur usi eershagni mean jalit us brahmabal ki asha ne abhi unaki ek pariksha aur li.

sharvarinath ramani se poorn kalayukt kri da kar rahe haian. raka prakashamayi, prabhamayi tatha anandamayi prakriti ka roop dharan kiye hue hai. bahut door par se kokil ki manohar vani kabhi shantimayi raka ki nistabdhata ko bhang kar deti hai. samiran bhi apana saral roop dharan kiye hai. patroan ka marmar rav kabhi-kabhi sunaee p data hai. bhagavanh vashishth ke ashram mean shanti, roopamayi hokar khel rahi hai.

devakalp vashishthaji aur unaki patni arudhanti kutir-samipasth ek shubh shila-tal par baith, kathanopakathan kar rahe haian.

arundhati-bhagavanh! aj kaisi svachchh raka hai!

vashishth-jaisa tumhara charitr.

arundhati-chandroday kaisa ujjval hai?

vashishth-jaise vishvamitr ka tap-puanj.

arundhati-bhagavanh! usane to apake putroan ko mar dala tha?

vashishth-chandr kya nishkalank hai.......

abhi bhagavanh vashishthaji ke vachan poorn bhi nahian hue the ki sahasa dau data hua ek manushy akar unake charanoan par gir p da, aur kahane laga-‘‘bhagavanh! ap hi is sansar mean ‘brahmarshi’ kahalane ke yogy haian, log mujhe vritha hi maharshi kahate haian. maian to apako marane ke vaste vyadh ki naeean chhipa hua tha, apaki amrit-vani se mere hriday ka andhakar door hua. aj jnat hua ki, brahman hone ke hetu kitani sahanashilata chahie! prabho! maian ghor bhram mean tha, maianne kitane pap-karm apako nicha dikhane ke hetu kie, aur brahmarshi banane ke hetu kitani hiansa ki, aj paryapt hua. aj maianne sab paya. prabho, is papi ko kya ap kshama kijiega?

vashishthaji ne pulakit hokar vishvamitr ko priyamitr banaya, aur pun: kanth se lagakar sudha-plavita vani se kaha-‘‘brahmarshi, shant hovo. param shiv tumhean kshama kareange.’’

donoan brahmarshiyoan ka mahasammelan ganga-jamuna ke saman pavitr-punyamay tha, brahman aur kshatriyoan ke hetu vah ek chirasmaraniy sharvari thi.

sanbandhit lekh

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