Agastya aur Rakshas Vaataapi

Paandavon ke vanvaas ke varshon mein rishi Lomash ne Yudhishthir ko do asur bhaaiyon ki katha sunaai jinki chaturaai hi unka vinaash bani. Unke naam the Ilval aur Vaataapi. Bade bhaai Ilval ne ek baar ek vidvaan brahman ke paas jaakar vardaan maanga tha: Indra ke samaan tejasvi putra. Jab brahman ne itni ahankaari prarthana thukra di, to Ilval ka hriday ghrina se bhar gaya — na keval us rishi ke prati, balki samast brahmanon ke prati. Usi din se dono bhaaiyon ne ek hatyaari khel rachi.

Vaataapi ke paas roop badalne ki shakti thi. Ilval ke bhojon mein vah medhe ya bakre ka roop dhar leta. Ilval use maarkar, masaalon ke saath maans pakaakar, anjaan brahman atithiyon ko paros deta, yah dikhaava karte hue ki yah pavitra yagya ka prasaad hai. Atithi tript hokar khaate aur bhojan ki prashansa karte. Tab Ilval muskuraakar oonchi aawaaz mein pukaarta, "Vaataapi! Baahar aao!" Aur Vaataapi, bhaai ke jaadu se punah jeevit hokar, atithi ke pet ko cheerkar baahar nikal aata, use turant maar daalta. Hanste hue bhaai tab shav ko lootte aur bacha-khucha kha jaate. Is prakaar unhone rishi dar rishi ki hatya ki, aur mritakon ke dhan se akoot sampatti ke swaami bane.

Agastya koi saadhaaran rishi na the jinse khilwaad kiya ja sake, aur Ilval ke liye achchha hota ki thaali parosne se pehle unka itihaas jaan leta. Yahi ve rishi the jinhone ek baar poore samudra ko ek hi ghoont mein sukha diya tha, uski gaharaai mein chhipe daanavon ko devtaon ke vadh ke liye ujaagar karke. Yahi ve rishi the jinhone abhimaani Vindhya parvat ko jhukaaya tha, use jhuke rehne ka aadesh dekar jab tak ve laut na aayein — aisi vaapsi jo unhone kabhi na ki, isliye parvat aaj bhi neecha hai. Varshon ki kathor tapasya ne unke shareer ko pavitra agni ka paatra bana diya tha; unka pet hi ek bhatti tha jismein vish bhi jalkar niraapad bhasm ho jaata. Jab Ilval ne unhein bhoj par bulaaya, to asur samjha ki vah ek aur asahaay shikaar ko phansa raha hai. Sach mein, vah apni hi mez par daavaanal bitha raha tha.

Ab aisa hua ki mahaan rishi Agastya ko dhan ki aavashyakta padi. Unhone rajkumari Lopamudra se vivaah kiya tha, jinhone unke van-jeevan ko apnaane ke liye mahal tyaag diya tha, aur ve unhein yogya sukh-suvidhaayein dena chaahte the. Ve raja dar raja uphaar maangne gaye, par har raja, udaar hote hue bhi, dene mein asamarth tha. Ant mein ek raja ne unhein Ilval ke baare mein bataaya, us asur ke baare mein jisne apne dusht vyaapaar se sone ke pahaad jama kiye the, aur sujhaav diya ki rishi usse prayaas karein.

Agastya turant samajh gaye ki Ilval kaisa mezbaan hoga. Apni yog-drishti se unhone poori hatyaari chaal dekh li. Phir bhi ve shaantipoorvak Ilval ke ghar gaye aur bhoj ka nimantran sveekaar kiya. Ilval, itne prasiddh rishi ko apne jaal mein paakar prasann, bade samaaroh se paka hua medhe ka maans parosa aur utsukta se dekhta raha jab Agastya ne tript hokar khaaya, kaur dar kaur, jab tak thaali saaf na ho gayi.

Tab Ilval ne pukaara, "Vaataapi! Baahar aao!" Sannaata chha gaya. Usne phir pukaara, aur zor se, aur phir dobaara, uski aawaaz bhay se phatne lagi. Agastya ne dheere se apna pet sehlaaya aur muskuraaye. "Vaataapi, pach jaao," unhone shaantipoorvak kaha, "sansaar ki shaanti aur kalyaan ke liye." Aur Ilval se unhone samjhaaya: "Tumhaara bhaai tumhein ab kabhi uttar nahin dega. Vah meri tapasya ki agni mein pach chuka hai, aur uski aatma shareer chhod chuki hai."

Ilval ka chehra krodh se vikrit ho gaya. Hathiyaar uthakar vah rishi par jhapta — aur Agastya ne, tapasya ki shakti se damakti aankhein kholkar, ek hi drishti se use bhasm kar diya. Hatyaare bhaaiyon ka shaasan usi kshan samaapt hua.

Par Agastya dhan ki khoj mein aaye the, aur dhan lekar hi jaayenge. Ilval ke sanchit khazaane se unhone apni aavashyakta bhar liya: prachur gaayein aur sona, jo Lopamudra ko diye vachan ko poora karne ke liye paryaapt tha. Jab unki patni se poochha gaya ki kya ve kai saadhaaran putra chaahati hain ya das ke bal wala ek putra, to unhone ek hi shreshth santaan chuni, aur aashirvaad poorn hua.

Yudhishthir ne Lomash ki katha suni aur uska arth samjha. Bhaaiyon ne aatithya ko hi hathiyaar bana liya tha, atithi ko bhojan karaane ke pavitra kartavya ko phande mein badal diya tha. Saadhaaran manushyon ke viruddh yah chaal apratirodhya thi — par us rishi ke viruddh jiski aantarik agni kisi bhi jaadu se adhik prakhar jalti thi, chaal bheetar ki or mud gayi aur apne rachayitaon ko hi nigal gayi. Chhal, chaahe kitna bhi chatur ho, satya se saamna hone par jeevit nahin reh sakta; vah pach jaata hai, jaise Vaataapi pacha tha, kuchh bhi shesh na chhodkar.