Shravan Kumar — The Son Who Carried His World

Barsaat ki andheri raat thi. Ek naujawan kandhe par bahaangi uthaye jungle ke raaste par chal raha tha — bahaangi ke dono siron par tokriyon mein uske buddhe, andhe maa-baap baithe the. Na chhata tha, na joota — bas maa-baap the, aur unka beta.

Uska naam tha Shravan Kumar. Pita Shantanu, maa Gyanvanti — dono janm se andhe. Shravan ne bachpan mein hi than li thi — jab tak jeeunga, maa-baap ki seva karoonga. Koi bada sapna nahi tha uska — bas ek tha: apne andhe maa-baap ko chaaron dhaam ke darshan karaana. Kaandhe par bahaangi, man mein bhakti. Din bhar chalta, raat ko ped ke neeche sulata, subah phir chal padta. Maa-baap ki god to andheri thi — lekin bete ke kandhe par unhe duniya dikhti thi.

Subah uth kar woh maa-baap ke pair dabaata, unhe nahlata, apne haathon se bhojan khilaata — phir bahaangi utha kar chal padta. Raaste mein log poochte — 'Itna bhaar kyun uthaate ho, jawan?' Woh hansta — 'Bhaar? Yeh to mera swarg hai. Jinhone mujhe god mein uthaaya, unhe kandhe par uthaana bhaar kaisa?'

Ek din ve Ayodhya ke paas Sarayu nadi ke kinaare pahunche. Maa-baap ko ped ke neeche bitha kar Shravan kamandalu lekar paani bharne gaya. Nadi mein kamandalu duboya — 'dub-dub' ki awaaz hui. Wahi awaaz — jo uski maut banne waali thi.

Usi jungle mein Raja Dasharatha shikaar par nikle the. Raat ka andhera tha, barsaat ki sar-saraahat thi. Dasharatha ne woh awaaz suni — laga, koi haathi paani pi raha hai. Aur Dasharatha shabdabhedi baan chalaane mein maahir the — bina dekhe, sirf awaaz par nishaana lagaane ki kala. Ek pal ko bhi sandeh nahi hua. Unhone teer chhod diya. Agle pal cheekh goonji — 'Haay!' — yeh haathi ki chinghaad nahi thi. Yeh insaan ki cheekh thi.

Dasharatha ka kaleja munh ko aa gaya. Daud kar pahunche — nadi ke kinaare ek naujawan khoon se latpath pada tha, seene mein teer. 'Kaun ho tum?' raja ne kaanpte haathon se use uthaaya. 'Main Shravan hun,' usne kaha. 'Mere andhe maa-baap ped ke neeche pyaase baithe hain. Pehle unhe paani pila do — phir jo dand dena ho, de dena.' Kehte-kehte uski saansen toot gayin. Marne se pehle usne raja ko kshama kar diya tha — itna nirmal tha woh.

Dasharatha ne Shravan ke shav ko apne kandhon par uthaaya — nadi se ped tak ka raasta. Raja ka shareer kaanp raha tha — 'Maine kya kar diya!' Unhone shav ko maa-baap ke saamne rakh diya — aur phir kamandalu lekar paani pilaane gaye. Har kadam par unke pair man-man ke lag rahe the.

Dasharatha ne kamandalu bhara — haath kaanp rahe the. Ped ke neeche baithe buddhe dampati ke paas pahunche. 'Lo, paani,' unhone dheemi awaaz mein kaha. Budhiya Gyanvanti ne bartan haathon mein liya — phir ruk gayi. 'Yeh chaal Shravan ki nahi. Yeh haath mere bete ke nahi. Yeh saans mere laal ki nahi. Sach batao — mera Shravan kahan hai?'

Dasharatha ne sab sach bata diya — ek-ek shabd. Buddhe pita Shantanu ne paani ka bartan zameen par gira diya — 'Ab yeh paani kis kaam ka?' Dono ne putra-shok mein tadapna shuru kiya. Marte-marte Shantanu ne shraap diya — 'Jaise hum apne bete ke viyog mein tadap kar mar rahe hain, waise hi tum bhi apne bete ke viyog mein tadpoge. Putra-shok mein hi tumhaari mrityu hogi.'

Shraap dekar dono ne praan tyaag diye. Dasharatha ne teenon ka daah-sanskaar apne haathon se kiya — aur woh shraap apne seene mein dafan karke mahal laut aaye. Saalon tak woh baat kisi ko nahi bataayi. Lekin shraap shraap hota hai — woh apna samay aane ka intezaar karta hai.

Phir aaya woh din — Ram ko vanvaas hua. Dasharatha mahal mein bete ke viyog mein tadapne lage. Chhah raatein — na neend, na chain. Saatviin subah praan nikal gaye. Shravan ke pita ka shraap akshar-akshar satya hua. Teer anjaane mein chala tha — lekin karma ne niyat nahi poochhi thi.

Aur Shravan? Uska naam amar ho gaya — pitra-bhakti ka sabse ujla udaaharan. Aaj bhi jab koi beta apne buddhe maa-baap ki seva karta hai, log kehte hain — 'Shravan Kumar hai.'

Katha kehte hain — Shravan ki bahaangi aaj bhi us ped ke neeche rakhi hai, jahan uske maa-baap ne praan tyaage. Aur Sarayu ka paani aaj bhi wohi 'dub-dub' karta hai — jaise Shravan ka kamandalu abhi bhi bhara jaa raha ho.