pandvon ke mahaprayan ke pashchat bhagvan ke param bhakt raja parikshit shreshth brahmanon ki shikshanusar prithvi ka shasan karne lage. unhonne uttar ki putri ‘iravti’ se vivah kiya. usse janmejay adi char putron ki prapti hui. kripacharya ko acharya banakar tin ashvamedh yagya kie. maharaj parikshit digvijay ke samay jahan bhi jate vahin unhen pandvon v shrikrishn (yaduvanshiyon) ke sanudar charitra shravan karne ko milte ki kis prakar shrikrishn ne arjun ka sarthi banakar mahabharat ke yuddh men vijay dilayi, kis prakar angushth matra ka svarup dharan kar garbh men tumhari (parikshit) raksha ki adi-adi.
in divya charitron ka shravan karte-karte parikshit ka rom-rom pulkit ho jata, hriday gadgad ho jata tatha antahkaran anand ka anubhav karta aur vichar karte main v mera kul dhanya hai jinhonne paratpar parabrahm shrikrishn ki sannaidhyata ka anitya sukh sanpann labh prapt kiya. digvijay ke prasang men raja parikshit ne dekha-kaliyug raja ka vesh dharan karke ek gay aur bail ke jore ko thokron se mar raha hai. kamal tantu ke saman shvet rang ka bail ek pair se khara kanp raha tha. tin pad nasht ho chuke the. dharmopyogi dudh, ghi adi havishya padarthon ko dene vali vah gay bhi bar-bar shudra ke pairon ki thokren khakar atyant din ho rahi thi. uska bachra bhi uske nikat nahin tha.
netron se ashru nikal rahe the. svarnajatit rath par arurh raja ne apna dhanush charhakar megh ke saman ganbhir vani se usko lalkara aur kaha- tu nirpradhon par prahar karne vala apradhi hai, atah vadh ke yogya hai. dhenuputra v gomata ko parikshit ne ashvast kiya aur kaha- main dushton ko dand dene vala hun ap royen nahin. dukhiyon ke dukh ko dur karna hi rajaon ka param dharm hai. dharm ne kaha- rajan ! ap panduvanshjon ka duahkhiyon ko ashvasan dena apke yogya hi hai; jo apne pucha ki tin pair kisne kat die to narendra! shastron ke vibhinn vachnon se mohit hone ke karan ham us purush ko nahin jante, jisse sankton ke karan utpann hote hain. koi prarabdh ko karan batlate hain, to koi karm ko.
kuch log svabhav ko, to kuch log ishvar ko dukh ka karan mante hain, adi adi. inmen kaun sa mat thik hai, yah ap svayan hi vichar kar lijie! sutji kahte hain- rishishreshth shaunkji! dharm ka yah pravachan sunakar samrat parikshit atyant prasann hue aur vrishabh ke rup men sthit dharm ko unhonne jan liya. dharm dev ! tapah shauchan daya satyamiti padaah krite kritaah. adharman shaistrayo bhagnaah smayasangmdaistav.. satyayug men apke char charan the- tap, pavitrata, daya aur satya. is samay adharm ke vansh garva, asakti aur mad se tin charan nasht ho gae hain chaturth charan ‘satya’ hi bach raha hai. adharmarup kali use bhi gras bana lene ki tatparata men hai.
yah gaumata sakshat prithvi devi hain. maharaj ne donon ko santvana di aur adharm ke karan rup kaliyug ko marne hetu diksha talvar uthayi tabhi usne apne rajchihnon ka parityag kar bhay se thar-thar kanpte hue parikshit ke charnon men apna sir rakh diya. parikshit bole - sharnagat ki raksha karna mera dharm hai atah is brahmavart ka tu shighra hi parityag kar de, kyonki yah dharm, satya aur yagyapurush bhagvan ki aradhna ka nivas sthan hai. kali ne kaha- sarvabhaum! main jidhar bhi drishtipat karta hun udhar mujhe ap dhanush par ban charhaye khare dikhte hain. dharmik shiromni ! ab ap hi bataiye main apki agya ko shirodharya kar kahan nivas karun? kaliyug ki prarthana svikar kar use char sthan dyut, madyapan, stri sang aur hinsa tatha asundar sthan janakar kali ki punah prarthana par ek sthan-suvarn (dhan) aur de diya. suvarn dhan se tatparya us dhan se hai jisko adharm se arjit kiya jaye.
