Kurukshetra ke maidaan ke sabhi shokaakulon mein Gandhari jaisa shok kisi ne na kiya. Ve sabse udaatt raaniyon mein thin: vivaah ke din, yah jaankar ki unke pati Dhritarashtra andhe hain, unhone apni aankhon par patti baandh li thi aur phir kabhi sansaar na dekha, premvash unka andhakaar baantte hue. Varshon tak unhone apne sau putron se shaanti ki vinati ki thi, aur jab bhi Duryodhan vijay ka aashirvaad maangta, ve keval uttar detin, "Vijay dharm ke paksh ki ho." Ve adharm ko kabhi aashirvaad na detin — par apne putron se maata ke aseem prem se prem karti thin, aur ab sau ke sau mrit pade the.
Yuddh samaapt hone par Krishna shok-santapt maata-pita ko saantvana dene aaye. Par Gandhari ka shok krodh mein badal chuka tha. Svaichchhik andhatva ke varshon ne unki aankhon mein bhayankar shakti sanchit kar di thi, aajeevan tapasya ka tej. Jab Paandav unke saamne jhuke, to unhone patti ka kinaara angul bhar uthaaya aur apni drishti Yudhishthir ke pair ke angoothe par daali — aur maans kaala padkar jhulas gaya maano agni se. Isse adhik karne se pehle unhone swayam ko sanbhaala, par phir ve Krishna par toot padeen.
"Tum!" ve chillain. "Tum jiski Bhagwan ke roop mein pooja hoti hai, tum jisne Paandavon ka maargdarshan kiya aur is yuddh ki har chaal jaani — tum ise rok sakte the. Ek shabd se tum sanhaar rok sakte the. Par tumne hone diya. Tumne mere putron ko marte dekha, aur Kunti ke putron ko, aur poori peedhi ko dhool mein milte dekha." Unki vaani se sabha kaanp uthi. "Mera shaap suno, Krishna. Jaise mera ghar meri aankhon ke saamne nasht hua, vaise hi tumhaara hoga. Ab se chhattees varsh baad tumhaare apne bandhu, Yadav, aapsi ghrina mein ek-doosre par toot padenge aur nasht honge. Tumhaara nagar soona hoga, tumhaari striyaan vaise hi royengi jaise main roti hoon, aur tum swayam van mein akele maroge, saamaanya pashu ki tarah maare jaakar."
Sabha ne saans rok li. Par Krishna ne keval haath jode aur sir jhukaaya. "Tathaastu," unhone shaantipoorvak kaha. "Aisa hi ho." Unhone tark na kiya, apna bachaav na kiya. Unhone komalta se kaha ki Yadav abhimaani aur uchchhrinkhal ho gaye the, shakti ke mad mein choor, aur unka samay pehle se hi nikat tha; maata ke dhaarmik shok se janma unka shaap keval bhaagya ke likhe ko aakaar deta tha. Unhone dikhaaya ki divyata bhi kaarya-kaaran ke niyam ko nahin palatti.
Chhattees varshon tak shaanti bani rahi. Phir chakra ghooma, theek jaisa kaha gaya tha. Prabhaas mein, samudra ke kinaare, Yadav sardaar utsav ke liye ekatra hue aur khoob madira pi. Puraane apmaan vivaadon mein bhadke, aur vivaad prahaaron mein. Bahut pehle Krishna ke putra Saamb ne garbhavati stree ka vesh dharkar aaye rishiyon ka uphaas kiya tha; krodhit rishiyon ne use shaap diya tha ki vah ek lohe ka moosal janega jo uske kul ka naash karega. Moosal ko peeskar choorn banaakar samudra mein phenk diya gaya tha — par choorn kinaare behkar aaya aur lohe jaisi kathor sarkandon ka van ug aaya. Ab, madira se unmatt Yadavon ne unhin sarkandon ko uthaaya aur ek-doosre ko maar daala, bhaai ne bhaai ko, pita ne putra ko, jab tak kul ke phool ret par mrit na pade rahe.
Krishna ke bade bhaai Balram samudra mein utre aur yog se shareer tyaag diya; unke mukh se ek vishaal shvet sarp nikalkar saagar mein vileen hota dekha gaya. Krishna swayam van mein chale gaye aur vriksh ke neeche dhyaan mein baith gaye, unka pair unki jaangh par tika tha. Jara naamak shikaari ne us pair ke talve ko hiran ka kaan samajhkar baan chhod diya. Jab usne dekha ki usne kise maara hai, to Jara ro pada — par Krishna ne use saantvana di, kaha ki shikaari keval bhaagya ka saadhan tha, jaise ve swayam kabhi Vaali ka vadh karne wale saadhan the. Phir prabhu aarohan kar gaye, aur saat din baad samudra utha aur Dwarka ko poora nigal gaya.
Gandhari ka shaap poorn hua. Sau putron ko khone wali maata boli thi, aur samay swayam ne aagya maani thi — ek bhayankar smaran ki aajeevan tapasya aur toote hriday se aaveshit shabd kabhi vyarth nahin hote, aur ki maanav roop mein vicharte Bhagwan bhi maata ke shok ka sammaan karte hain.
Is katha ke paatra
- Gandhari
- Krishna
- Dhritarashtra
- Yudhishthira
- Balarama
- Samba
- Jara
