Sita ka Swayamvar

Videh rajya mein Janak naam ke ek buddhimaan aur saumya raja rajya karte the, jo utne hi rishi the jitne raja. Ek din, jab vah ek mahaan yagya ki taiyaari ke liye apne haathon se yagya bhoomi jot rahe the, to unka hal dharti mein kisi cheez se takraya. Hal ki rekha se ek nanhi shishu kanya prakat hui, jo bhor ki tarah tejasvi thi aur aaspaas ki mitti se achhooti thi. Janak ne use aashcharya se uthaya, kyonki dharti se janmi santaan nishchay hi devtaon ka uphaar thi. Unhone uska naam Sita rakha, jiska arth hai hal ki rekha, aur Mithila ke mahal mein use apni putri ke roop mein paala. Rajkumari asadharan saundarya aur sadgunon wali yuvati bani, aur uski keerti samast rajyon mein phail gayi. Jab vah vivaah yogya hui, to Janak ne swayamvar ki ghoshna ki, ek aisa samaaroh jismein rajkumari apna pati chunti hai. Lekin unhone ek bhayankar shart rakhi jisse har ummeedvaar kaanp utha. Unke vishaal sabhagaar mein Bhagwan Shiv ka mahadhanush rakha tha, ek aisa astra jo itna bhaari aur kathor tha ki koi bhi jeevit yoddha use kabhi utha nahin paya tha, chadhane ki to baat hi door. Janak ne pratigya ki ki keval wahi rajkumar jo us dhanush ko chadha sakega, Sita ka haath jeetega. Sita ke saundarya aur prasiddhi se aakarshit hokar door-door se raja aur yoddha aaye. Ek-ek karke ve aage badhe, vishaal dhanush ko pakda aur poori shakti lagayi. Koi bhi use uske sthaan se hila tak nahin saka, aur kai lajjit hokar ladkhadaate hue chale gaye jabki darbaar unke ahankaar par hansa. Dhanush adig raha, aur Janak niraash hone lage ki unki putri ke liye kabhi koi yogya var nahin milega. Theek usi samay, Maharshi Vishvamitra Siddhashram ki vijay ke baad apne do yuva shishyon Ram aur Lakshman ke saath Mithila ki or yatra kar rahe the. Swayamvar ke baare mein sunkar rishi ne rajkumaron ko sabha dikhane ka nishchay kiya. Ve Janak ke vishaal sabhagaar mein pahunche, jahaan saikdon raja chamakti panktiyon mein baithe the. Janak ne rishi ka sammaan se swagat kiya aur unka aashirvaad maanga. Vishvamitra muskuraye aur kaha ki Ram Shiv ke prasiddh dhanush ko dekhna chahte hain. Jaise hi yuva rajkumar aage badhe, darbaar mein sannaata chha gaya. Vah shaant bhaav se us astra ke paas gaye jisne yug ke sabse shaktishaali yoddhaon ko parajit kiya tha. Har aankh ko aashcharya mein daalte hue Ram ne ek haath se dhanush utha liya. Unhone pratyanchha ko uske sire par lagaya aur kheenchna shuru kiya. Mahadhanush unki shakti se jhuk gaya, aur phir bhayankar kadkadaahat ke saath, jisse dharti hili aur parvat kaanp uthe, vah do tukdon mein toot gaya. Sabhagaar mein haahaakaar aur aashcharya chha gaya. Raja apne aasanon se uth khade hue, shankh baje aur aakaash se phool barse. Janak aanand se ro pade, kyonki unki pratigya poorn hui thi aur unki putri ko anupam pati mila tha. Ghoonghat daale tejasvi Sita aage badhin aur Ram ke gale mein varmala daal di. Mithila nagari aanandit hui, aur shubh samachar lekar doot Ayodhya daude. Raja Dasharath apni raniyon aur darbaar ke saath padhaare, aur vivaah atulniya vaibhav se sampann hua. Lekin utsav keval ek jode ke liye nahin tha. Janak ne apni chhoti putri Urmila Lakshman ko di, aur unke bhai Kushadhvaj ne apni putriyan Mandavi aur Shrutakirti Bharat aur Shatrughna ko deen. Chaar vivahon ne dono rajvanshon ko jod diya, aur samast desh ne utsav manaya. Lekin jab baaraat ghar laut rahi thi, to ek bhayankar toofaan utha aur aakaash kaala pad gaya. Unke marg mein jatadhari aur dahakti aankhon wali ek bhayankar aakriti aayi, yoddha-rishi Parashuram, farsa dhaaran karne wale jinhone ahankaari rajaon ka ikkees baar sanhaar kiya tha. Unhone suna tha ki Shiv ka dhanush toot gaya hai, aur unka krodh dekhkar bhay lagta tha. Unhone Ram ko chunauti di ki vah unke paas maujood Vishnu ke dhanush ko chadhakar apni shakti siddh karein. Baaraati kaanp uthe, lekin Ram shaant rahe. Unhone Vishnu ka mahadhanush liya, sahajta se chadhaya aur us par baan rakha. Phir unhone Parashuram ki or dekha aur vinamrata se poocha ki baan kahaan chhoda jaye. Parashuram ka ahankaar pighal gaya, kyonki unhone apne saamne divya shakti ko pehchaan liya tha. Unhone Ram ko pranaam kiya, apna ahankaar tyaga aur tapasya ke liye parvaton ki or chale gaye. Baaraat vijay ke saath Ayodhya lauti, aur nagar ne apni nayi vadhuyon ka deepon, sangeet aur kai dinon tak chalne wale aanand se swagat kiya.