Ashtaavakra ka Shaastraarth

Ek samay Kahol naam ke ek vidvaan Brahman rehte the, jo mahaan rishi Uddaalak Aaruni ke shishya aur unki putri Sujaata ke pati the. Jab Sujaata garbhavati thin, Kahol Vedon ka paath karte baithte, aur garbhasth shishu, garbh mein hi gyaani, apne pita ke uchchaaran aur arth ki trutiyaan sudhaarta. Yah ek baar nahin balki aath baar hua, aur Kahol apne hi ajanme putr ki phatkaar se aahat hokar aapa kho baithe. Krodh mein unhone shishu ko aath vikritiyon ke saath janmne ka shaap diya, uske ang aath sthaanon par mude-tude. Baalak kathnaanusar janma, shareer se tedha, aur uska naam Ashtaavakra pada, aath jagah se muda. Vah apne naana ke aashram mein bade hue, unka man utna hi seedha aur pratibhaashaali jitna shareer tedha tha, baalyaavastha mein hi shaastron mein nipun. Anya chhaatra uski buddhi ke liye use prem karte the, haalaanki ajnabi uska upahaas karte the jo ve samajhte nahin the. Jab Ashtaavakra lagbhag das varsh ke the, unke parivaar par pehle hi vipatti aa chuki thi. Unke pita Kahol Videh ke raja Janak ke darbaar mein raajkeeya vidvaan Bandi se shaastraarth karne gaye the, aur paraajit hue the. Us darbaar ki parampara kroor thi, jo Bandi se vaad-vivaad mein haarte unhe nadi mein dubo diya jaata, aur Kahol ne vahi bhaagya bhoga tha, Sujaata ko vidhva aur putr ko pitaheen chhodkar. Ashtaavakra ne apne pita ki mrityu ka satya jaana aur pratishodh ka sankalp kiya. Keval baalak hote hue bhi, jiska tedha roop upahaas kheenchta tha, vah Janak ke mahaayagya ke liye nikal pade, apne maama Shvetaketu ke saath, jo swayam prasiddh vidvaan the. Yagyashaala ke dwaar par rakshakon ne baalak ko rokne ka prayaas kiya, uske vikrit shareer par hanste hue. Lekin Ashtaavakra ne aashcharyajanak paripakvata ke shabdon se unhe phatkaara, ghoshna ki ki manushya varshon se vriddh nahin hota na shvet keshon se gyaani, aur sachche Brahman gyaan se bante hain, aayu se nahin. Rakshak lajjit hokar unhe jaane diye. Andar darbaari kaviyon ne unke tedhe angon ka upahaas kiya jab vah sabha mein langdaate hue pahunche. Ashtaavakra ne hanste vidvaanon ko dekha aur badle mein hanse, gehri aur nirbhay hansi. Jab raja Janak ne poocha ki vah kyon hanse, baalak ne uttar diya ki vah sachche vidvaan milne ki aasha se aaye the, lekin keval charmakaar dekhe, kyonki ve manushya ko chamde se aankte hain jaise charmakaar chamda aankta hai, aur bheetar ke aatma ko nahin jaante. Darbaar shaant ho gaya, aur Janak prabhaavit hokar unhe Bandi se shaastraarth ki anumati di. Jo hua vah Bhaaratiya parampara ke prasiddhatam vaad-vivaadon mein se ek hai. Bandi ne pehle bola, sankhyaon par pahelinuma chhand bunte hue, ek se aarambh karke, ekal aatma. Ashtaavakra ne baari-baari pratyek paheli ka uttar diya, chhandon ko poorn gyaan se poora kiya, ek se terah tak sankhya-dar-sankhya milaan kiya. Darbaar chakit hua jab baalak ke uttar goonje, nirdosh aur teevra. Phir Ashtaavakra ne aakraman kiya, apni paheliyaan rakhin jinhe Bandi poora nahin kar sake. Vidvaan ladkhadaaye, unka gyaan samaapt, aur sabha ne baalak ko vijeta ghoshit kiya. Us darbaar ke niyam se paraajit Bandi ko dubone ke liye nadi le jaaya gaya, jaise unhone bahuton ko duboya tha. Lekin tab Bandi ne apna rahasya prakat kiya. Vah jal ke devta Varun ke putr the, aur jinhe unhone duboya tha ve mare nahin the balki samudra ke neeche Varun ke mahaayagya mein sahaayata ke liye bheje gaye the. Vah apne pita ke anushthaan ke liye vidvaan ekatra kar rahe the, aur ab vah anushthaan poorn tha. In shabdon ke saath Bandi jal mein koode, aur gaharaaiyon se Kahol aur sabhi paraajit vidvaan uthe, jeevan ko punah praapt. Ashtaavakra ke pita ne garv se rote hue putr ko gale lagaaya, aur vikriti ka shaap ant mein uth gaya. Kahol ke kehne par Ashtaavakra ne pavitra Samanga nadi mein snaan kiya, aur jaise hi vah jal se uthe unki aath vikritiyaan pighal gayin, shareer seedha aur sundar ban gaya. Jis baalak ka tedhapan upahaasit hua tha vah lamba aur tejomay khada hua. Baad ke varshon mein Ashtaavakra swayam raja Janak ke guru bane, aur unka samvaad Ashtaavakra Geeta ke roop mein surakshit hai, advait gyaan ke gahantam granthon mein se ek. Unki katha sikhaati hai ki shareer keval paatra hai, aur satya se prakaashit man sundartam roop ko bhi maat de sakta hai.