Sagar ke Saath Hazaar Putra aur Sagar ka Janm

Ayodhya ke Suryavanshi rajaon ki pankti mein, Ram se kai peedhiyon pehle, Sagar naamak ek raja rajya karte the, jinke naam par ek din mahasagar ka naam pada. Sagar ki do raaniyaan thin. Keshini ne unhein ek putra Asamanj diya, jabki Sumati ne unhein saath hazaar putra diye — rajkumaron ka ek vishaal samooh, sinhon jaise balwaan aur agni jaise abhimaani. Jab Sagar ne Ashvamedh yagya karne ka sankalp kiya, vah mahaan ashva-yagya jisse raja prithvi par apna sarvochch adhikaar ghoshit karta hai, to unhone pavitra ghode ko ek varsh tak vicharne ke liye chhod diya, jiski raksha unki senaayein karti thin.

Par devtaon ke raja Indra bhaybheet hue. Yadi Sagar ka yagya safal hua, to raja ki mahima swarg ko bhi pheeka kar sakti thi. Atah Indra ne rakshas ka roop dharkar jhapatta maara aur ghoda chura liya, use Pataal lok ki gaharaai mein rishi Kapil ke aashram ke paas chhipa diya, jo dhyaan mein leen parvat ki tarah nishchal baithe the. Jab purohiton ne chori ko yagya par kalank ghoshit kiya, to Sagar ne apne saath hazaar putron ko bulaaya aur aadesh diya ki prithvi ke kone-kone mein ghode ki khoj karein, aur yadi aavashyakta ho to dharti ko khod daalein jab tak ghoda na mil jaaye.

Rajkumaron ne bhayankar utsaah se aagya ka paalan kiya. Unhone heere jaise kathor naakhunon se, bhaalon aur halon se prithvi ki parat ko cheer daala, kos dar kos khodte gaye, aur dharti vedna se karaah uthi. Devta aur rishi kaanp uthe jab rajkumaron ne bhoomi ko phaad daala; ve vishaal khaaiyaan jo unhone har disha mein khodeen, samay ke saath jal se bhar gayin aur mahasagar ban gayin — Sagar, us raja ke naam par jiske putron ne use khoda tha.

Ve gehra aur gehra khodte gaye, sarpon ke lokon se aage, jab tak Rasaatal, sabse nichle Paataal lok mein na pahunch gaye. Vahaan unhone shaashvat rishi Kapil ko dhyaan mein baithe dekha — aur kuchh hi doori par shaanti se charta hua khoya ghoda. Indra ki chhal-kapat se pehle hi dhundhle mann wale rajkumar turant spasht, moorkh nishkarsh par pahunche: yah maun rishi hi chor hoga, jo apna apraadh chhipaane ke liye jhoothe dhyaan mein baitha hai. Apmaan chillaate hue, saath hazaar ki sankhya mein, ve hathiyaar uthakar un par toot pade.

Kapil ne kolaahal suna aur apni aankhein kholin. Bas itna hi. Unki drishti se ek hi bhayankar dhvani nikli — "Hun!" — aur kshan bhar mein Sagar ke saath hazaar putra raakh ke dher mein badal gaye. Yugon ki tapasya se janme rishi ke krodh ki aisi shakti thi.

Jab samaachaar Sagar tak pahuncha, to shok ne unhein bheetar se khokhla kar diya. Rishi Narad swayam yah dukhad samaachaar dene aaye. Tab Sagar ne apne pautra Anshuman ko, Asamanj ke sadguni putra ko, ghoda vaapas laane aur apne chaachaon ke bhaagya ko jaanne ke liye bheja. Anshuman Paataal lok mein utre aur dhyaanasth rishi ke paas raakh ka maidaan paaya. Par jahaan unke chaacha ahankaar lekar aaye the, vahaan Anshuman haath jodkar aaye. Unhone gehra pranaam kiya, vinamra shlokon se Kapil ki stuti ki, aur apne kul ke apraadh ke liye kshama maangi.

Yuva rajkumar ki vinamrata se prasann hokar Kapil ne yagya ka ghoda lauta diya aur aashirvaad diya. Phir bhi jab Anshuman ne apne poorvajon ki aatmaon ki mukti ke liye prarthana ki, to rishi ne sir hila diya. "Unki raakh keval divya Ganga ke jal se shuddh ho sakti hai," unhone kaha. "Jab tak ve un par na bahein, unhein shaanti nahin mil sakti."

Anshuman ghoda ghar laaye, aur Sagar ne apna yagya poorn kiya. Par raja ka hriday bhaari tha, kyunki unke putron ki aatmaayein amukt raheen. Unhone Anshuman ko rajgaddi saunp di aur rishi Aurva ke van-aashram mein sanyaas le liya, apne shesh varsh tapasya mein bitaaye, Ganga ke avtaran ki prarthana karte hue. Ve ise dekh na sake. Na Anshuman, na unke putra Dilip. Yah kaarya Bhagirath ke liye bacha raha, prapautra, jinki kathor tapasya ne antatah devi Ganga ko prasann kiya aur Bhagwan Shiv ko unke patan ke prachand veg ko apni jataon par dhaaran karne ke liye raazi kiya. Pavitra nadi neeche bahi, Paataal mein raakh par se guzri, aur saath hazaar aatmaayein swarg uthin.

Is prakaar mahasagar ka janm ek pita ke aadesh aur putron ke abhimaan se hua, aur saath hazaar rajkumaron ne — bahut der se — seekha ki gyaaniyon par nirdeshit krodh krodhi ko hi bhasm karta hai. Peedhiyon tak phaili unke vanshaj ki vinamrata aur tapasya ne antatah unhein mukt kiya.