Lavan aur Shatrughna

Shatrughna Ayodhya ke chaaron bhaiyon mein sabse shaant the — Lakshman ke judvaan — aur itihaas unhe lagbhag bhool gaya tha. Jab Ram ne raaj kiya, Bharat ne seva ki, aur Lakshman ne tyaag kiya — Shatrughna prishthabhoomi mein rahe — nishthaavaan aur andekhe. Lekin jab unka kshan aaya, to unhone mahaakaavya ke kisi bhi kaarya se takkar lene waala paraakram kiya: Madhupuri ke ajeya rakshas Lavan ka vadh. Lavan rakshasi Kumbhini ka putra aur mahaan Madhu ka vanshaj tha — jiske naam par Madhupuri nagar basa tha. Uske paas bhayankar astra tha: swayam Shiv ka trishool — uske pita ko vardaan mein mila. Is trishool se Lavan ajeya tha. Koi sena uske saamne na tik sakti thi — kyunki trishool dhaarak ke viruddh bheji har sena ko nasht kar deta. Woh Yamuna-vanon ke rishiyon ko aatankit karta — unke yagya nigalta, aashram apavitra karta. Rishi Ayodhya mein Ram ke paas aaye aur sahaayata maangi — bataaya ki Lavan ki kroorta ne pavitra vanon ko rehne ayogya kar diya hai. Ram ne gambheerta se suna. Ve jaante the ki Shiv ka trishool dhaaran kiye Lavan haraaya nahi jaa sakta — kyunki astra dhaarak ko ajeya banaata hai. Ekmaatra aasha thi Lavan ko astra se alag hone par maarna. Ram ne bhaiyon ko bulaaya aur poochha ki yeh abhiyaan kaun lega. Bharat ne prastaav diya, Lakshman ne prastaav diya — lekin Ram ne Shatrughna ko dekha — jo itne samay se maun seva karta raha tha — aur use chuna. Unhone Shatrughna ko vishaal sena di aur sabse mahatvapoorna — Vishnu ka divya baan — ekmaatra astra jo Shiv ke trishool ka saamna kar sakta tha. Shatrughna ne nat mastak aur bhare hriday se abhiyaan sweekaar kiya. Woh jeevanbhar seva ke avsar ki prateeksha karta raha tha — ab woh aaya tha. Woh Madhupuri ke vanon ki or badha aur door dera daala — Lavan ki aadatein jaanne guptachar bheje. Usne jaana ki har subah Lavan mahal aur trishool chhodkar shikaar aur vanon ko aatankit karne nikalta — shaam ko hi laut-ta. Shatrughna ne Lavan ki vaapsi ke kshan par aakraman ki yojana banaayi — jab rakshas nagar-dvaar ke baahar aur astra se alag hoga. Yuddh bhayankar tha. Trishool bina bhi Lavan apaar shakti ka daanav tha. Usne vriksha ukhaade, shilaayein phenkin — Shatrughna ki sena uske saamne ladkhadaayi. Lekin Shatrughna dridh khada raha. Jab Lavan trishool lene mahal ki or dauda, to Shatrughna ne maarg roka — aur dono dvaar par mallayuddh lade. Nirnaayak kshan mein Shatrughna ne Vishnu ka divya baan dhanush par chadhaaya aur chhoda. Baan niyati ke bal se chala, Lavan ko maar giraaya — aur ajeya rakshas apne hi nagar ke dvaar par mrit gira. Rishi harshit hue, van mukt hue. Ram itne prasann hue ki unhone Shatrughna ko Madhupuri ka raajya hi de diya. Shatrughna ne wahaan nayi raajdhaani banaayi — Yamuna tat par Mathura nagar — aur varshon tak gyaan se shaasan kiya. Shaant bhai swayam raja ban gaya. Uski katha sikhaati hai ki jab kartavya pukaarta hai, to hummein sabse shaant bhi sabse bade kaarya kar sakta hai. Shatrughna ne kabhi yash nahi chaaha, kabhi maanyata nahi maangi, andekhi ki kabhi shikaayat nahi ki. Woh bas prateeksha karta raha, nishtha se seva karta raha — aur jab kshan aaya, to poori tarah us par khara utra. Yeh bhi sikhaati hai ki sachchi shakti dhairyavaan hoti hai. Mahaakaavya ke mukhar naayakon ne yash jaldi paaya — lekin Shatrughna ki mahaanta sahansheelta se aayi: bina puraskaar nishthaavaan rehne ki sahansheelta, aur pukaar aane par taiyaar rehne ki. Shatrughna ke sammaan mein mahaakaavya un sabka sammaan karta hai jo maun seva karte hain — jinke sabse bade kaarya der se aa sakte hain lekin utne hi ujjwal chamakte hain.

Lavan par Shatrughna ki vijay shaanton aur nishthaavaanon ki vijay-roop mein smaran ki jaati hai — aur jis nagar ki usne neenv rakhi — Mathura — woh Bharat ke pavitratam nagaron mein se ek bana. Parampara kehti hai ki Vishnu ka divya baan — jisne Lavan ko maara — wahi shakti thi jo baad mein nagar ki Krishna-janmabhoomi-roop mein raksha karegi. Shatrughna ne varshon tak Mathura par gyaan se shaasan kiya — aur uska shaasan nyaaypoorna raajatva ke aadarsh-roop mein prashansit hai. Katha unhe sammaan dene ko sunaayi jaati hai jo yash chaahe bina seva karte hain: ve jo prishthabhoomi mein prateeksha karte hain — nishthaavaan aur taiyaar — jab tak kshan na aaye. Shatrughna mein mahaakaavya har angaaye naayak ka utsav manaata hai — jiska sabse bada kaarya der se aa sakta hai lekin utna hi ujjwal chamakta hai.