Ganga's Descent — The River from Heaven

Ek nadi aakaash se giri thi. Aur use neeche laane waala tha ek rajkumar — apne kandhon par saath hazaar poorvajon ka bojh liye hue.

Ayodhya ke Raja Sagar Ashwamedha yagna kar rahe the — woh mahaan ashva-yagya jo raja ki sarvochchata ki ghoshna karta hai. Lekin Sagar ki badhti taakat se irshya karke Indra ne yagya ka ghoda chura liya. Use Rishi Kapila ke aashram mein chhupa diya — jo paas hi gehre dhyaan mein baithe the. Sagar ne ghoda dhoondhne apne saath hazaar beton ko bheja.

Rajkumaron ne khoj mein poori dharti khod daali. (Isiliye unke banaaye gaddhe ko Sagar kehte hain — samudra.) Aakhir mein unhe ghoda mila — dhyaan-magn rishi ke paas shaanti se charte hue. Moorkhta mein unhone Kapila par chori ka aarop lagaya. Unke dhyaan mein khalal daala — chillate hue, hathiyaar lehraate hue. Kapila ne aankhein kholi. Aur unki yog-agni ki ek nazar ne saath hazaar rajkumaron ko raakh ke dher mein badal diya.

Keval Amshumaan bacha — jo vinamrata se aaya tha. Usne raakh dekhi. Kapila se poorvajon ki mukti ka upaay poocha. Kapila ne kaha — 'Inki mukti tabhi hogi jab swarg ki Ganga apne jal se inki bhasm ko chhuyegi.' Amshumaan ne jeevan bhar prayas kiya. Uske bete Dileepa ne bhi. Lekin Ganga ko dharti par laana kisi ke bas ki baat nahi thi. Aakhir mein Dileepa ke bete Bhagiratha ne yeh sankalp apne haathon mein liya.

Bhagiratha ne itni kathor tapasya ki ki swarg hil gaya. Woh saalon tak ek pair par khada raha. Kuch khaaye bina. Sirf Brahma ki prarthana karte hue. Aakhir mein Brahma prakat hue. Vardaan diya — Ganga dharti par utregi. Lekin ek samasya thi. Ganga ghamandi thi. Usne chetaaya — 'Mera girna dharti ko hi cheer dega.' Aur uske man mein tha — dekhte hain tumhaare Shiv mujhe kaise thaamte hain! Bhagiratha ne phir Shiv ki prarthana ki. Jo uske veg ko rokne ke liye maan gaye.

Jab Ganga swarg se koodi — garajti, hansti hui — to Shiv shaanti se uske neeche khade hue. Poori nadi ko apni jataon mein samet liya. Woh unke baalon mein gayab ho gayi. Ganga ne garv se socha tha ki woh Shiv ko baha le jaayegi — lekin woh unke keshon ke anant jaal mein ulajh kar reh gayi. Ek boond bhi neeche na gir saki. Bhagiratha ko use baahar nikaalne ke liye phir prarthana karni padi! Shiv ne apni jataon ko dheela kiya. Ganga ek komal dhaar mein mukta hui — Himalaya se saat dhaaraon mein behne lagi. Ek dhaara Bhagiratha ke rath ke peeche-peeche maidaanon mein behne lagi.

Raaste mein nadi ne Rishi Jahnu ke aashram mein baadh laa di. Jinhone gusse mein poori Ganga ko ek ghoont mein pee liya! Bhagiratha ne vinati ki. Jahnu ne use apne kaan se chhod diya. Isiliye Ganga ko Jahnavi bhi kehte hain — Jahnu ki beti.

Aakhir mein nadi Sagar ke beton ki raakh tak pahunchi. Jaise hi uska jal unhe chhua — saath hazaar aatmayein swarg ko uth gayi. Mukta hokar.

Jis sthaan par Ganga samudra se mili, wahaan aaj Sagar Island hai — jahan har saal Makar Sankranti par Gangasagar mela lagta hai. Ganga ko Tripathaga bhi kehte hain — teenon lokon mein behti hain. Swarg mein Mandakini. Dharti par Bhagirathi. Pataal mein Bhogavati. Kehte hain, Ganga dharti par Jyeshtha maah ki Dashami ko utri thi — isiliye Ganga Dussehra ka parv aaj bhi usi din manaaya jaata hai.

Bhagiratha ki katha sankalp ka mahaan paath hai. Usne apne poorvajon ko hathiyaaron se mukta nahi karaaya. Dhan se nahi. Us dhairya se karaaya jo peedhiyon tak tika raha. Jab lakshya pavitra ho — swayam brahmaand madad ke liye jhuk jaata hai.

Bhagiratha ki tapasya ko zara mehsoos karo — saalon tak ek pair par khada ek rajkumar. Dhoop mein jalta, baarish mein bheegta, sardiyon mein kaanpta. Kuch khaaye bina. Bas ek hi dhun — mere poorvajon ko mukti mile. Kehte hain, uski tapasya ki aag se swarg ka sinhaasan dagmagaane laga tha. Brahma ko aana hi pada.

Aur Ganga? Woh to ghamand mein aayi thi — 'dekhte hain, Shiv mujhe kaise thaamte hain.' Lekin Shiv ki jataon mein ulajh kar uska saara ghamand dhul gaya. Baahar nikli to komal dhaar ban kar. Kehte hain — bade ke saamne jhukna, chhota hona nahi hota.