Shunahshep Bali

Bahut samay pehle Harishchandra naam ke ek raja rehte the, jinke paas vah sab kuchh tha jo ek samraat chaah sakta hai, sivaay ek cheez ke, vansh chalaane ke liye putr. Santaanheen aur niraash hokar unhone jal aur brahmaandiya vyavastha ke mahaan devta Varun se praarthana ki, vachan diya ki yadi unhe putr milega, to kritagyata mein vah usi putr ki bali devta ko denge. Varun ne praarthana suni, aur samay par ek putr ka janm hua, rajkumar Rohit. Uttaraadhikaari ke janm par samast raajya harshit hua, aur Harishchandra ka aanand poorn lagne laga. Lekin jab devta apna haq maangne aaye, Harishchandra taalmatol karne lage. Unhone kaha ki baalak bahut chhota hai, bali ke liye daant nikle hue hone chaahiye, phir shastra dhaaran karne yogya, aur is tarah ek ke baad ek bahaane se varsh beet-te gaye. Ant mein Rohit bade ho gaye, aur rin ko aur taala nahin ja sakta tha. Lekin balivedi ke aage jhukne ke bajay rajkumar van mein bhaag gaye, varsh-dar-varsh vahaan bhatakte rahe jabki unke pita devta ke krodh ko sahte rahe. Varun ne Harishchandra ko bhayankar soojan rog, jalodar se peedit kiya, jisse unka shareer phool gaya aur jeevan yaatna ban gaya, kyonki devta ko diya vachan bina parinaam ke toda nahin ja sakta. Har varsh Rohit lautkar swayam ko arpit karne ki taiyaari karte, lekin har varsh vesh badle Indra van mein unse milte aur ek varsh aur bhatakne ke liye mana lete, teerthayaatri jeevan ke gunon ki prashansa karte. Is tarah chhah varsh beet gaye, jabki Harishchandra apne mahal mein ksheen hote rahe. Raani apne pati ke kasht par roti thin, phir bhi vrat parivaar aur shaanti ke beech deevaar ki tarah khada tha. Bhatakne ke chhathe varsh mein Rohit ko Ajigart naam ke bhookhe rishi mile, jo apni patni aur teen putron ke saath bhookh se moorchhit baithe the. Rohit ne rishi ko sau gaayon ke badle unka ek putr dene ka prastaav rakha, jo pratisthaapit bali bane aur Rohit ko mukt kare. Ajigart sahmat ho gaye, lekin apna jyeshth putr dene se mana kar diya, aur unki patni ne kanishth putr dene se mana kar diya, atah madhyam putr Shunahshep bech diya gaya. Baalak ko bali sthal par le jaaya gaya aur mahaan kaashth stambh, yoop se baandha gaya, jabki purohit vidhi ki taiyaari karte rahe. Dhol shaant ho gaye, aur anubhavi purohiton ke haath bhi kaanpne lage jo vah karne ja rahe the. Lekin jaise-jaise bhayankar kshan nikat aaya, Shunahshep praarthana karne lage. Pehle unhone ek-ek karke devtaon se vinati ki, aur phir divya prerana se unhone Usha, bhor ki devi ki sundar stutiyaan rachin, jinka prakaash andhkaar aur bhay ko door karta hai. Unhone unki gulaabi anguliyon ka gaan kiya jo swarg ke dwaar kholti hain, aur jaise unke chhand uthe, bali bhoomi par bhor ki pehli kiran phooti. Purohiton mein upasthit mahaan rishi Vishvamitra baalak ki bhakti se dravit hue aur unhone use Varun ki kripa paane ke gupt mantra sikhaaye. Shunahshep gaate rahe, aur unki stutiyaan, jo aaj bhi Rigved mein surakshit hain, ne kathor Varun ka hriday bhi pighla diya. Devta ne baalak ko bandhanon se mukt kiya aur Harishchandra ka rog har liya, bali ke sthaan par praarthana ki bhakti sveekaar ki. Bali tyaag di gayi, aur Shunahshep mukt khade hue. Upasthit raja baalak ke saahas par chakit hue, aur purohiton ne lajja se sir jhuka diye. Lekin baalak, jise uske hi pita ne bech diya tha, ne Ajigart ke ghar lautne se mana kar diya. Vah Vishvamitra ki or daude aur putr roop mein sveekaar karne ki vinati ki. Mahaan rishi, jinka apna koi yogya uttaraadhikaari nahin tha, ne aanand se unhe god liya, Devraatra naam diya, devtaon ka diya hua, aur apne sau putron mein jyeshth banaaya. Is tarah Shunahshep mrityu se naye jeevan mein pahunche, beche gaye shikaar se Bharat ke mahaanatam rishiyon mein se ek ke sammaanit uttaraadhikaari bane. Unki katha, Aitareya Brahman mein kahi gayi, praarthana se tali narbali ki praacheentam kathaon mein se ek hai. Yah sikhaati hai ki koi vrat, chaahe kitna bhi pavitra ho, nirdosh ke prati kroorta ka auchitya nahin deta, aur sachchi bhakti devtaon ko bhi daya ke liye mana sakti hai. Shunahshep ki Usha stutiyaan aaj bhi gaayi jaati hain, yah yaad dilaati hain ki jab andhkaar sabse gehra hota hai, tab vishvaas ka prakaash pehle se hi uth raha hota hai.