Nahush, Nashvar jo Indra Bane

Ek samay Nahush naam ke ek raja the, Aayu ke putr aur Chandravanshi raja Pururava ke pautr, jo apne raajya par aise sadgun se shaasan karte the ki unki khyaati swarg tak pahunchi. Un dinon devtaon ke raja Indra ka sinhaasan khaali tha. Swayam Indra daanav Vritra ka vadh karne ke baad brahmahatya ke paap se daage gaye the, kyonki Vritra Brahman ka putr tha, aur aparaadhbodh ne unhe doorasth jheel mein kamal ki naal mein chhipne ko vivash kiya. Bina neta ke devtaon ne unke sthaan par shaasan yogya vyakti ke liye lokon mein khoj ki, aur unki drishti Nahush par padi. Unhe swarg bulaaya gaya, Indra ke sammaanon se mukut pehnaaya gaya, aur devtaon ka aadhipatya diya gaya. Devtaon ne jab unka abhishek kiya to divya sangeet baja, aur ek kshan ke liye swarg swayam sahmat lagta tha. Kuchh samay tak unhone achchhi tarah shaasan kiya, aur devta apne naye raja par harshit hue. Lekin shakti vah vish hai jise bina haani ke kuchh hi pee sakte hain. Nahush abhimaani ho gaye. Swarg ki shobha unke sir chadh gayi, aur vah maanne lage ki brahmaand hi unke aanand ke liye hai. Unki drishti anupasthit Indra ki sundar raani Shachi par padi, aur unhone use apni banaana chaaha. Unhone use sandesh bheja ki vah unki raani bankar aaye, kyonki vah ab Indra hain aur jo Indra ka tha vah sab unka hai. Shachi bhaybheet huin, lekin khulkar mana karne ka saahas nahin kar sakeen, kyonki swarg ki shakti unke haath mein thi. Apne purohit Brihaspati ki salaah se unhone vilamb ki yukti nikaali. Unhone Nahush se kaha ki vah swechchha se unke paas aayengi yadi vah saadhaaran kahaaron se nahin balki swayam mahaan rishiyon dwara uthaayi paalki mein unse milne aayen, kyonki aisa sammaan sabhi praaniyon par unki sarvochchata siddh karega. Ahankaar se andhe Nahush turant sahmat ho gaye. Unhone saat mahaan rishiyon ko apni paalki kandhon par uthaakar Shachi ke mahal tak le jaane ka aadesh diya. Devtaon ke raja ke prati aagyakaarita ke kartavya se bandhe rishiyon ne sveekaar kiya, haalaanki unke hriday apamaan se jalte the. Jab vah unhe uthaaye chal rahe the, Nahush unki dheemi gati se adheer ho gaye. Vah un par chillaaye, sarpa, sarpa, arthaat jaldi, jaldi, aur apne ahankaar mein unhone kahaaron mein chal rahe rishi Agastya ke sir par pair se thokar maari. Yah bahut adhik tha. Anya rishi haanph uthe, kyonki ve jaante the ki devtaon ka raja bhi rishi ka apamaan dand bina nahin kar sakta. Apamaanit rishi, kad mein chhote lekin aadhyaatmik shakti mein mahaan, ruke aur devtaon ke raja ki or oopar dekha. Agastya ne atyant bhayankar shaap diya. Choonki Nahush ne sarpa kaha tha, jiska arth saanp bhi hai, vah saanp bankar swarg se dharti par giren, vahaan ajgar bankar tab tak chhatpataayen jab tak unse gyaani koi unhe mukt na kare. Pal bhar mein Indra ki mahima Nahush se gir gayi. Vah aakaash se vishaal saanp bankar ludhke aur dharti ke vanon mein gire, jahaan vah lambe yugon tak chhaaya mein kundali maare rahe, unka abhimaan katu pashchaataap mein badal gaya. Yug beete. Paandavon ke vanvaas ke dauraan van mein bhatak rahe paraakrami Bheem ko vishaalkaay mahaan ajgar ne jakad liya. Sarp ke bandhan apratirodhya the, aur Bheem apni samast shakti se bhi mukt nahin ho sake. Phir Yudhishthir apne bhai ko khojte aaye aur unhe sarp ki pakad mein paaya. Sarp bola, prakat kiya ki vah Nahush hain, aur ghoshna ki ki vah Bheem ko tabhi chhodenge jab Yudhishthir dharm par unke prashnon ka uttar de saken. Is vichitra pareeksha mein bhi shaant Yudhishthir ne pratyek prashn ka gyaan se uttar diya, samjhaaya ki Brahman kya banaata hai, sarvochch dharm kya hai, aur kaise jeena chaahiye. Prasann aur prabuddh Nahush ne Bheem ko chhoda aur sachche gyaan ki shakti se shaapmukt hokar ek baar phir swarg aarohit hue, vineet aur vinamra. Nahush ki katha mahaakaavya ki abhimaan ke viruddh mahaan chetaavni hai. Vah sadgun se dharti se swarg ke sinhaasan tak uthe, aur ahankaar se swarg se dhool mein gire. Vinamra rishi ke liye maari thokar raja ka patan bani, aur keval vinamrata, yugon ke kasht se seekhi hui, unhe phir utha sakti thi.