Yayati ne Yauvan Udhaar Liya

Chandravansh ke raja Yayati mahaan prasiddhi ke shaasak the, raja Nahusha ke putra aur un vanshon ke pita jinse Kaurava aur Yadava dono utpann honge. Unki katha do striyon aur van ke ek taal ke paas hue jhagde se aarambh hoti hai. Rishi Shukracharya ki abhimaani putri Devayani aur asurraj Vrishaparva ki putri Sharmishtha apni sakhiyon ke saath snaan ke liye gayi thin. Bhaagyavash vaayu ne tat par unke vastra mila diye, aur pratyek kanya ne krodh mein doosri ke vastra pehen liye. Abhimaan banaam abhimaan ka katu jhagda chhid gaya, aur krodh mein Sharmishtha ne Devayani ko ek gehre sookhe kuein mein dhakel diya aur apni daasiyon sahit use vahin chhod gayi. Paas hi shikaar karte raja Yayati ne Devayani ki pukaar suni aur use kuein se baahar nikaala, uthaate samay uska daayaan haath apne haath mein liya. Us samay ki paramparaon ke anusaar haath ka vah sparsh unhein baandh gaya, aur Devayani ne ghoshna ki ki choonki unhone uska haath pakda hai, unhein usse vivaah karna hoga. Yayati, yadyapi asahaj, sahmat hue, parantu Shukracharya apni putri ke apmaan ko jaankar krodhit hue. Shaanti hetu Vrishaparva ne apni hi putri Sharmishtha ko ek hazaar daasiyon sahit Devayani ki daasi banaakar de diya, aur Sharmishtha ne apna apmaan maun sweekaar kiya. Yayati ne poorn sammaan se Devayani se vivaah kiya, aur Shukracharya ne unhein gambheer chetaavani di ki Sharmishtha ke paas pati ke roop mein kabhi na jaayein, kyonki vah vishvaasghaat hoga. Varshon tak Yayati ne apna vachan nibhaaya. Devayani ne unhein do putra diye, aur Sharmishtha mehal mein sundar aur maun seva karti rahi. Parantu iccha ek dhairyavaan shikaari hai. Ek din ek ekaant upvan mein Yayati Sharmishtha se akele mile, aur uski sundarta va uske dukh ne unka sankalp pighla diya. Unhone use gupt roop se patni banaaya, aur usne teen putron ko janm diya, apni avastha ko yathaasambhav chhipaate hue. Jab Devayani ne satya jaana, to uska abhimaan van-agni ki tarah dahak utha. Vah roti hui apne pita ke paas daudi, aur Shukracharya krodh se kaanpte hue usi kshan Yayati ko shaap de baithe: jis yauvan aur saundarya ka unhone durupyog kiya tha vah murjha jaayega, aur yauvan mein hi vriddhaavastha unhein jakad legi. Ek kshan mein raja ke kaale kesh shvet hue, peeth jhuki, aur ang kaanpne lage. Yayati rishi ke charnon mein girkar daya ki bheekh maangne lage, kehte hue ki unhein abhi jeevan aur prem se tripti nahin hui hai. Antatah dravit hokar Shukracharya ne shaap mridu kiya: Yayati apni vriddhaavastha kisi anya ko de sakte hain, yadi koi yuva svechha se yauvan ke badle use le le. Vriddh raja ke hriday mein aasha jagi. Ve apne jyeshth putra ke paas gaye aur usse kaha ki pita ki jarjar avastha le le aur hazaar varshon ke liye apna yauvan udhaar de. Putra ne bhaybheet hokar inkaar kar diya. Doosre, teesre aur chauthe putron ne bhi inkaar kiya, pratyek is saude se sikudta hua. Keval sabse chhote Puru ne, Sharmishtha ke putra ne, sir jhukaakar kaha, pitaaji, mera yauvan leejiye aur mujhe apni avastha deejiye; aapka sukh hi mera kartavya hai. Ek kshan mein vinimay ho gaya. Yayati punah yuva aur tejasvi khade hue, jabki Puru jhuke aur shvetkesh khade the. Hazaar varshon tak Yayati ne sansaar ke har sukh ka bhog kiya: striyon ka prem, uttam bhojan, sangeet, udyaan aur shakti. Unhone iccha ke pyaale se gehra piya, nishchint ki tripti uski tali mein hai. Parantu jab hazaar varsh poorn hue, to Yayati ne ek aisi khoj ki jisne unhein bheetar tak hila diya. Unki icchaayein ghati nahin thin; badhi thin. Ghee se poshit agni ki tarah, jitna unhone bhoga, utni hi laalsa badhi. Unhone antatah bhayankar satya samjha: bhog se iccha kabhi shaant nahin hoti, jaise tel daalne se aag nahin bujhti. Bhaari parantu spasht hriday se Yayati ne Puru ko bulaaya, aashirvaad sahit uska yauvan lautaaya, aur apni vriddhaavastha vaapas li. Unhone Puru ka apne sthaan par raja ke roop mein abhishek kiya, kyonki jis baalak ne apna yauvan tyaaga tha usne swayam ko saccha uttaraadhikaari siddh kiya tha, aur shaanti va dhyaan mein apne antim varsh bitaane van chale gaye. Vahaan, unhein shaasit karne waali bhookh se mukt hokar Yayati ne vah santosh paaya jo hazaar varshon ke sukh ne kabhi nahin diya tha, aur jab ve mare, to devtaon ne swayam unka swarg mein swaagat kiya.