Pururavas aur Urvashi

Raajaon ke praarambhik yug mein, jab Chandravansh yuva tha, Pururavas naam ka ek raja raajya karta tha, jo Budha aur Ila ka putra tatha swayam Chandrama ka pautra tha. Vah sundar, veer aur udaar tha, aur uski prasiddhi teenon lokon mein phaili. Indra ke swarg ki apsaraon mein sabse sundar Urvashi thi, jiska nritya devtaon ko unki chintaayein bhula deta tha. Ek din jab daanavon ne swarg par aakraman kiya, to Urvashi aur uski saathi apsaraayein avyavastha mein har li gayin. Pururavas, jo sanyog se swarg padhaare the, ne unki pukaar suni aur unki raksha ke liye daude, apne baanon se daanavon ko titar-bitar karke apsaraon ko mukt kiya. Urvashi ne us martya raja ko dekha jisne use bachaaya tha, aur vah hua jiski na swarg ne yojana banai thi na prithvi ne: ve prem mein pad gaye. Devtaon ne Urvashi ko prithvi par Pururavas ke saath rehne ki anumati di, parantu usne do shartein rakhin, kyonki prem ko bhi vachanon ka sammaan karna chaahiye. Pehli, vah do nanhe medhon ko apne priya pashu ke roop mein rakhegi, aur raja ko sada unki raksha karni hogi. Doosri, vah raja ko kabhi nirvastra na dekhe, kyonki vah prakaash ki praani thi aur aisa drishya jaadu tod dega. Pururavas aanandpoorvak sahmat hue, aur anek aanandmay varshon tak ve apne mehal mein phoolon aur sangeet ke udyaanon mein saath rahe, utne hi sukhi jitne kabhi koi premi rahe. Parantu devta bechain hue. Apni sabse sundar nartaki ke bina swarg soona lagta, aur Indra Urvashi ki vaapasi ke liye taraste. Tab Gandharvon, divya sangeetagyaon ne ek yojana banai. Ek raat jab Pururavas aur Urvashi so rahe the, unhone uske priya medhon mein se ek churaaya aur le gaye, use karunaamay mimiyaane par vivash karte hue. Urvashi jaagi aur shok mein cheetkaar ki, aur Pururavas choron ka peechha karne bistar se koode, utaavli mein vastra pehenna bhool gaye. Theek usi kshan Gandharvon ne aakaash mein bijli ki chamak daudaai, aur uski chakaachaundh mein Urvashi ne apne pati ko nirvastra dekha. Shart toot gayi. Ek kshan mein, raja ki bhaybeet aankhon ke saamne Urvashi dhoop mein kohre ki tarah vileen ho gayi, swarg laut gayi aur Pururavas ko unke shok ke saath akela chhod gayi. Raja haani se paagal ho gaye. Ve vanon mein aur parvaton ke paar bhatakte rahe, vaayuon se, nadiyon se, maun taaron se uska naam pukaarte hue. Unke mantri vyarth unhein khojte rahe; unka raajya us raja ki prateeksha karta raha jo shaasan karna bhool gaya tha. Antatah ek ekaant jheel ke tat par unhone use phir dekha. Urvashi apni sakhiyon ke saath snaan kar rahi thi, aur ek kshan usne sneh se unhein dekha. Parantu vah ab unki pahunch se pare thi, swarg ki praani jo apne hi lok mein laut aayi thi. Pururavas ne usse lautne ki bheekh maangi, asahaneeya sundarta ke chhandon mein apna hriday udelte hue, ve chhand jinhein swayam ved aaj bhi Rigveda mein surakshit rakhte hain. Urvashi ne unhein komal parantu dridh uttar diya. Usne kaha ki divya praani aur martya ka prem tik nahin sakta, ki martyon ko chhodna seekhna chaahiye, aur unhein apne raajya lautkar raja ki tarah jeena chaahiye. Usne vachan diya ki vah unke putra ko janm degi aur baalak ko unke paas laayegi, aur usne vah vachan nibhaaya. Varsh mein ek baar vah unke paas aati, aur samay par usne unhein ek putra diya, aur Pururavas ka vansh chalta raha. Parantu Pururavas us bichhoh ke ghaav se kabhi sachmuch na ubre. Unhone anek varshon tak apne raajya par buddhimaani se shaasan kiya, phir bhi unka hriday us chaandni udyaan mein raha jahaan ve kabhi sukhi the. Ant mein Urvashi rahit sansaar se thakkar unhone sinhaasan tyaaga aur van chale gaye, dhyaan mein us shaanti ki khoj mein jo prem ne unhein nahin di thi. Pururavas aur Urvashi ki katha sansaar ki praacheentam prem-kathaon mein se ek hai, adhikaansh mahaakaavyon se bhi puraani, aur yah praatah jaisi taaza satya liye hai: ki prem ko sharton se jakda nahin ja sakta, na khazaane ki tarah swaamitva kiya ja sakta hai, aur jise ham prem karte hain use jitni kathorta se jakadte hain, utni hi nishchintata se vah hamaari ungliyon se jal ki tarah fisal jaata hai.