Jada Bharata

Bahut pehle Bharat bhoomi mein Bharat naam ka ek mahaan raja raajya karta tha, jiske naam par hi is bhoomi ka naam pada. Vah ek shaktishaali samraat aur satya ka samarpit saadhak tha, aur jab uske shaasan ka samay poorn hua, to vah apne antim varsh pavitra nadi ke tat par dhyaan mein bitaane van mein chala gaya. Vahaan ek din usne ek garbhavati hirni ko sher ki garjana se bhaybheet hokar nadi ke paar chhalaang lagaate dekha, aur bhay mein usne janm diya aur mar gayi. Navjaat mrigshaavak tat par asahaay pada tha, aur raja Bharat ka hriday karuna se pighal gaya. Usne nanhe praani ko ghar le jaakar apne haathon se khilaaya, aur apni hi santaan ki tarah paala. Parantu hiran mein usne jo prem udela, usne dheere-dheere uske man ko dhyaan se chura liya. Jab hiran van mein bhatakta, vah chintit hota; jab vah lautta, vah harshit hota. Mrityu aane par uske antim vichaar Ishwar ke nahin, apitu hiran ke the. Aur is niyam se ki mrityu ke samay man jis par tika ho, vahi ban jaata hai, mahaan raja Bharat ka punarjanm hiran ke roop mein hua. Phir bhi kyonki uski aadhyaatmik yogyata apaar thi, hiran ke shareer mein bhi use apne poorva janm ki smriti rahi. Vah anya hiranon se alag rehta, pavitra sthaanon ke paas charta, aur ant mein Ganga ke tat par markar ek baar phir manushya ke roop mein janma. Is baar vah ek vidvaan brahmin ke putra ke roop mein janma, aur uska naam phir Bharat rakha gaya, parantu usne nishchay kiya ki aasakti use doosri baar kabhi nahin fansaayegi. Bachpan se hi vah aisa vyavhaar karta maano behra, goonga aur mandbuddhi ho. Jo saamne rakha jaata vahi khaata, jo diya jaata vahi pehenta, apna kaam dheere aur laaparvaahi se karta, aur apne bheetar dahakte gyaan ka ek shabd bhi kabhi na bolta. Uske parivaar ne usse niraash hokar use jada kaha, mandbuddhi, moorkh, aur naam chipak gaya: Jada Bharata. Uske bhai use sevak ki tarah rakhte aur nikrishttam bhojan dete. Ek baar kuch daakuon ne devi Kali ko bali chadhaane ke liye use pakad bhi liya, parantu devi swayam apne bhakt ke apmaan par kruddh hokar daakuon ka naash kar use mukt kar gayin. Jada Bharata keval muskuraaye aur aage badh gaye, khatre se utne hi achoote jitne prashansa se. Ek din Sindhu ke raja Rahugana ke paalki dhone waalon mein ek manushya kam pada, aur raja ke sevakon ne hrisht-pusht dikhte Jada Bharata ko pakadkar shaahi paalki dhone par vivash kiya. Chalte hue Jada Bharata apni drishti dharti par rakhte, aur har pag par apne maarg ki cheentiyon ko kuchalne se bachne ke liye halka uchhalte. Paalki hilti-dulti, aur raja Rahugana chidhkar dhone waalon par chillaaye aur naye dhone waale ki anaadipan ka uphaas kiya. Tab unhone poochha ki yah moorkh kaun hai. Jada Bharata ne paalki rakh di aur varshon mein pehli baar bole, aur unke honthon se moorkh ki haklaahat nahin, apitu uchchatam darshan ki baadh nikli. Unhone raja se kaha ki jo shareer paalki dhota prateet hota hai vah keval mitti ka pind hai, ki bheetar ki aatma na dho sakti hai na dhoi ja sakti hai, ki bhookh, pyaas, motaapa, dublaapan aur thakaan shareer ke hain aur aatma ko kabhi nahin chhoote. Unhone samjhaaya ki swaami aur sevak, raja aur dhone waale ke vichaar man ke swapna hain, aur gyaani sabhi praaniyon mein usi divya aatma ko dekhte hain. Raja Rahugana badhte aashcharya aur phir gehri lajja se sunte rahe. Ve paalki se utre, Jada Bharata ke charnon mein gire, aur apne ahankaar ke liye kshama maangi. Tab unhone ve prashna poochhe jo varshon se unke hriday ko vyathit karte the: aatma kya hai, bandhan kya hai, moksha kya hai? Jada Bharata ne itne gahan uttar diye ki ve aaj bhi Bhagavata Purana mein surakshit hain, samjhaate hue ki shareer aur uske sambandhon ki aasakti aatma ko baandhti hai, aur gyaaniyon ki sangati va Ishwar ki bhakti un bandhanon ko talvaar ki tarah kaat-ti hai. Raja ka abhimaan dhoop mein kohre ki tarah pighal gaya, aur ve satya ke vinamra saadhak ban gaye. Jahaan tak Jada Bharata ki baat hai, ve utni hi shaanti se apne maarg chale gaye jitni shaanti se aaye the, is jeevant pramaan ke roop mein ki sacche gyaan ko na vastra chaahiye, na upaadhi, na maanyata, aur maarg ke sabse mand dikhte bhikhaari ke bheetar bhi ujjvaltam prakaash ho sakta hai.