Mahaayuddh ke Dauraan Balram ki Teerthyaatra

Jab Kuru yuddh avashyambhaavi ho gaya, to har mahaan yoddha ko paksh chunna pada — ek ko chhodkar. Krishna ke bade bhaai Balram, haath mein hal aur madira-premi, sabha mein uthe aur inkaar kar diya. Ve Bheem aur Duryodhan dono ke gada-guru the, aur dono shishyon se prem karte the. "Main kisi ke viruddh haath nahin utha sakta," unhone ghoshit kiya. "Bheem mere apne shishya jaisa hai, aur Duryodhan ne bhakti se meri seva ki hai. Main kisi paksh se nahin ladoonga. Iske bajaay main teerthyaatra par jaaoonga."

Aur is prakaar, jab senaayein Kurukshetra mein ekatra ho rahi thin, Balram Vedon ki pavitra nadi Sarasvati ke tat par akele chal pade. Dwarka se Kurukshetra ki or ve chale, har pavitra teerth mein snaan karte hue, brahmanon ko udaar daan dete hue, aur sunte hue jab har teerth ke rishi uski pracheen mahima sunaate. Shalya parv un pavitra jalon ki lambi soochi sanjoye hai — pavitrata ka sampoorn bhoogol kadam dar kadam khulta hua jabki yuddh anyatra chal raha tha.

Teerthyaatra saahas se rahit na thi. Naimishaaranya mein, jahaan rishi Puraanon ka paath sunte baithe the, Balval naamak kroor asur — Ilval ka putra, jiska bhaai Vaataapi Agastya dwara pachaaya gaya tha — yagya mein vighn daalne ke liye dhool aur gandagi barsa raha tha. Shaanti ke vrat par hote hue bhi Balram rishiyon ko sataaya jaana na seh sake. Unhone apna hal uthaaya aur daanav ka vadh kar diya, yagya ko shuddh kiya, aur rishiyon ne kritagya hriday se unhein aashirvaad diya.

Din dar din teerthyaatri chalta raha, kshitij par uthte dhuein se jaanboojhkar mukh mode hue. Doot samaachaar laate — Bheeshm gire, Dron maare gaye, Karn mrit — aur Balram keval apni praarthnaayein teevra karte. Unhone talwaar ke maarg par teerthon ka maarg chuna tha, aur peechhe na dekhte.

Par jab athaarahvaan din uga, to kuchh unhein Kurukshetra ki or kheench laaya. Shaayad ve jaante the ki unke dono shishyon ko antatah antim gada-dvandva mein milna hi tha, aur koi guru aise nirnay se door nahin reh sakta tha. Ve maidaan par theek tab pahunche jab Bheem aur Duryodhan apni swarn gadaon ke saath ek-doosre ke chaaron or ghoom rahe the — aur unhone dekha, unka hriday unki nipunata par garv se phool utha, kyunki dono unki hi kriti the.

Apni yaatra ke baarahvein din, jab ve Kapil teerth mein snaan kar rahe the, Balram praarthna na kar sake. Pavitra jal sheetal aur nirmal tha, par unka man baar-baar un do baalakon ki or lautta tha jinhein unhone sikhaaya tha — Bheem, bail jaisa balwaan aur seedha, aur Duryodhan, abhimaani aur parishrami, jisne kabhi unka anugrah paane ke liye poore varsh apne haathon se unhein bhojan parosa tha. Guru ka hriday, unhone samjha, samaan roop se nahin bantta; vah keval chunaav se inkaar karta hai. Us sandhya, jab ve teerth ke brahmanon ko apna niyat daan de rahe the, ek vriddh rishi ne unhein aashirvaad dete hue kaha, 'Rohini-nandan, teerth tumhaare charan dho denge, par yuddh ko nahin dho sakte. Jab gada uthegi, to teerthyaatri ko bhi tay karna hoga ki uski shiksha ka arth kya tha.' Balram ne pranaam kiya aur aage badhe, par shabd chhaaya ki tarah unke saath chale. Har bhor ve snaan karte, har sandhya teerthon ki pracheen mahima sunte, aur har raat uttari kshitij ka dhuaan kuchh aur nikat prateet hota, jab tak ant mein unhone samjha ki unki teerthyaatra unhein sada se usi ek maidaan ki or le ja rahi thi jisse bachne ki unhone shapath li thi.

Phir vah kshan aaya jisne unki tatasthata sada ke liye tod di. Krishna ke maun sanket par Bheem ne naabhi ke neeche nishiddh prahaar kiya, Duryodhan ki jaanghein choor kar deen. Balram ka harsh bhay mein badla, aur bhay krodh mein. Yah vah kala thi jo unhone sikhaai thi, unki aankhon ke saamne kalankit! Apna mahaan hal uthakar ve Bheem ko dusht prahaar ke liye maarne daude. Krishna unke beech aa gaye, vinati karte hue, samjhaate hue — pratigya, brihattar dharm, Duryodhan ke apne asankhya paap. Balram ne suna, unki chhaati haanfti rahi.

Par bade bhaai ko manaaya na ja saka. "Bheem ne adharm se jeeta hai," unhone ghoshit kiya, "aur main aisi vijay ko aashirvaad nahin doonga." Gire Duryodhan ki or mudkar unhone use sansaar ka saccha gada-aachaarya bataaya, yoddha ki mrityu se swarg ka adhikaari. Phir Krishna ya Paandavon se ek shabd kahe bina Balram ne Kurukshetra ko peeth dikhaai aur Dwarka chal diye, unki shaanti ki teerthyaatra us ek yuddh mein samaapt hui jise ve na rok sake na anumodan kar sake.

Rishi kehte hain ki Balram ki yaatra har us aatma ke liye darpan hai jo sangharsh par virakti chunti hai: teerth yaatri ko shuddh karte hain, par peechhe chhoda sansaar rakt bahaata rehta hai. Tatasthata, chaahe uske kaaran kitne hi udaatt hon, us yuddh ke naitik bhaar se sada nahin bach sakti jise vah ladne se inkaar karti hai.