Shakuntala aur Angoothi

Malini nadi ke tat par ek gahan van-aashram mein Shakuntala naam ki ek yuvati rehti thi. Vah rishi Vishvamitra aur apsara Menaka ki putri thi, parantu use rishi Kanva ne atyant sneh se paala tha, jinhone use shishu avastha mein shakunt pakshiyon ke beech parityakt paaya tha. Aashram hi uski samast duniya thi: vah paudhon ko paani deti, hiranon ko apne haathon se khilaati, aur uski hansi upvanon mein pakshiyon ke geet si goonjti thi. Ek din Hastinapur ke raja Dushyanta us van mein shikaar ke liye aaye. Ek hiran ka peechha karte hue ve pavitra upvan mein pravesh kar gaye aur Shakuntala ko dekhkar thithak gaye. Yadyapi vah valkal aur phool pehne thi, uski sundarta har us raani se badhkar thi jise unhone jaana tha. Unhone swayam ko raja bataaya, aur aane waale dinon mein dono gehre prem mein pad gaye. Van ki parampara ke anusaar unhone saral Gandharva reeti se vivaah kiya, jismein vriksh aur pavitra agni hi unke ekmaatra saakshi the. Dushyanta ne Shakuntala ko apne naam se ankit ek shaahi mudrika di aur vachan diya ki sheeghra hi use bulaayenge, taaki vah raajdhaani mein raani ke roop mein apna sthaan le sake. Tab kartavya ne unhein sinhaasan ki ore bula liya, aur ve lautne ka vachan dekar chale gaye. Maheene beet gaye, aur Shakuntala, jo ab unki santaan ko garbh mein dhaaran kiye thi, apne din pati ke vichaaron mein khokar bitaati, angoothi ko dekhti aur mehal ke sapne dekhti. Ek dopahar, jab vah shoonya mein aankhein gadaaye swapnon mein khoi baithi thi, mahaan rishi Durvasa aashram mein atithi bankar aaye. Samast lokon mein apne bhayankar krodh ke liye prasiddh Durvasa ne swaagat ke liye pukaara, parantu Shakuntala, Dushyanta ke vichaaron mein doobi, unhein sun na saki. Rishi ka mukh krodh se kaala pad gaya. Unhone ghoshna ki ki jiske swapnon mein vah prem mein khoi hai, vah use poornatah bhool jaayega, jaise usne dwaar par aaye atithi ko bhulaaya. Jab unhone uski do sakhiyon ko rote hue apne charnon mein girte dekha, tabhi unka krodh kuch shaant hua. Unhone shaap ko ek shart ke saath mridu kiya: vismriti ka jaadu usi kshan tootega jab raja unke prem ka koi chihn dekhega. Shakuntala ki sakhiyon ne raahat ki saans li, kyonki vah Dushyanta ki angoothi apni ungli mein pehne thi. Parantu bhaagya ke paas ek aur kroorta shesh thi. Jab Shakuntala ke raajdhaani jaane ka samay aaya, to vah praarthana hetu ek pavitra nadi par ruki. Jaise hi usne haathon mein jal liya, bahumulya angoothi chupchaap uski ungli se fisalkar gehraaiyon mein doob gayi. Use is haani ka pata na chala. Mehal ke dwaar par vah raani ke samast garima ke saath Dushyanta ke saamne khadi hui, parantu raja use shoonya drishti se dekhte rahe. Shaap apna kaarya kar chuka tha: unhein van, vivaah ya us kanya ki koi smriti na thi. Unhone us par jhooth ka aarop lagaaya, aur darbaari us van-kanya par hanse jo raani hone ka daava karti thi. Shakuntala ka hriday toot gaya, parantu swayam swarg ne hastakshep kiya. Prakaash ki ek kiran utri, aur uski maata Menaka roti hui kanya ko ek divya sharan mein le gayin, jahaan vah sammaanpoorvak prateeksha karegi. Mehal mein Dushyanta ek vichitra bechaini ke saath reh gaye, maano koi sundar swapna unki pakad se baar-baar fisal raha ho. Tabhi ek din ek machhuaara raja ke saamne laaya gaya, jis par shaahi angoothi bechne ke prayaas mein chori ka aarop tha. Jab Dushyanta ne angoothi dekhi, to sone par ankit unka apna naam unhein dekh raha tha, aur ek baadh ki tarah shaap toot gaya. Smriti baadh aayi nadi ki tarah laut aayi: aashram, hiran, phoolon ke beech Shakuntala ka mukh, vachan, vidaai. Pashchaataap ne unhein gras liya. Unhone apni hi patni ko, jo unki santaan se bhaari thi, door bhej diya tha. Unhone sinhaasan ki upeksha ki, apne udyaanon mein uska naam pukaarte bhatke, aur baar-baar uska chitra banaaya. Devtaon ne daya karke antatah unhein ek kaarya diya: asuron ke viruddh unki senaaon ka netritva karna. Vijay ke baad jab ve swarg se laut rahe the, to unka rath ek parvatiya aashram par utra. Vahaan rishiyon ke beech unhone ek nanhe baalak ko nidar hokar sher ke bachche ke saath khelte dekha, uski ayaal kheenchate hue. Baalak ki nidarta aur uske shaahi tevar ne kisi ke kuch kehne se pehle hi Dushyanta ko satya bata diya. Tabhi swayam Shakuntala prakat huin, kuch dubli aur gambheer, parantu deeptimaan. Vah baalak unka putra Bharata tha, jise Bharat-bhoomi ko apna naam dena tha. Pati-patni aansuon ke beech gale mile, angoothi apne sthaan par laut aayi, aur parivaar Hastinapur lauta, jahaan mahaan harsh ke beech Shakuntala ka raani ke roop mein abhishek hua.