Kiraat aur Arjun

Vanvaas ke terah varshon ne Paandavon ko toofaan mein patton ki bhaanti bikher diya tha. Chhalpoorna dyoot-kreeda ne jab unse unka raajya chheen liya, to paanchon bhaai aur Draupadi vanon mein bhatakne lage, aur jyeshth jaante the ki vanvaas samaapt hone par Kauravon se bhayaanak yuddh avashyambhaavi hoga. Yudhishthir ne apne bhaai Arjun ko, yug ke sarvashreshth dhanurdhar ko, bulaaya aur ek ekaaki abhiyaan saunpa: uchch Himalaya mein jaao, ghor tapasya karo, aur devtaon se divya astra praapt karo, kyonki Bheeshm aur Dron jaise yoddhaon ke viruddh saadhaaran baan paryaapt nahin honge. Arjun ne pranaam kiya, dhanush uthaaya, aur sankalp se dahakte hriday ke saath akele parvato mein chale gaye.

Ve Indrakeel parvat par chadhe, jo Indra ko samarpit pavitra shikhar tha, aur aisi tapasya aarambh ki jisne rishiyon ko bhi kanpa diya. Ve ek pair par baahein uthaae khade rahe, keval gire patte khaae, phir keval vaayu, phir kuchh bhi nahin, aur din-raat vishraam kiye bina Shiv ke naamon ka jap karte rahe. Unki tapasya ki ooshma lokon mein uthti gayi jab tak uska dhuaan swarg tak nahin pahunch gaya, aur devta chintit ho uthe. Devtaon ke raaja Indra ek vicharte tapasvi ke vesh mein neeche aaye aur muskuraakar yuva yoddha ko paraamarsh diya: yadi sarvochch astra chaahte ho, to Shiv ki aaraadhna karo, kyonki Paashupat, prabhu ka apna prakshepaastra, srishti ka sabse shaktishaali astra hai, aur keval Shiv hi use de sakte hain. Phir Indra antardhaan ho gaye, aur Arjun ne dogune utsaah se apna samast aatma Shiv ki or mod diya.

Shiv ne suna, aur aashirvaad dene se pehle dhanurdhar ki pareeksha lene ka nishchay kiya. Unhone Kiraat ka roop dhaaran kiya, parvato ke vanya aadivaasi shikaari ka, saanvle aur hrisht-pusht, unki patni Uma aadivaasi vesh mein saath thin aur bhaunkte kutton ka jhund peechhe tha. Usi samay, Duryodhan ki gupt prerana se, daanav Mook ne vikaraal jungli shookar ka roop liya aur dahaadte hue seedha Arjun par jhapta, daant chamkaate hue, dhyaanasth raajkumaar ko maarne ke iraade se. Arjun ke netra khul gaye. Ek hi sahaj gati mein unhone baan chadhaaya aur pashu par chhod diya. Kintu theek usi kshan Kiraat shikaari ka chalaaya ek aur baan bhi shookar ko laga, aur vishaal pashu donon ke beech girkar mar gaya.

Donon ne shikaar par daava kiya. Apni adviteeya kushalta par garvit Arjun ne shikaari se haar maanne ki maang ki, uska uphaas kiya ki ek vanya jungli Kuru vansh ke raajkumaar se vivaad karne ka saahas karta hai. Kiraat keval hansa, gehri gadgadaati hans, aur kaha ki van mein pehla baan nirnay karta hai, aur uska pehle chala tha. Asahya apmaan se Arjun ne use yuddh ki chunauti di, aur parvatiya ghaati ab tak ke sabse vichitra dvandva se goonj uthi. Unhone ek-doosre par baanon ki varsha ki jab tak donon tarakash khaali nahin ho gaye, phir bhi kisi shikaari par kharonch tak nahin aayi. Unhone talvaarein nikaalin aur tab tak lade jab tak phalak toot nahin gaye. Unhone shilaaen aur vriksh phenke, aur antatah mallyuddh karne lage, aur Arjun ke badhte bhay ke saath Kiraat hilaaya nahin ja sakta tha, ghaayal nahin kiya ja sakta tha, haraaya nahin ja sakta tha. Arjun ka har prahaar shikaari ke shareer mein aise vileen ho jaata tha jaise varsha samudr mein. Ghaayal aur haanfte hue, mahaan dhanurdhar ne apna ahankaar dhool mein milta mahsoos kiya.

Niraasha mein Arjun ne vah kiya jo unka hriday sada se jaanta tha. Unhone nadi tat ki mitti se ek chhota Shivling banaaya, use shila par sthaapit kiya, aur kaanpte haathon se vanphool arpit kiye, Shiv se shakti ki praarthna ki. Aur tab unhone dekha, aur unka rakt ek saath barf aur agni ban gaya: jo phool unhone mitti ke ling par rakhe the, ve shikaari ke sir par viraajmaan the. Kiraat unhein komalta se muskuraakar dekh raha tha, jataaon mein phool chamak rahe the. Us kshan Arjun sab samajh gaye. Ve shikaari ke charnon mein gir pade, rote hue, apne ahankaar ke liye kshama maangte hue.

Van jhilmila utha, aur vesh utar gaya. Vahaan apne sachche vaibhav mein Shiv khade the, jataaon mein ardhachandra, kanth mein sarp lipta, aur unke saath Parvati, usha ki bhaanti tejasvi. Dev ne Arjun ko apne haathon se uthaaya aur prashansa ki: unka saahas adviteeya tha, unki tapasya ne swarg hila diya tha, aur ab unki vinamrata ne unhein poorna kar diya tha. Phir Shiv ne unhein Paashupat astra pradaan kiya, vah prakshepaastra jo swayam srishti ka naash kar sakta hai, uske mantra sikhaae aur aadesh diya ki ise kabhi nashvaron ya durbalon par na chhodein. Anya devta bhi aaye, pratyek ne vinamra raajkumaar ko apne divya astra diye. Arjun apne bhaaiyon ke paas roopaantarit hokar laute, na keval aagaami yuddh ke liye sashastra, balki yah paath seekhkar ki sachchi shakti vinamrata se siddh hoti hai, apni kushalta ke garv se kabhi nahin.