Gargi ka Yajnavalkya se shaastraarth: Rishi se prashna karne waali stri

Praacheen Videha raajya mein Janaka naam ke raja raajya karte the, jo keval samraat hi nahin, apitu gyaan ke mahaan premi the. Ve jaanna chaahte the ki unke yug ke rishiyon mein Brahman, param vaastavikta ke gyaan mein sarvaadhik vidvaan kaun hai. Atah unhone apne darbaar mein ek mahaan shaastraarth, Brahmodya aayojit kiya, aur shreshth manon ko aakarshit hetu unhone bhavya prastaav rakha: hazaar gaayein, pratyek ke seengon par sone ke das tukde bandhe, us rishi ko milengi jo sarvaadhik vidvaan siddh hoga. Yug ke mahaantam vidvaan desh ke har kone se ekatra hue, unki shvet daadhiyaan aur yagyopaveet unhein vedon ke aachaarya bataate hue. Darbaar deepon se damka aur vidvat charcha se goonja, kyonki itna gyaan ek chhat ke neeche kabhi ekatra na hua tha. Aur unmein prasiddh rishi Yajnavalkya the, apne samay ke sarvaadhik prakhar aur sarvaadhik bhayaavah shaastraarthi. Shaastraarth aarambh hone se pehle hi Yajnavalkya ne shaantipoorvak apne shishya ko hazaar gaayein apne ghar haank le jaane ka aadesh diya, swayam ko sarvaadhik vidvaan ghoshit karte hue. Ekatra rishi unke saahas par kruddh hue, aur ek-ek karke ve prashnon se unhein chunauti dene uthe. Yajnavalkya ne ek-ek karke sabhi ko uttar diya, har chunautidaata ko paraajit kiya, jab tak sabha maun na hui. Tab sabha se ek stri uthi. Uska naam Gargi tha, rishi Vachaknu ki putri, aur vah swayam yug ki sarvaadhik vidushi vidvaanon mein ek thi, ek Brahmavaadini, param tatva ke gyaan mein leen stri. Usne baalyakaal se shaastron ka adhyayan kiya tha, vah seekha tha jo kam purush prayaas karte the, aur uski nirbheek jigyaasa ki khyaati Videha se door tak phaili thi. Us yug mein jab kam striyaan aise shaastraarthon mein pravesh karti thin, Gargi nidar khadi hui aur Yajnavalkya ko sambodhit kiya. He Yajnavalkya, usne kaha, main tumse do prashna poochhoongi, aur yadi tum uttar na de sake, to tumhein paraajay sweekaarni hogi. Poochho, rishi ne kaha. Tab Gargi ne apna pratham prashna rakha, apna prasiddh roopak bunte hue: jo swarg ke oopar aur prithvi ke neeche hai, jo swarg aur prithvi ke beech hai, jo tha, hai, aur hoga, yah sab kis par buna hai, taana-baana, jaise karghe par vastra? Yajnavalkya ne uttar diya: aakaash par, yah sab aakaash par buna hai. Gargi ne unke uttar ko naman kiya, kyonki vah sahi tha, aur sabha prashansa mein goonji. Parantu vah samaapt na hui thi. Vah doosri baar uthi, aur is baar usne aur gahan prashna kiya. To phir, usne poochha, aakaash swayam kis par buna hai, taana-baana? Sabha ne saans roki, kyonki yah param prashna tha, vah prashna jo astitva ki jad tak bhedta hai. Yajnavalkya ne aise shabdon mein uttar diya jo teen hazaar varshon ke darshan mein goonj rahe hain. Aakaash, unhone kaha, akshar par buna hai, us Brahman par jo kabhi kshay nahin hota. Unhone uska varnan kiya: vah na sthool hai, na sookshm, na hrasva, na deergh, chhaaya rahit aur andhkaar rahit, bheetar rahit aur baahar rahit; vah kuch nahin khaata aur use kuch nahin khaata. Vah adrisht drashta hai, ashrut shrota, avichaarit chintak. Uski aagya se surya aur chandra apni gati dhaaran karte hain, rituein badalti hain, aur nadiyaan behti hain. Gargi ne suna, aur vah jaan gayi ki use saccha uttar mila tha. Vah stabdh maun baithe ekatra rishiyon ki or mudi aur durlabh udaarata ke shabda bole: poojya braahmano, usne kaha, tum swayam ko bhaagyashaali samjho yadi tum keval naman karke uske haathon paraajay se bach jaao. Tummein koi bhi Brahman ke swaroop par shaastraarth mein use kabhi paraajit na kar sakega. Yah kehkar vah baith gayi, vijay ko shaaleenta se sweekaar karte hue. Parantu uski sweekriti swayam ek vijay thi, kyonki usne samast sabha ke do gahantam prashna poochhe the, aur Yajnavalkya se us din ka sarvaadhik gahan updesh nikalvaaya tha. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad uske prashnon ko sada hetu surakshit rakhta hai, aur Gargi praacheen Bharat ki mahaantam daarshanikon mein ek ke roop mein sammaanit hain, pramaan ki satya ki khoj ling ya pad ki koi seema nahin jaanti. Aaj bhi, teen hazaar varshon baad, darshan ke vidyaarthi param ke adhyayan ka aarambh uske do prashnon se karte hain, aur jahaan bhi gyaan prem kiya jaata hai vahaan uska naam shraddha se liya jaata hai. Uski katha sikhaati hai ki saccha gyaan prashnon se nahin darta apitu unka swaagat karta hai, ki gahantam satya nirbheek jigyaasaon se nikalte hain, aur param ki khoj mein ek nidar stri kisi bhi rishi ke samkaksh khadi hoti hai.