Savitri and Satyavan — Love That Argued with Death

Savitri Raja Ashvapati ki beti thi — sundar, buddhimaan. Jab vivaah yogya hui, pita ne kaha — apna pati swayam chun lo. Woh desh-bhraman par nikli. Jungle mein usne Satyavan ko dekha — lakdi kaat-ta, apne andhe mata-pita ki seva karta, chehre par santosh ki muskaan. Usi pal usne than liya. Wahi mera pati hoga.

Woh lauti. Pita ko bataya. Usi samay rishi Narad wahaan padhaare. Unhone Satyavan ke gunon ki prashansa ki. Phir gambheer ho kar kaha — 'Rajkumari, tumne heera chuna hai. Lekin us heere ki chamak sirf ek saal ki hai. Satyavan us din se theek ek saal baad marne waala hai.'

Uske pita ne bheekh maangi — kisi aur ko chun lo. Savitri ka jawaab shaant aur antim tha. 'Pati ek baar chuna jaata hai. Uska jeevan lamba ho ya chhota — woh mera hai.' Shaadi hui. Savitri mahal chhod kar jungle ki jhopdi mein rehne lagi. Apne andhe saas-sasur ki prem se seva karti hui. Bhaari lekin atoot dil se din ginti hui.

Us ek saal mein Savitri ne mahal ki rajkumari ko poori tarah bhula diya. Subah sabse pehle uthti. Andhe sasur Dyumatsena ke pair dabati. Saas ki seva karti. Phir Satyavan ke saath jungle jaati. Usne kabhi apne dukh ka izhaar nahi kiya — chehre par hamesha muskaan rehti, taaki uske pati ke antim din bhaari na hon. (Sochiye — use pata tha, din gin rahi thi, phir bhi muskurati rahi. Yeh taakat kahan se aati hai?)

Niyat tithi se teen din pehle usne vrat rakha — nirjal, maun. Vat vriksha ki pooja ki. Aaj bhi vivaahit mahilayein Vat Savitri ka vrat isi din ki yaad mein rakhti hain. Us subah usne zid ki — Satyavan ke saath jungle jaayegi, jahan woh lakdi kaat-ta tha. Dopahar ko, jaise Narad ne kaha tha, Satyavan ke sir mein tez dard hua. Woh Savitri ki god mein sir rakh kar let gaya. Aur mar gaya.

Tab Savitri ne unhe dekha. Yam — mrityu ke devta. Saawle, bhavya. Satyavan ki aatma ko paash se uske shareer se kheench rahe the. Yam aatma lekar dakshin ki taraf mude. Aur Savitri paidal peeche chal padi. Yam ne kaha — wapas laut jao. Mrityu ka maarg jeeviton ke liye nahi hai. 'Mere pati jahan jaayenge, main wahan jaaungi,' usne kaha. 'Yahi dharm hai.'

Yam ne poocha — 'Tum mrityu ke peeche kyun aa rahi ho?' Savitri ne kaha — 'Dharmagya kehte hain, satya-purushon ki sangati kabhi vyarth nahi jaati. Aap dharm ke raja hain — aapki sangat mein chalna bhi punya hai.' Uske mukh se dharm ke aise vachan sun kar Yam prasann hue. Unhone vardaan diya — pati ke jeevan ko chhod kar kuch bhi maang lo. Savitri ne maanga — mere andhe sasur ko unki drishti aur unka raajya wapas mil jaaye. 'Tathaastu,' Yam ne kaha. 'Ab wapas jao.'

Lekin Savitri chalti rahi. Dharm ki baatein itni gyaan aur sundarta se kehti hui ki Yam khud mohit ho gaye. Doosra vardaan — usne apne pita ke liye sau bete maange. Tathaastu. Teesra vardaan — apne aur Satyavan ke liye sau bete. 'Tathaastu,' Yam ne kaha. Aur phir achaanak ruk gaye. Kyunki Savitri ke Satyavan se bete hone ke liye — Satyavan ko jeevit hona hoga. Apne hi vardaan se maat khaaye mrityu-devta hans pade. Uske saamne jhuk gaye.

'Tum jeet gayi, Savitri,' unhone kaha. Aur Satyavan ka jeevan wapas kar diya.

Jab Satyavan uski god mein jaaga, jungle shaam ki sunehri roshni se jagmaga raha tha. Jab Savitri use lekar aashram lauti, to wahaan chamatkaar intezaar kar raha tha — Dyumatsena ko unki aankhon ki roshni wapas mil gayi thi, unke shatruon ne raajya bhi lauta diya tha. Kuch saalon mein Savitri ke sau bete hue. Satyavan ne lambe samay tak nyaay se raajya kiya.

Yeh katha Bharat bhar mein Vat Savitri vraton par padhi jaati hai. Aur har baar wahi sandesh — jo prem chhodne se inkaar kar de, wahi sabse badi taakat hai.

Sochiye us paidal yatra ko — Yam aage, mrityu ke paash mein ek aatma liye. Peeche ek aurat — nange pair, jungle ke kaanton mein, bina ruke, bina thake. Yam ne kai baar kaha — laut jao. Usne ek baar bhi peeche mud kar nahi dekha. Prem jab than le, to mrityu bhi raasta deti hai.

Aur Yam? Woh to dharm ke raja hain. Unhone Savitri ke mukh se aise vachan sune — nyaay se bhare, satya se bhare — ki woh swayam keh uthe: tumhaari vaani mein Vedon ka saar hai. Mrityu ne us din jeevan ko pranaam kiya tha.