uprokt panchon sthanon ka atmakalyankami purush ko sevan nahin karna chahie aur maharaj parikshit ke dayarup dharm ka tyag bhi nahin karna chahie; kaha bhi hai- daya dharm ka mul hai, pap mul abhiman. tulsi daya n chorie, jab lagi ghat men pran .. samrat parikshit ne dharm ke tin pad jor die aur prithvi ka sanvardhan kiya. yogiraj parikshit maharaj yudhishthir ke dvara pradatt rajyalakshmi ka prajapalan men tatpar v bhagvan shrikrishn ki lilaon tatha namaras ka pan karte hue dharmanusar anand prapt karne lage. sutji kahte hain - jab tak abhimanyunandan maharaj parikshit samrat rahe, tab tak bhumandal par kaliyug ka kuch bhi prabhav nahin tha. parikshit bhi kaliyug se koi vair nahin rakhte the kyonki ismen punyakarm to sankalpamatra se hi falibhut ho jate hain.
parantu papakarm ka fal sharir se karne par hi milta hai, sankalpamatra se nahin. parikshit ke shasan men adharm ka mul karan kaliyug vaise to shrikrishn ke svadham gaman ke samay hi a gaya tha, fir bhi jhuth (asatya), mad, kam (asakti), nirdayata (vair) aur rajogun rupi sthan n hone ke karan kaliyug ka prabhav n ho saka. ek din raja parikshit - dhanush lekar van men shikar khelne gae. harinon ke piche daurte-daurte ve thak gae aur unhen bare jor ki bhukh aur pyas lagi. as-pas sarovar n dekhakar shamik rishi ke ashram men gae. rishi apne man-buddhi-indriya ko rokakar brahmanand men nimagn the.
sat-raj-tam tatha jagrit-svapna-sushupti ko par karke vishva-taijs-pragya ka bhav chorakar turiyavastha men samadhisth the. unki jatayen bikhri hui thin. parikshit ne aise nirvikar brahm purush ke pas jakar unse jal ki yachna ki. parantu raja ko jal to bahut dur, baithne ko asan adar (man-samman) bhi n mila. man men vichar aya ki yahan hamara apman ho gaya. krodh v ishrya ke vashibhut hokar raja ne rishi ke gale men dhanush ki nonk se marg men pare hue mrit sarp ko dal diya aur apni rajdhani laut ae. maharaj parikshit ke jivan men yah pahla hi avasar tha ki man-buddhi vikari ho gae aur svadhishthan, atmaram vishyaranya se pare evan satyakarm men lin rishi ke prati yah apradh kar diya.
shamik muni ka putra bara tejasvi tha. raja ke duvryavhar ki suchna rishikumaron ke sath khelte hue tejasvi putra ko prapt hui aur usne kaha- ye narpti kahlane vale log uchchisht bhoji kauon ke saman sand-musand hokar kitna anyay karne lage hain, raja to kutton ke saman hamare dvarpal hain. inko ghar men ghusakar charupurodash kha jane ka koi adhikar nahin hai. uski ankhen lal-lal ho gayin aur kaushiki nadi ke jal se achaman karke apne vanirupi vajra ka prayog karte hue kaha ki- kulanngar parikshit ne mere pita ka apman kiya hai.
islie meri prerna se aj ke satven din use takshak sarp das lega. sutji kahte hain- rishiyon ! iske bad vah balak ashram par aya aur pita ke gale men sarp dekhakar dukhit ho jor-jor se rone laga. rishi ne apne putra ka rona sunakar dhire-dhire netra khole aur gale men pare mrit sarp ko dur fenk diya. putra se pucha-beta tum kyon ro rahe ho. putra ne raja ke shap ka sanpurn vrittant pita ko batla diya. isse rishi ko bari pira hui;