Jatayu ka Antim Yuddh

Panchvati ke van ke oopar oonchaayi par Ravan ka swarn udan rath aakaash mein garaj raha tha, bandi Sita ko Lanka ki or le jaate hue. Rakshasraaj ki vijayi hansi ke beech Sita ki sahaayta ki pukaar baadalon mein goonj rahi thi. Lekin unki pukaar ek aise hriday ne suni jo use ansuna nahin kar sakta tha. Neeche chattaani parvat shikhar par Jatayu baitha tha, boodha gridhraaj, uske vishaal pankh simte hue, uski tez aankhen aakaash dekh rahi thin. Jatayu koi saadhaaran pakshi nahin tha. Vah Soorya dev ke saarthi Arun ka putr tha, aur apni yuvaavastha mein vah aakaash ka paraakrami yoddha tha. Isse bhi badhkar, vah Ayodhya ke raja Dasharath ka puraana aur priya mitra tha. Bahut pehle dono ne devtaon ke yuddhon mein kandhe se kandha milaakar ladaayi ladi thi, aur Dasharath ne gridhraaj ko bhai ke roop mein sammaanit kiya tha. Jab Ram vanvaas gaye, to Dasharath ne Jatayu se van mein apne putr ki raksha karne ko kaha tha, aur boodhe pakshi ne rajkumaron ki raksha ki gambheer pratigya ki thi. Ab apne parvat par vishraam karte hue Jatayu ne ek stree ki cheekhen suneen aur swarn rath ko chamakte hue guzarte dekha. Usne das mukhon wale rakshas ko unhe ghaseetate dekha, aur uska praacheen rakt krodh se ubal pada. Haalaanki uski shakti bahut pehle ksheen ho chuki thi aur uske pankh umr se safed ho gaye the, Jatayu apni aankhon ke saamne ek stree ka apaharan hote hue khada nahin dekh sakta tha. Sammaan aur Dasharath ko diya gaya vachan maang karte the ki vah lade. Uske vishaal pankhon ne baadalon ko peeta jab vah rath se bhidne ke liye oopar utha, aur ek kshan ke liye vah phir se yuva ho gaya, aakaash ka aatank. Vah Ravan ke rath par vajr ki tarah toot pada. Apni ustre jaisi tez chonch se usne rakshasraaj ki bhujaon ko nocha, aur apne panjon se rath ke swarn alankaran cheer daale. Usne rath ka jua tod diya, uske pahiye tod diye aur har disha mein chheente uda diye. Lekin Jatayu dhaarmikta ke krodh se lada. Usne Ravan ko baar-baar ghaayal kiya, rakshas ka rakt bahaaya, aur Sita ne aasha se bharkar dekha. Bahut der tak aakaash mein yuddh chalta raha, aur devta swayam boodhe pakshi ke saahas ko aashcharya se dekhte rahe. Jatayu ne Ravan ka dhanush chheenkar tod diya aur uska kavach choor-choor kar diya, aur ek kshan ke liye laga ki boodha gridh sach mein jeet sakta hai. Dheere-dheere rakshasraaj ne badhat haasil kar li. Ant mein apni mahaan talvaar ke kroor vaar se Ravan ne Jatayu ke donon pankh kaat diye. Pankh aur rakt se hawa bhar gayi jab paraakrami pakshi dharti ki or gira. Vah chattaani zameen par toota aur marta hua gira, lekin abhi jeevit tha. Jatayu parvat shikhar par pada tha, uska jeevan samaapt ho raha tha, uske vichaar Dasharath ko diye vachan par tike the. Vah Sita ko bachaane mein viphal raha tha, lekin vah poore hriday se lada tha, aur use yah jaankar saantvana mili ki usne kam se kam uske apaharankarta ko ghaayal kiya tha aur use vilambit kiya tha. Is beech Ram aur Lakshman lautkar apni kutiya khaali aur Sita ko ghaayab paaye the. Dukh aur bhay se vikshipt Ram ne van mein ek junooni ki tarah khoja, pedon aur pashuon se poocha, Sita ka naam pukaara. Ram ne madhurta se boodhe pakshi ka sir apni god mein uthaya. Tootati saanson ke saath Jatayu ne unhe sab kuchh bataya jo usne dekha tha. Usne unhe bataya ki Lanka ke rakshasraaj Ravan ne Sita ko dakshin ki or har liya tha, aur usne poori shakti se rakshas se ladaayi ladi thi lekin use rok nahin saka tha. Usne Ram se vinati ki ki vah uske liye shok na karein, kyonki vah vaise hi mara tha jaise yoddha ko marna chaahiye, dhaarmikta ke liye ladte hue. Phir, jab Ram us par ro rahe the, Jatayu ne antim saans li. Ram ka dukh aseem tha, kyonki boodha pakshi unke liye pita jaisa tha. Apne haathon se Ram ne lakdi ikatthi ki aur Jatayu ke liye chita banaayi. Unhone poorn sammaan ke saath antim sanskaar kiya, pavitra mantron ka jaap karte hue, theek vaise hi jaise vah apne pita Dasharath ke liye karte. Jab jwalaayein utheen, to devtaon ne swarg se phool barsaye, aur Jatayu ki kuleen aatma sarvochch lokon mein aarohit hui, apne pakshi roop se sada ke liye mukt. Ram thandi hoti raakh ke saamne der tak maun khade rahe. Boodhe gridh ke balidaan ne unhe do anmol uphaar diye the: yah gyaan ki Sita ko kahaan le jaaya gaya tha, aur ek aise saahas ka udaaharan jo keemat nahin ginta. Naye sankalp ke saath bhai dakshin ki or mude, us marg par chalte hue jo Jatayu ke marte shabdon ne unhe dikhaaya tha, Lanka aur prateeksha kar rahi pareekshaon ki or.