Lav aur Kush ne Roka Yagya ka Ghoda

Ayodhya mein vijayi vaapsi aur rajyaabhishek ke baad Ram ne Ashvamedh yagya karne ka sankalp kiya, vah raajsi ashva-yagya jisse samraat prithvi par apni samprabhuta ki ghoshana karta hai. Ek bhavya shvet ghode ko pavitra kiya gaya, Ram ki chunauti ankit swarn patt uske mastak par baandha gaya, aur use ek varsh tak vicharne ke liye chhod diya gaya, jiske peechhe Ram ke sabse chhote bhaai Shatrughn ke netritva mein vishaal sena chali. Jo bhi raja ghode ko rokne ka saahas karta, use Ayodhya ke paraakram ka saamna karna padta.

Is beech, raajdhaani se door, ek bilkul alag jeevan chal raha tha. Apni praja ki phusphusaahat ko shaant karne ke liye Ram dwara van mein bheji gayi Sita ko rishi Valmiki ke aashram mein sharan mili thi. Vahaan, nadi ke tat par, unhone judvaan putron — Lav aur Kush — ko janm diya. Baalak van mein mahalon se anjaan bade hue, Valmiki ne unhein apna shishya banaakar paala. Rishi ne, jinhone unke pita ke jeevan ka mahaakaavya Ramayan racha tha, judvaan bachchon ko sampoorn kaavya kanthasth karaaya, veena ke sangeet par gaane ke liye unki vaani ko saadha. Ve nahin jaante the ki geet ka naayak unke apne pita the.

Ek din yagya ka ghoda Valmiki ke aashram ke paas van mein vicharta hua aaya, aashram ki seema par ghaas charta hua. Dono baalakon ne swarn patt padha aur uska arth turant samajh gaye: jo is ghode ko pakdega vah use bhejne wale raja ko chunauti dega. Kshan bhar bhi na darkar Lav ne ghode ki lagaam pakdi aur us vishaal pashu ko ped se baandh diya. Jab Shatrughn ke sainik use chhudaane ki maang karte hue daude, to baalakon ne baanon se uttar diya.

Jo hua usne teenon lokon ko aashcharyachakit kar diya. Ye do van-baalak, abhi yauvan mein pravesh kiye hue, Ayodhya ki sena ke saamne dat gaye. Yoddha dar yoddha unke dhanushon ke saamne girne lage. Shatrughn swayam paraajit hokar maidaan mein achet pade rahe. Phir Lakshman nayi senaon ke saath aaye, aur ve bhi paraast hue. Bharat aaye, aur unka bhi vahi hashr hua. Ant mein jo Hanuman apne paraakram ke saath aaye, unhein bhi hanste hue baalakon ne pakadkar ped se baandh diya. Samaachaar Ayodhya uda: Ram ki ajeya sena do tapasvi baalakon se paraast ho gayi thi.

Ram swayam van ki or chale, unka hriday raja ke kartavya aur in agyaat yoddhaon ke prati ek vichitra, ankahi komalta ke beech phata hua tha. Par pita putron se yuddh mein bhidte, isse pehle Valmiki senaon ke beech prakat hue aur yuddh rok diya. Komalta se rishi ne varshon se sanjoya satya prakat kiya: ye baalak Ram ke hi putra the, unke aashram mein Sita se janme.

Ram ka krodh aashcharya aur shok mein pighal gaya. Unhone apne putron ko gale lagaaya, jinhein unhone kabhi jaana na tha, aur Valmiki parivaar ko Ayodhya ke mahaan yagya mein le gaye. Vahaan, ekatra rajaon aur rishiyon ke saamne, Lav aur Kush ne Ramayan gaai — sampoorn vishaal mahaakaavya, din dar din, ek baar mein bees sarg, unki yuva vaaniyon ne Ram ke hi jeevan ki katha buni. Sabha ro padi. Ram sunte rahe, aur har chhand ke saath unka hriday phir Sita ki or muda, jinke saath unhone anyaay kiya tha.

Ant mein Ram ne Valmiki se vinati ki ki Sita ko sabha mein laayein, taaki ve ek baar phir logon ke saamne apna naam nirmal kar sakein. Sita aain, peeli aur garimamayee, unke putra unke saath the. Par jab Ram ne unse ek baar phir apni pavitrata siddh karne ko kaha, to unke deergh-sahishnu hriday mein kuchh toot gaya. Haath jodkar unhone apni maata, prithvi devi Bhoodevi ka aahvaan kiya, jinse unka janm hua tha. "Yadi main mann, vachan aur karm se sacchi rahi hoon," ve chillain, "to mujhe grahan karo, he maata!" Prithvi garjana ke saath phat gayi, gaharaai se swarn sinhaasan utha, aur sabki aankhon ke saamne Sita apni maata ke aalingan mein utar gayin aur manushyon ke sansaar se sada ke liye ojhal ho gayin.

Ram stabdh khade rahe, unki vijay raakh mein badal gayi. Unhone apne putron ko gale lagaaya — us prem ka jeevant pramaan jise sandeh ne nasht kar diya tha — aur Valmiki dwara rachit mahaakaavya ka ant vijay mein nahin, aansuon mein hua. Ashvamedh yagya poorn hua, par jis raja ne prithvi jeeti thi, vah apne hi hriday ke shok ko na jeet saka.