Chyavan, Sukanya aur Ashvineekumar

Pracheen rajaon ke yug mein Bhrigu ke putra rishi Chyavan van ke ek sarovar ke kinaare itne gehre dhyaan mein baithe the ki deemkon ne unke poore shareer par apna teela bana liya, keval unki do aankhein dikhaai deti thin, jo mitti mein angaaron ki tarah damakti thin. Ve shaayad samay ke ant tak vahin baithe rehte, yadi Manu ke vanshaj raja Sharyaati apni sena aur parijanon ke saath vihaar ke liye us sarovar par na aate.

Raja ki yuva putri Sukanya teele tak ghoomti hui aai, aur usmein do chamkeeli vastuein dekhkar khel-khel mein usne kaante se unhein chhed diya. Vedna ki cheekh goonj uthi — usne rishi ko andha kar diya tha. Chyavan ka krodh bhayankar tha. Hil na sakne par bhi unki tapasya ki shakti phaili aur Sharyaati ke poore shivir ke shaareerik kaaryon ko rok diya: na koi manushya na koi pashu mal-mootra tyaag saka, aur sena badhti peeda se tadapne lagi. Jab Sharyaati ne iska kaaran apni putri ki sharaarat mein khoja, to ve kaanpte hue teele ke paas aaye aur kshama maangi.

Rishi ne apna moolya bataaya: rajkumari swayam, vivaah mein, unki seva aur dekhbhaal ke liye. Yah kathin sauda tha — ek yuva rajkumari ke liye ek vriddh, andha, achal tapasvi — par apni praja ki peeda ne Sharyaati ke paas koi vikalp na chhoda, aur apraadhbodh se vyathit Sukanya swayam praayashchit ke liye sahmat ho gayi. Vivaah sampann hua, sena ko raahat mili, aur Sukanya van mein rehne chali gayi, apne vriddh pati ki kabhi na dagmagaane wali bhakti se seva karti hui, unke kadamon ka maargdarshan karti, unhein bhojan karaati, aur apne bhaagya ki kabhi shikaayat na karti.

Ek din devtaon ke sundar judvaan vaidya Ashvineekumar rishi ke aashram mein aaye aur Sukanya ko sarovar mein snaan karte dekha. Uski sundarta se mugdh hokar unhone usse kaha ki sookhe hue vriddh rishi ko chhodkar unmein se ek ko pati bana le. Sukanya ne krodh se thukra diya aur Chyavan ko sab kuchh bata diya. Par rishi ne ismein avsar dekha. Unke kehne par Sukanya judvaan bhaaiyon ke paas prastaav lekar lauti: unke pati ka yauvan aur drishti lauta do, aur phir vah teenon mein se swatantra aur nishpaksh roop se chunegi.

Ashvineekumar sahmat hue. Ve Chyavan ko sarovar ke jal mein le gaye, jo aushadhiya jadi-bootiyon se samriddh tha, aur jab teenon baahar nikle, to sabhi roopaantarit the — teenon ek samaan divya saundarya wale deeptimaan yuva. Teenon mein se har ek aage badha aur Sukanya se use apna var chunne ko kaha. Ek dhadkan ke liye rajkumari kaanpi. Phir apne paativratya ki shakti se — kuchh kehte hain yah dekhkar ki kinki aankhein jhapakti hain, kyunki devta kabhi palak nahin jhapkaate — usne achook roop se apne sacche pati ko pehchaana aur Chyavan ke gale mein varmaala daal di.

Ashvineekumaron ke paas Chyavan ke vachan ko samast khazaanon se adhik moolyavaan maanne ka achchha kaaran tha. Divya vaidya hote hue bhi, adviteeya chikitsak hote hue bhi, Indra unhein tuchchh sevak maankar ghrina karte the. Unhone ghoshit kiya tha ki jo martyon se itni swatantrata se milte hain aur chikitsa ke gande kaam mein haath daalte hain, unhein devtaon ke shuddh som ka koi adhikaar nahin, aur unhone unhein har yagya se varjit kar diya tha. Unhone apna gupt gyaan bhay aur apmaan mein seekha tha, aur vah apmaan yugon se unke hriday mein jalta raha tha. Yadi Chyavan, bhayankar shakti wale brahman, khuli sabha mein unke liye paatra daalein, to koi devta unhein phir kabhi nakaar na sakega. Unke yauvan ki punahsthaapna isliye koi saadhaaran sauda na thi — yah do apmaanit devtaon ki hataash aasha thi, aur unhone apni samast divya kala upchaar mein udel di.

Kritagyata se bharkar Chyavan ne vaidyon ko amoolya uphaar se chukaane ka vrat liya. Ashvineekumar, divya hote hue bhi, Indra dwara maatra sevak maane jaate the aur yagyon mein arpit som ka koi bhaag unhein nahin milta tha. Chyavan ne unhein unka uchit bhaag dilaane ka vachan diya. Sheeghra hi, raja Sharyaati ke mahaan som-yagya mein purohit ke roop mein kaarya karte hue, unhone Ashvineekumaron ke liye pavitra paatra daala. Indra krodhit hokar rishi par prahaar ke liye vajra uthaaye — par Chyavan ne unki bhuja ko hava mein hi jad kar diya. Phir apni tapasya ki agni se rishi ne Mad naamak ek vikraal raakshas racha, nashe ka daanav jiske chaar bhayankar daant the, aur use Indra ko nigalne ke liye chhod diya. Bhaybheet hokar devtaon ke raja ne haar maan li, aur us din se Ashvineekumaron ko har yagya mein apna bhaag milne laga.

Sukanya ne Chyavan ko Pramati naamak putra diya, aur vaidyon ki jadi-booti chikitsa ne sansaar ko vah prasiddh rasaayan diya jo aaj bhi rishi ke naam se jaana jaata hai. Par kisi bhi aushadhi se badi vah shiksha thi jo rajkumari ne di: ki patni ki atal bhakti swarg ki ichchha ko bhi mod sakti hai, aur ki rishi ki kritagyata, ek baar vachanbaddh hone par, poori hoti hai chaahe swarg swayam baadha bane.