Draupadi ka Swayamvar

Paanchaal ke raja Drupad ne Dron ke haathon katu apmaan saha tha, aur vah Hastinapur ke ahankaar ko neecha dikhaane ka maarg chaahte the. Unhone badle ki ichchha poorn karne wali santaan prapt karne ke liye ek mahaan agni yagya kiya. Yagya ki jwalaon se do chamatkaari santaanen prakat huin, Dhrishtadyumna naam ka ek putr, jiska bhaagya Dron ka vadh karna tha, aur gehre tejasvi saundarya wali ek putri jiska naam Draupadi tha, jise uske saanvle rang ke kaaran Krishnaa bhi kaha jaata tha. Draupadi asadharan buddhi, tej aur anugrah wali mahila baneen, aur unki prasiddhi samast rajyon mein phail gayi. Jab vah vivaah yogya huin, to Drupad ne ek swayamvar ki ghoshna ki jo yug ke mahaanatam yoddhaon ki pareeksha lega. Vishaal sabhagaar mein unhone ek durjeya chunauti rakhi. Oopar oonchaayi par machhli ke aakaar ka ek ghoomta lakshya latka tha, aur uske neeche jal ka ek paatra rakha tha. Ummeedvaar ko keval jal ke pratibimb mein dekhna tha, ek vishaal dhanush uthaana tha jise kuchh hi utha sakte the, aur ghoomti machhli ki aankh mein baan maarna tha. Drupad ne yah pareeksha ek gupt aasha se rachi thi, ki mahaan Paandav dhanurdhar Arjun unki putri jeetenge, kyonki unhone suna tha ki Paandav Vaarnaavat ki aag mein nasht ho gaye hain aur vah unke pratidvandviyon se sandhi karna chaahte the. Lekin bhaagya ki anya yojnaayein thin. Paandav nasht nahin hue the. Vah jalte mahal se bach nikle the aur apni maata Kunti ke saath Brahmanon ke vesh mein desh mein bhatak rahe the. Swayamvar ke baare mein sunkar ve Drupad ki raajdhaani gaye, rajaon ki mahaan sabha dekhne ki aasha mein. Sabhaagaar rajaon aur yoddhaon se bhara tha, ratnon aur ahankaar se chamakta hua. Unmein Angraaj Karna, Duryodhan aur uske bhai, Shalya aur kai anya mahaan naam baithe the. Krishna swayam upasthit the, gehri ruchi se dekh rahe the, kyonki vah chhadmaveshi Paandavon ko pehle se jaante the. Ek-ek karke rajaon ne pareeksha ka prayaas kiya. Mahadhanush ne sabhi ko paraajit kiya. Kuchh use utha nahin sake, kuchh use chadha nahin sake, aur jo nishaana laga sake ve pratibimb se ghoomte lakshya ko bedh nahin sake. Sabhaagaar hataasha aur lajja se goonj utha. Tab Karna uthe, aur sannaata chha gaya. Unhone sahajta se dhanush uthaaya aur ek hi gati mein chadha diya, aur sabha ne saans rok li. Lekin usi kshan Draupadi boleen, unki aawaaz spasht aur dridh thi. Unhone ghoshna ki ki vah sootputr se vivaah nahin karengi, rathvaan ke putr se, kyonki vah rajkumari hain aur keval rajsi vansh se vivaah karengi. Karna ka chehra apmaan se jal utha. Unhone dhanush neeche rakha aur maun mein apne aasan par laut gaye, apmaan kisi bhi baan se gehra kaat raha tha. Draupadi ka ahankaar nyaaysangat tha ya kroor, is par aaj bhi behas hoti hai, lekin isne itihaas ki dhaara badal di. Rajaon ke viphal hone ke baad, saadhaaran darshakon mein se ek yuva Brahman utha. Vah lamba aur tejasvi tha, apne saadhaaran vastron ke neeche yoddha ke bhaav wala. Vah chhadmavesh mein Arjun tha. Brahmanon ne apne saathi ka jayghosh kiya, jabki raja ek bhikshuk purohit ki dhrishtata par hanse jo vah karne ka prayaas kar raha tha jo raja nahin kar sake the. Arjun shaant bhaav se dhanush ke paas gaye, use khilaune ki tarah uthaaya, chadhaaya aur baan rakha. Keval jal ke pratibimb ko dekhte hue unhone chhoda. Baan oopar chamka aur machhli ki aankh bedh gaya, aur lakshya ludhakta hua neeche aaya. Sabhaagaar mein harsh chha gaya. Swarg se phool barse, nagaade baje, aur Draupadi ne aanand se tejasvi hokar Brahman ke gale mein varmala daal di. Lekin raja krodhit the. Unhe apmaan mahsoos hua ki ek saadhaaran Brahman ne rajkumari jeet li hai, aur ve aakraman ke liye uthe. Sabhaagaar mein mahaan yuddh chhid gaya. Bheem ne ek ped ukhaada aur toofaan ki tarah lade, jabki Arjun ke baanon ne mahaanatam yoddhaon ko roke rakha, jinmein swayam Karna bhi the, jo Brahman ke kaushal par aashcharyachakit the. Ant mein raja hat gaye, vismit aur hatprabh. Paandav Draupadi ke saath apne vinamra nivaas laute, aur utsaah mein Kunti ko pukaara ki vah bhiksha laaye hain. Bina oopar dekhe Kunti ne kaha, jo bhi hai, aapas mein baraabar baant lo. Unke nirdosh bhaav se kahe gaye shabd wapas nahin liye ja sakte the, aur rishiyon ne ghoshna ki ki Draupadi ka bhaagya paanchon bhaiyon ki patni banana hai. Krishna ne sangh ko aashirvaad dene aaye, apne priya mitron ko pehchaante hue, aur Drupad ne aanand se jaana ki unki putri ne aakhirkaar Paandavon se hi vivaah kiya hai. Swayamvar ne Drupad ko wahi diya tha jo vah gupt roop se chaahte the, Paandavon ke saath bandhan, haalaanki un maargon se jo unki kalpana se bhi vichitra the.