Ekalavya ka Angootha

Madhya Bharat ke vanon mein Nishaad rehte the, ek janjaatiya log jo shikaari aur van rakshak ka kaarya karte the. Unke pramukh Hiranyadhanu the, aur unke putr Ekalavya ek hi ichchha se jalte the, sansaar ke sabse bade dhanurdhar banne ki. Van tak bhi samachar pahuncha tha ki Hastinapur ke rajkumar mahaan Aachaarya Dron se dhanurvidya seekh rahe hain, jo jeevit sabse bade astra guru the. Ekalavya ka hriday jal utha. Vah apna ghar chhodkar Hastinapur gaye, Dron ka shishya banne ka nishchay karke. Jab vah mahaan aachaarya ke saamne khade hue aur shishya ke roop mein sveekaar karne ko kaha, to Dron ne janjaatiya baalak ko dekha aur mana kar diya. Dron raajguru the, keval rajkumaron ko padhaane ke liye bandhe the, aur unhe jaati aur darbaar ki raajneeti ka bhay tha. Unhone Ekalavya se mriduta lekin dridhata se kaha ki vah use shishya nahin bana sakte. Ekalavya bina virodh ke ek shabd kahe pranaam karke chale gaye. Lekin unka sankalp nahin toota. Yadi guru unhe saakshaat nahin padhaayenge, to vah guru ki aatma se seekhenge. Ghane van mein Ekalavya ne ek chhota mandir banaaya aur usmein Dron ki mitti ki moorti sthaapit ki, apne haathon se banaayi hui. Us maun pratima ke saamne unhone apna prashikshan shuru kiya. Har bhor vah uthte aur moorti ki guru ke roop mein pooja karte, aur phir abhyaas karte. Vah pedon se latke lakshyon par, hilti pattiyon par, andekhe pashuon ki aawaazon par baan chalaate. Vah garmi aur varsha mein, bhookh aur thakaan mein prashikshan lete, ek aisi bhakti se prerit jise koi paathshaala sama nahin sakti thi. Van hi unka guru ban gaya, aur mitti ke Dron unke saakshi. Varsh beete, aur Ekalavya ka kaushal Hastinapur ke rajkumaron ki upalabdhi se aage badh gaya. Unke baan achook chalte, unki pratyanchha bijli jaisi tez thi, aur vah keval dhvani se bhi nishaana laga sakte the. Ek din rajkumar apne kutton ke saath usi van mein shikaar karne aaye. Ek kutta Ekalavya ke maidaan ke paas bhatak gaya aur us par bhaunkne laga. Apna abhyaas roke bina Ekalavya ne ek hi saans mein saat baan chhode, kutte ka munh itni sateekta se bhar diya ki vah na bhaunk saka na ghaayal hua. Kutta rajkumaron ke paas dauda, uska munh baanon se bhara, akshat aur maun. Rajkumar aashcharya se dekhte reh gaye. Yah kaun dhanurdhar tha jiska kaushal Arjun se bhi badh gaya tha, jo Dron ke vidyaalaya ka gaurav tha? Vah kutte ke padchihnon par chale aur Ekalavya ko paaya, saanvla aur dubla, Dron ki mitti ki pratima ke saamne abhyaas karta hua. Unhone usse poocha ki vah kaun hai aur use kisne sikhaaya hai. Ekalavya ne garv aur vinamrata ke saath uttar diya ki vah Ekalavya hai, Hiranyadhanu ka putr, aur uske guru swayam Dron hain, jinki moorti unke saamne khadi hai. Rajkumar chintit hokar Hastinapur laute, aur sabse adhik Arjun. Dron ne Arjun se vachan diya tha ki vah use sansaar ka sabse bada dhanurdhar banaayenge, jiska koi pratidvandvi na ho. Ab van ka ek janjaatiya baalak usse aage nikal gaya tha. Arjun Dron ke paas gaye aur unhe apne vachan ki yaad dilaayi, unki aawaaz eershya aur aahat bhaav se bhaari thi. Dron lambe kshan tak maun rahe. Phir vah Arjun ko is adbhut pratibha ko swayam dekhne ke liye van mein le gaye. Jab Ekalavya ne Dron ko aate dekha, to uska aanand aseem tha. Vah daudkar aage badhe aur aachaarya ke charnon mein gir pade, sachche arthon mein unki guru ke roop mein pooja karte hue. Dron ne us baalak ko dekha jisne moorti se sab kuchh seekha tha, aur unka hriday prashansa aur Arjun ko diye vachan ke beech phat gaya. Tab unhone bhaagya nirnaayak shabd kahe. Unhone kaha ki yadi Ekalavya sach mein unhe apna guru maanta hai, to use vah paaramparik shulk dena hoga jo shishya apne guru ko deta hai. Ekalavya aanand se tejasvi hokar bole ki vah kuchh bhi denge, maangne par apna jeevan bhi. Dron ne uska daayaan angootha maanga. Van ne jaise saans rok li. Ek kshan ki hichkichaahat ke bina, sandeh ya rosh ki ek jhalak ke bina, Ekalavya ne apna chaaku nikaala, apna daayaan angootha kaata, aur use raktaranjit Dron ke charnon mein rakh diya. Vah phir se pranaam karke shaant aur muskuraate hue khade hue, apna rin poorn chuka chuke the. Dron aur Arjun maun mein chale gaye. Ekalavya ne apna ghaav baandha aur apni shesh ungliyon se baan chalaana seekhte hue abhyaas par laut aaye. Haalaanki unki gati kam ho gayi thi, itihaas ke sabse samarpit shishya ke roop mein unki prasiddhi teenon lokon mein phail gayi, aur jab bhi sachchi shiksha ki keemat ki baat hoti hai to unke balidaan ko yaad kiya jaata hai.