Ahilya ka Shaapmochan

Swayamvar mein Shiv ka mahadhanush todne ke baad, Maharshi Vishvamitra rajkumaron ko Mithila ki or le gaye, kyonki vivaah vaheen manaye jaane the. Marg mein ve ek ghane aur maun van se guzre, aur uske beech mein unhe ek aashram mila jo sundar tha phir bhi vichitra roop se veeraan. Kutiyaayein khaali thin, yagya vedi thandi thi, aur lataon ne maargon ko dhak liya tha. Lekin us sthaan mein praacheen pavitrata ki aabha thi, jaise wahaan kabhi mahaan tapasya hui ho. Aangan ke kendra mein ek vichitra drishya tha, ek stree ka patthar bana roop, nirjeev phir bhi kisi tarah jeevit, lambe varshon se prateeksha karta hua. Ram ne aashcharya se rishi ki or dekha aur poocha ki yah kiska aashram hai aur is par kya shaap hai. Vishvamitra ne gambheerta se muskuraakar Ahilya ki katha shuru ki. Bahut pehle yah aashram Maharshi Gautam ka tha, jo Vedon ke gyaata the, aur unki patni Ahilya, anupam saundarya wali mahila. Brahma ne swayam use sansaar ki sabse sundar stree ke roop mein racha tha, aur Gautam se uska vivaah kiya tha. Ve aanand se rehte the, tapasya aur aatithya mein samarpit, jab tak ahankaar aur ichchha ne un par vinaash nahin laaya. Devtaon ke raja Indra ne Ahilya ko dekha aur uske saundarya ki vaasna se grast ho gaye. Ek bhor, jab Gautam praatah snaan ke liye nadi gaye the, to Indra ne rishi ka roop dhaaran kiya aur kutiya mein aaye. Ahilya ne, haalaanki apne hriday mein chhal ko pehchaan liya tha, swayam ko bhatakne diya, aur ek kshan ke liye usne apne pati se vishvaasghaat kiya. Jaise hi Indra chupke se ja rahe the, Gautam laute aur unhe apne hi churaaye roop mein dwaar par dekha. Rishi ka krodh bhayankar tha. Apni tapasya ki shakti se unhone Indra ko shareer par hazaar lajja ke chihn dhaaran karne ka shaap diya, aur Ahilya ko patthar banne ka shaap diya, sabhi ke liye adrishya, keval vaayu par jeevit, jab tak vah din na aaye jab Dasharath ke putr Ram van mein aayein aur apne charan se use sparsh karein. Tabhi vah mukt hogi aur apne pati se punarmilegi. Gautam ne tab aashram chhod diya aur apni tapasya jaari rakhne ke liye Himalaya chale gaye, apni patthar bani patni ko peechhe chhodkar. Van devta phusphusaate the ki krodh se janma koi shaap sada nahin reh sakta, aur patthar ko bhi ek din yaad aana chaahiye ki vah kabhi jeevit tha. Ahilya un phusphusaahaton se ekaaki shataabdiyon tak chipki raheen, unka pashchaataap andhere mein deep ki tarah sthir jalta raha. Shataabdiyaan beeteen. Ahilya apni pathreeli nidra mein prateeksha karti rahi, sansaar ke liye adrishya, keval apne pashchaataap aur rishi ki bhavishyavaani ki aasha se jeevit. Van uske chaaron or badha, aur aashram maun ho gaya. Ab Vishvamitra ne Ram se kaha ki uski mukti ka samay aa gaya hai. Rishi Ram ko patthar ke roop ke paas le gaye aur use mukt karne ko kaha. Ram shraddha se aage badhe, kyonki unhe dukhi stree ke liye keval karuna mahsoos hui. Unhone patthar ko apne charan se mriduta se sparsh kiya. Usi kshan aashram mein chakaachaundh prakaash bhar gaya. Patthar chatka aur gir gaya, aur wahaan Ahilya apne sachche roop mein khadi thin, tejasvi aur sundar, lambe shaap se mukt. Aanand ke aansu unke chehre par bahe jab shataabdiyon ka bhaar unki aatma se utha. Theek usi kshan Rishi Gautam laute, divya gyaan se khinche ki unki patni mukt ho gayi hai. Pati-patni lambe viyog ke baad punarmil gaye, aur Gautam ne, jinka krodh tapasya se bahut pehle shaant ho chuka tha, Ahilya ko prem se sveekaar kiya. Unhone usse kaha ki uske dukh ne har daag dho diya hai, aur vah unke saamne praatah ki os se bhi pavitra khadi hai. Punarmilit dampati ne tab Ram ko baar-baar aashirvaad diya, kyonki unhone keval patni ko pati se hi nahin, balki dharm ko hi unke ghar lautaaya tha. Unhone unki karuna ke liye Ram ki prashansa ki aur yuva rajkumar ko aashirvaad diya. Devtaon ne swarg se phool barsaye, aur veeraan aashram phir se jeevan se khil utha. Chamatkaar dekhne wale rishiyon ne Ram ki prashansa gaayi, kyonki unhone keval ek shaapit stree ko hi nahin, balki pashchaataap aur kshama ke aadarsh ko hi mukt kiya tha. Ram ne Gautam aur Ahilya ko pranaam kiya aur unka aashirvaad prapt kiya. Phir dal Mithila ki or badha, jahaan vivaah utsav prateeksha kar rahe the. Lekin Ram apne saath Ahilya ka paath le gaye, ki sachche pashchaataap se gambheeratam patan ka bhi uddhaar ho sakta hai, aur karuna hi sarvochch dharm hai.