Us bhaagya nirnaayak din se varshon pehle, rani Kaikeyi ne yuddhbhoomi mein raja Dasharath ke praan bachaye the, aur kritagya raja ne unhe do vardaan diye the jinhe vah jab chaahen maang sakti thin. Yah devtaon aur asuron ke yuddh ke samay hua tha, jab Dasharath apne divya rath mein devtaon ki sahaayta ke liye gaye the. Yuddh ki garmi mein unke rath ke pahiye ki dhuri toot gayi aur pahiya nikalne ka khatra paida ho gaya. Kaikeyi, jinhone saarthi bankar saath chalne ki zid ki thi, ne tooti dhuri ke chhed mein apni ungli daal di aur shesh yuddh mein pahiya sthir rakha. Unke saahas se prabhaavit hokar Dasharath ne unhe do vardaan diye, jinhe bhavishya mein kabhi bhi maanga ja sakta tha. Kaikeyi muskurayin aur kaha ki vah unhe barsaat ke din ke liye rakhe khazaane ki tarah surakshit rakhengi, aur jab sach mein aavashyakta hogi tab maangengi. Raja prasannata se sahmat ho gaye, yah na jaante hue ki ek din in shabdon ki kya keemat chukani padegi. Varsh beete, aur rajkumar kuleen yuvakon ke roop mein bade hue. Sabse bade Ram sabhi ke priya the, aur Dasharath ne nishchay kiya ki Ayodhya ke sinhaasan ke uttaradhikari ke roop mein unka rajyabhishek karne ka samay aa gaya hai. Samachar sunkar nagar aanandit hua, kyonki Ram praja ke dulaare the, aur rajyabhishek ki taiyaariyan bade vaibhav se shuru huin. Jab usne Ram ke rajyabhishek ke baare mein suna, to uske hriday mein eershya vish ki tarah jali. Vah Kaikeyi ke kaksh mein daudi aur rani ke kaanon mein vish gholne lagi. Usne chetavni di ki Kausalya rajmaata banengi aur Kaikeyi ko tuchchh samjhengi. Boond-boond karke uske shabdon ne Kaikeyi ke man ko vishaakt kar diya, jab tak Ram ke prati rani ka prem apne putr ke bhay mein na badal gaya. Ant mein Kaikeyi ko do vardaan yaad aaye. Ghabraaye raja ne poocha ki use kya kasht hai. Kaikeyi ne unhe bahut pehle yuddhbhoomi mein diye gaye do vardaanon ki yaad dilaayi, jin vardaanon ko poora karne ki unhone apni pratishtha ki shapath li thi. Tab Kaikeyi ne bhayankar shabd kahe. Apne pehle vardaan ke liye usne maanga ki Ram ke bajay uske putr Bharat ka uttaradhikari ke roop mein rajyabhishek kiya jaye. Apne doosre vardaan ke liye usne maanga ki Ram ko chaudah varshon ke liye van mein nirvaasit kiya jaye, valkal vastra pehenkar tapasvi ki tarah rehte hue. Unhone use yaad dilaaya ki praja Ram se kitna prem karti hai, boodhe raja ka hriday kaise toot jayega, aisi kroorta uske naam ko sada ke liye kalankit kar degi. Lekin Kaikeyi chattaan ki tarah adig rahi. Usne kaha ki raja ka vachan ek baar diya gaya to wapas nahin liya ja sakta, aur usne unhe unki shapath par adig rakha. Bhor mein Ram ko pita ke kaksh mein bulaya gaya. Unhone raja ko dukh se behosh paaya aur Kaikeyi ko paas mein shaant aur thandi baithi paaya. Vah madhurta se muskuraaye aur kaha ki putr ka kartavya pita ke vachan ka sammaan karna hai, aur vah usi din van ke liye prasthaan karenge. Unhe Kaikeyi ke prati koi krodh nahin tha, keval pita ke kasht ke liye dukh tha. Jab Kausalya ne samachar suna, to vah phoot-phootkar royeen aur apne putr se lipatkar rukne ki vinati karne lageen. Lekin Ram ne dono ko shaant kiya. Unhone kaha ki satya aur pita ki aagyapaalan kisi bhi rajya se oonche hain, aur chaudah varsh swapn ki tarah beet jayenge. Unki samarpit patni Sita mahal mein rukne se inkaar kar diya. Unhone kaha ki patni ka sthaan pati ke paas hai, sukh mein aur kasht mein, aur dharti ki koi bhi shakti unhe Ayodhya mein nahin rok sakti jabki Ram van mein bhatkenge. Lakshman ne bhi saath chalne ki zid ki, apne bhai aur bhabhi ki din raat seva karne ki shapath li. Is prakaar teenon saadharan valkal vastra pehenkar nikle, unke rajsi vastra utaar diye gaye, jabki nagar galiyon mein roya. Praja Tamsa nadi ke tat tak unke peechhe aayi, aur tab tak lautne se inkaar karti rahi jab tak Ram ne unhe madhurta se lautne ke liye na manaya. Dasharath ne mahal ki chhat se unhe jaate dekha, aur unka hriday toot gaya. Kuchh hi dinon mein, dukh aur apraadhbodh se grast boodhe raja ki mrityu ho gayi, antim saans mein Ram ka naam pukaarte hue. Tabhi vah puraana shaap yaad aaya, jo bahut pehle Shravan ke andhe maata-pita ne diya tha, us baalak ke maata-pita jise Dasharath ne shikaar mein bhool se maar diya tha, jinhone bhavishyavaani ki thi ki raja ki bhi apne putr ke dukh se mrityu hogi. Bhaagya ka chakra poora ghoom chuka tha, aur Ayodhya raja viheen, shok mein doobi aur prateeksha karti reh gayi.
Is katha ke paatra
- Rama
- Kaikeyi
- Dasharatha
- Bharata
- Sita
- Lakshmana
- Manthara
- Kausalya
