Harishchandra ka Satya

Ayodhya ke raja Harishchandra, Suryavansh ke, teenon lokon mein sabse adhik ek baat ke liye prasiddh the: ve kabhi jhooth nahin bolte the, aur kabhi vachan nahin todte the. Unki raani Taramati aur nanha putra Rohitashva sangeet aur samriddhi se bhare mehal mein unke saath rehte the, aur Ayodhya ki praja unhein satya ka hi moort roop kehti thi. Swarg mein rishi Vishvamitra ne yah prashansa suni aur nishchay kiya ki pareeksha lenge ki kya kisi martya ka satya sachmuch adig ho sakta hai. Pareeksha us din aarambh hui jab Harishchandra van mein shikaar kar rahe the. Unhone ek stri ki sahaayata ke liye pukaar suni, aur dhvani ki ore daudte hue paaya ki vah pukaar Vishvamitra dwara unhein krodh mein fansaane ke liye rachi gayi andhakaarmay shaktiyon se aayi thi. Chhal par krodh mein Harishchandra ne kathor vachan kahe, aur Vishvamitra unke saamne prakat hokar bole ki apmaan ke liye raja unka guru-dakshina ka rini hai. Harishchandra, apne vachan ke sada sacche, ne poochha ki kya maanga jaata hai. Vishvamitra ne vah samast prithvi maangi jis par Harishchandra shaasan karte the, samast dhan, apne shareer, patni aur putra tatha unke tan ke vastron ko chhodkar sab kuch. Ek kshan ki hichkichaahat ke bina Harishchandra ne sab daan kar diya. Ve ab raja na rahe, parivaar sahit bhikhaari ban gaye, phir bhi rishi ke saamne nat rahe. Parantu Vishvamitra abhi santusht na the. Unhone us yagya ki dakshina maangi jo unke kathanaa-nusaar abhi bakaaya thi, aur Harishchandra ne ek maah mein chukaane ka vachan diya. Dhan kamaane ke liye raja ne apni priya raani Taramati ko ek brahmin parivaar mein daasi banaakar bech diya, aur nanhe putra ko bhi usi ke saath bech diya taaki baalak maata se na bichhde. Tab swayam ko chhodkar bechne ko kuch na bacha, to Harishchandra ne swayam ko shmashaan ke rakhwaale, ek chandaal ke haathon bech diya, mritakon ka shulk vasoolne waale uske sahaayak ke roop mein seva karne ke liye. Sochiye: jis raja ne prithvi daan kar di thi, vah ab kuch sikkon ke liye shav dhota tha, phir bhi na jhooth bolta, na vachan todta. Ayodhya ki praja apne priya raja ko is dasha mein dekhkar roti thi, parantu rishi ke vidhaan ke viruddh koi na jaata, aur Harishchandra swayam kisi ki sahaayata sweekaar na karte, kehte ki diya gaya vachan poorn chukaana hi hoga. Maah samaapt hua, aur Vishvamitra vasooli ke liye aaye. Harishchandra ne kamaaya hua har sikka chuka diya, yadyapi isse unke paas kuch na bacha. Rishi, phir bhi asantusht, aur adhik ke liye dabaav daalte rahe, aur patit raja maun khada raha, sab kuch de chuka tha. Tab sabse kroor aaghaat hua. Ek din apne swaami ke udyaan mein phool chunte hue nanha Rohitashva sarp-dansh se apni maata ki god mein mar gaya. Taramati, shok se vihval, apne putra ke nanhe shareer ko aadhi raat mein shmashaan le gayi. Uske paas daah-sanskaar ke shulk ke liye dhan na tha, aur usne rakhwaale ke sahaayak se apne baalak ka daah karne ki bheekh maangi. Harishchandra ne ghoonghat waali stri aur mrit baalak ko dekha, aur unka hriday toot gaya, parantu kartavya ne unhein lohe ki tarah jakad rakha tha. Ve shulk ke bina sanskaar nahin kar sakte the, kyonki unhone swaami ki aagya-paalan ki shapath li thi. Tab Taramati ne apni bachi hui ekmaatra vastu arpit ki: apne hi shareer se faadi hui saadi ka aadha bhaag, bhugtaan ke roop mein. Jaise hi Harishchandra ne use lene ke liye haath badhaaya, devta swayam ise aur sah na sake. Vishvamitra aage aaye aur prakat kiya ki samast kasht unki pareeksha thi, aur raja usmein apaar safal hue the. Usi kshan swarg khul gaya. Swayam Bhagwan Vishnu prakat hue, deeptimaan, aur ek sparsh se Rohitashva ko jeevit kar diya. Devtaon ne phool barsaaye, aur Harishchandra, Taramati tatha unke putra ko mahima sahit swarg le jaaya gaya. Phir bhi tab bhi raja ki satyanishtha ek antim baar prakat hui: unhone swarg mein pravesh se inkaar kar diya jab tak unki nishthaavaan praja, jisne unke saath kasht sahe the, neeche rahi. Tab avarnaniya roop se dravit devtaon ne samast Ayodhya nagari ko unke saath utha liya. Aaj bhi jab log kabhi na tootne waale vachan ki baat karte hain, to Harishchandra ka naam lete hain, us raja ka jisne raajya, raani, putra aur apni swatantrata tak kho di, phir bhi jhooth na bola.