Mandodari ki Salaah

Mandodari Lanka ki raani thin — paraakrami Ravan ki patni — aur mahaakaavya ki sabse udaatt striyon mein se ek. Ve rakshas-shilpi Mayasur ki putri thin — sundar, gyaani aur pativrata. Ve Ravan se sachcha prem karti thin, aur kyunki prem karti thin, isliye unhe ve satya kehti thin jo kehne ki kisi ki himmat na hoti. Unki katha baar-baar abhimaan ko di gayi gyaan ki traasadi hai — jo sunta nahi tha. Sankat tab shuru hua jab Ravan ne Sita ka haran kiya aur unhe Lanka laaya. Mandodari turant samajh gayin ki pati ne kya kiya hai. Yeh vijay nahi, apraadh tha — aur yeh raajya par vinaash laayega. Ve ekaant mein Ravan ke paas gayin aur prem ke saahas se bolin. Unhone praarthna ki, Sita ko Ram ko lauta deejiye. Aapke paas udaatt patni hai, mahaan raajya hai, praja ki bhakti hai. Doosre ki patni ke liye sab kuchh daanv par kyon lagaate hain? Ram koi saadhaaran raajkumar nahi. Rishi kehte hain ve swayam Vishnu hain. Der hone se pehle unse sandhi kar leejiye. Ichchha aur abhimaan se andhe Ravan ne unke vachan thukra diye. Usne kaha ki raja liya hua nahi lautaata, aur Ram to vanvaasi hai jise kuchla jaa sakta hai. Mandodari ne haar na maani. Unhone Hanuman ke Lanka-aagman ke baad phir salaah di. Vaanar-doot ne poonchh se aadha nagar jala diya tha aur saagar paar kood gaya tha — Mandodari ne ismein chetaavni dekhi. Unhone kaha, yadi ek vaanar yeh kar sakta hai, to Ram swayam apni sena ke saath kya karenge? Sita lauta deejiye aur Lanka bacha leejiye. Ravan ne phir mana kiya, aur har chetaavni ke saath uska abhimaan badha. Unhone teesri baar koshish ki jab Ravan ke apne dharmaatma bhai Vibhishan ne Sita lautaane ki praarthna ki aur salaah ke liye apmaanit hokar nirvaasit kar diya gaya. Mandodari roin aur gidgidaayin — Ravan ko yaad dilaaya ki woh apne sachche shubhchintakon ko door kar raha hai. Unhone apshakunon ki or ishaara kiya: dharti kaanpna, din mein siyaaron ka rona, vinaash ke swapn. Lekin Ravan ka hriday kathor tha, aur usne un par bhi shatruon ka paksha lene ka aarop lagaaya. Jab yuddh shuru hua aur Ravan ke senaapati ek-ek karke gire, to Mandodari ka shok gehraaya. Unhone putron ko yuddh mein jaate aur na laut-te dekha. Unhone komal daanav Kumbhakarn ko mrityu ki or badhte dekha. Unhone Lanka ke garv Indrajit ko Lakshman ke haathon girte dekha. Har baar unhone praarthna dohraayi, aur har baar Ravan munh mod gaya. Antim yuddh se pehle ki raat Mandodari ne antim prayaas kiya. Ve Ravan ke kaksha mein aayin aur charanon mein gir padin. Unhone unke prem ki yaad dilaayi, bachchon ki, us Lanka ki jo unhone saath banaayi thi. Unhone spasht kaha ki agle din woh marega aur uski mrityu unke prem ki har cheez nasht kar degi. Unhone fusfusakar kaha, abhi Sita lauta deejiye, aur jee leejiye. Ravan ne unhe komalta se uthaaya lekin uttar na badla. Usne yoddha ke sammaan aur niyati ki baat ki, aur Mandodari ant mein samajh gayin ki ve use nahi bacha sakteen. Agle din jab Ravan Ram ke baan se gira, to Mandodari ka vilaap hridayvidaarak tha. Unhone Ram ko shaap nahi diya. Unhone us pati ka shok manaaya jisse prem kiya tha aur us abhimaan ka jisne use maara tha. Unhone uske shareer par un saari chetaavniyon ki charcha ki jinhe usne ansuna kiya tha — krodh mein nahi, shok mein — taaki sansaar seekhe. Devtaon ne swayam unke gyaan ka sammaan kiya, aur baad ki paramparaon mein ve Panchkanya — paanch udaatt striyon — mein gini jaati hain, jinke naam maatra se paap dhul jaate hain. Unki katha sikhaati hai ki jo humse sabse zyaada prem karte hain ve sabse kathin satya bolte hain. Mandodari ko pati ka virodh karke kuchh paana nahi tha; har baar bolne par ve uska krodh jokhim mein daalti thin. Ve isliye bolti thin kyunki satya bina prem keval chaaploosi hai. Aur yeh sikhaati hai ki buddhimaani hai der hone se pehle sunna. Ravan ne satya kai baar suna — patni se, bhai se, mantriyon se, aur apshakunon se swayam. Usne kisi ki na suni, aur Lanka jal gayi. Jo raani sab aate dekh rahi thi, woh use rok na saki — lekin unki vaani yugon tak goonjti hai yaad dilaane ke liye: jab koi tumse prem karne waala kahe ki tum galat ho, to suno.

Mandodari parampara mein Panchkanya — paanch udaatt striyon — mein sammaanit hain — jinke naam maatra se paap dhulne ko kaha jaata hai. Unka naam har subah laakhon japte hain — Ahalya, Draupadi, Tara aur Sita ke saath. Kavi unhe sachcha prem karne waali patni ke aadarsh-roop mein prashansit karte hain: woh nahi jo chaaploosi kare — balki woh jo satya kahe — chaahe pati ka krodh laaye. Ravan ko unki baar-baar salaah nirbheek prem ke aadarsh-roop mein padhi jaati hai — aur unka antim vilaap mahaakaavya ke mahaan shok-bhaashanon mein gina jaata hai. Aaj bhi unki katha sikhaane ko sunaayi jaati hai ki satya bina prem keval chaaploosi hai — aur priyajan ki sabse badi seva imaandaar chetaavni hai.