Ram ka Janm aur Vishvamitra ka Yagya

Pavitra Sarayu nadi ke tat par pracheen Ayodhya nagari basi thi, aur wahan ek parakrami aur dharmatma raja Dasharath rajya karte the. Lekin ek dukh raja ke hriday ko din raat kachotta rehta tha. Unki teen raniyan thin, Kausalya, Kaikeyi aur Sumitra, jo sabhi kuleen aur sadachari mahilayen thin, phir bhi kisi ne unhe putr nahin diya tha. Dasharath boodhe ho rahe the aur yah vichaar ki unka rajvansh unhi ke saath samapt ho jayega, unhe dukh se bhar deta tha. Unhone apne kulguru Maharshi Vashishth se salah li aur poocha ki santaan ka aashirvaad paane ke liye kya kiya ja sakta hai. Vashishth ne unhe Putrakameshti yagya karne ki salah di, jo devtaon ko prasann karne aur putron ka vardaan dene wala ek mahaan agni yagya hai. Dasharath turant sahmat ho gaye aur bade paimane par taiyaariyon ka aadesh diya. Desh ke har kone se vidvaan Brahmanon aur rishiyon ko nimantran bheje gaye aur nagar ke bahar ek vishaal yagyashala banayi gayi. Ant mein, jab antim aahuti daali gayi, to ek adbhut ghatna ghati. Jwalaon ke hriday se ek tejasvi purush prakat hua, jo soorya ki tarah chamak raha tha, aur uske haathon mein meethe chaaval ki kheer se bhara ek sunhara katora tha, jo sugandhit aur divya tha. Vah katora lekar mahal pahunche aur aadhi kheer badi rani Kausalya ko di, bachi hui kheer mein se aadhi Kaikeyi ko di, aur shesh kheer ko Kaikeyi aur Sumitra ke beech is prakaar baanta ki teenon raniyon ko pavitra prasaad mila. Samay aane par raniyan garbhavati huin aur poora rajya aasha se prateeksha karne laga. Jab samay poora hua, to Kausalya ne ek putr ko janm diya, jiske mukh par shaant muskaan thi aur aankhen kamal ki pankhudiyon jaisi thin. Uska naam Ram rakha gaya aur uske janm par devtaon ne swarg se phool barsaye. Kaikeyi ne Bharat ko janm diya aur Sumitra ne judvaan putron Lakshman aur Shatrughna ko janm diya. Chaaron rajkumar mahal mein ek saath bade hue, shaastron mein vidvaan aur dhanurvidya, kushti tatha yuddh kala mein nipun bane. Ram sabse bade aur sabse shreshth the, vaani mein madhur, satya mein dridh aur jo bhi unhe dekhta wahi unse prem karne lagta. Maharshi Vishvamitra, jo kabhi swayam raja the aur kathor tapasya se Brahmarishi bane the, ek prarthana lekar Ayodhya aaye. Unhone Dasharath se kaha ki rakshas unke van yagya ko apavitra kar rahe hain, pavitra agni mein rakt aur maans phenk rahe hain aur yagya ko asambhav bana rahe hain. Unhone raja se kaha ki ve unhe Ram ko saunp dein, jo tab mushkil se solah varsh ke the, taaki vah yagya ki raksha karein aur rakshason se uski raksha karein. Dasharath bhay se peele pad gaye. Unhone badle mein apni poori sena dene ki peshkash ki, aur yahaan tak ki swayam aane ki peshkash ki, lekin Vishvamitra ne mana kar diya. Tabhi Vashishth aage badhe aur shaant swar mein bole. Unhone Dasharath ko yaad dilaya ki rishi ko diya gaya vachan avashya nibhana chahiye, aur Vishvamitra ki raksha mein Ram surakshit rahenge. Unhone Ram aur Lakshman ko bulaya, kyonki Lakshman apne bhai ko akele nahin jaane dete, aur unke haath rishi ke haathon mein saunp diye. Vishvamitra dono baalakon ko nagar se bahar nikaalkar ghane van mein le gaye. Unhone unhe divyaastra bhi diye aur unhe chalane tatha wapas lene ke mantra bataye. Sheeghra hi ve us van mein pahunche jahaan rakshasi Tadka rehti thi, ek bhayankar praani jo kabhi shaapit hui thi aur ab us kshetra ko aatankit karti thi, aashramon ko nasht karti thi aur rishiyon ko maarti thi. Vishvamitra ne Ram ko use maarne ka aadesh diya. Ram hichkichaye, kyonki vah ek stree thi, lekin rishi ne unhe yaad dilaya ki jo praani nirdoshon ko haani pahunchaye aur pavitra yagyon ko apavitra kare, use rokna hi chahiye, chahe uska roop koi bhi ho. Ram ne bahaaduri se usse yuddh kiya aur ant mein rishi ke aadesh par ek hi baan chhoda jo uske hriday ko bedh gaya. Phir bhai Siddhashram pahunche, jo rishi ka aashram tha, jahaan yagya hona tha. Chhah din aur chhah raat Ram aur Lakshman haathon mein dhanush liye pehra dete rahe, na soye na vishraam kiya. Chhathe din rakshas aaye jaisa bataya gaya tha. Marich aur Subahu rakshason ki sena lekar aakaash se aaye aur vedi par rakt barsaane lage. Unhone Marich ko ek hi baan se maara jo use sau yojan door samudra mein phenk aaya, uska jeevan bakhsh diya lekin uska aakraman samapt kar diya. Subahu ko unhone maar daala aur Lakshman ne shesh rakshas sena ka naash kar diya. Yagya shaanti se poorn hua, jwalaayein ujjwal aur pavitra jalin aur rishi aanandit hue. Vishvamitra ne dono rajkumaron ko gale lagaya aur aashirvaad diya ki unki keerti samast lokon mein phailegi. Unhone apni pehli badi pareeksha ka saamna kiya tha aur vijayi hokar nikle the, aur jo baalak rajkumar bankar Ayodhya se gaya tha, vah naayak bankar laut raha tha.