Arjun's Dhyan — The Eye of the Bird

Ped ki daal par ek chidiya baithi thi — lakdi ki chidiya. Aur ped ke neeche khade the Hastinapur ke rajkumar — dhanush taane, saansen roke. Guru Dronacharya ki pariksha shuru hone waali thi.

Drona ne apne sab shishyon ko ikattha kiya — Kaurav aur Pandav, sab. Shastra-vidya to sab seekh rahe the — lekin Drona jaanna chahte the — inmein se kaun sirf haath se ladta hai, aur kaun man se. 'Dekho,' unhone ped ki taraf ishaara kiya, 'us chidiya ki aankh par nishaana lagana hai. Pehle batao — tumhe kya-kya dikh raha hai?' Sabse pehle Yudhishthira aage aaye. Dhanush uthaaya, pratyancha kheenchee. Drona ne poocha — 'Kya dikhta hai?' Yudhishthira ne imandaari se kaha — 'Gurudev, aap dikhte hain, mere bhai dikhte hain, ped dikhta hai, aakaash dikhta hai, chidiya dikhti hai.'

'Hat jaao,' Drona ne shaanti se kaha. 'Jo sab kuch dekhta hai, woh kuch nahi dekh pata.' Phir Duryodhana aaye — unhone bhi ped dekha, aakaash dekha, chidiya dekhi, apne bhai dekhe. Hat jaao. Bheem aaye — vishaal shareer, vishaal drishti — unhe bhi sab dikha. Hat jaao. Nakul, Sahadev — sab ek-ek karke niraash laute. Drona ka chehra gambheer hota gaya.

Drona dekh rahe the — har shishya apni aankhon se dekh raha tha, lekin koi apne man se nahi. Yudhishthira dharm dekhte the — isliye unhe sab dikha. Duryodhana ahankaar dekhte the — isliye unhe apne bhai dikhe. Bheem bal dekhte the — isliye unhe ped dikha. Lekin Arjun? Woh sirf lakshya dekhta tha — kyunki uska man khaali tha, sirf lakshya se bhara.

Aakhir mein Arjun aage aaye. Dhanush uthaaya, pratyancha kheenchee — aankhein lakshya par. Drona ne poocha — 'Arjun, kya dikhta hai?' — 'Sirf chidiya ki aankh, Gurudev.' — 'Ped nahi dikhta?' — 'Nahi.' — 'Main nahi dikhta?' — 'Nahi.' — 'Tumhaare bhai?' — 'Koi nahi dikhta, Gurudev. Sirf aankh.'

Drona ke chehre par muskaan aa gayi. 'To chalaao baan.' Teer chhoota — seedha chidiya ki aankh mein — aar-paar. Poora aashram taaliyon se goonj utha. Drona ne Arjun ko seene se laga liya — 'Tum sabse bade dhanurdhar banoge. Kyunki tumne woh seekh liya jo shastra se bada hai — dhyaan. Jise lakshya ke siva kuch dikhta hi nahi, use duniya ki koi taakat rok nahi sakti.'

Yeh ekagrata Arjun ne aise hi nahi paayi thi. Ek raat Drona ne use andhere mein khaana khaate dekha — bina ek daana giraaye, haath seedha munh tak pahunch raha tha. Drona hairan hue — 'Andhere mein bhi tumhaara haath nishaana nahi chukta?' Arjun ne kaha — 'Abhyaas, Gurudev. Roz raat ko dhanush chalaata hun — jab sab so jaate hain.' Usi din Drona ne use shabdabhedi vidya sikhaayi — awaaz par nishaana lagaane ki kala. Abhyaas hi uska guru tha — Drona to bas raasta dikhaate the.

Ek aur pariksha hui thi — Ganga mein snaan karte samay Drona ne ek nakli magarmachchh banaya, jo unka pair pakad kar kheenchne laga. 'Bachao!' ve chillaaye. Sab shishya ghabra gaye — sirf Arjun ne palak jhapakte hi paanch baan chala kar magar ke tukde kar diye. Drona ne use Brahmashira astra diya — devtaon ka sabse gupt astra. 'Iska prayog manushyon par kabhi mat karna,' unhone chetaaya. Arjun ne vachan diya — aur aajeevan nibhaaya.

Shiksha poori hui to Drona ne guru-dakshina maangi — 'Drupad ko bandi bana kar mere saamne laao.' Sab shishya gaye — sab haare. Arjun akele gaya — Drupad ko rath se kheench kar guru ke charnon mein daal diya. Drona ne aadha raajya lekar Drupad ko chhod diya — 'Mitrata barabar waalon mein hoti hai, Drupad.' Arjun ne apne guru ke apmaan ka badla chuka diya tha.

Isiliye kehte hain — Arjun ki taakat uske baahon mein nahi, uski aankhon mein thi. Aur aankhon ki taakat uske man mein. Chidiya ki aankh wali pariksha aaj bhi har guru apne shishya ko sunaata hai — kyunki lakshya badal jaate hain, lekin dhyaan ka niyam nahi badalta.

Baad mein jab Arjun ne Jayadrath-vadh ki pratigya li — 'Suryast se pehle' — to Kaurav sena ne use rokne ke liye deewaarein khadi kar di. Lekin Arjun ko sirf ek cheez dikhi — Jayadrath ka sir. Suryast se pehle teer chala — pratigya poori. Wahi chidiya ki aankh thi — bas lakshya bada tha.

Aur aap? Aapki zindagi mein aapki 'chidiya ki aankh' kya hai? Naukri, padhaai, koi sapna? Ek baar use saaf dekh lijiye — phir ped, log, shor — sab apne aap dhundla pad jaayega. Bas aankh dikhegi. Aur wahi din aapki pariksha poori hogi.