shri shukdev ji kahte hain- rajan ! maharaj bharat bare hi bhagavadbhakt the. bhagvan rishbhdev ne apne sankalpamatra se hi unhen prithvi ki raksha karne ke lie niyukt kar diya. unhonne vishvarup ki kanya panchjni se vivah kar uske garbh se sumti, rashtrabhrit, sudarshan, avaran aur dhumketu panch putron ko utpann kiya jo sarvatha unhin ke saman the. is varsh ko jiska nam pahle ajnabhavarsh tha, raja bharat ke samay se hi ‘‘bharatavarsha’ kahte hain vatsalya bhav se praja ka palan karne lage. yagyasvarup bhagvan ki agnihotra, darsh, purnamas, chaturmasya, pashu aur som adi yagyaon se aradhna karte aur yajman bharat us punyarup fal ko sarveshvar bhagvan vasudev ko hi arpan kar dete. nishkam bhakti karte the. koi kamna unhen sparsh tak nahin kar saki. is prakar karm ki shuddhi se unka antahkaran shuddh ho gaya. is prakar bhakti pravah se yukt jivan jite hue ek karor varsh nikal jane par rajyabhog ka prarabdh kshin hua janakar apni bhogi hui vanshpranpragat sanpatti ko yathayogya putron men bant diya. fir apne rajamahal se nikalakar pulhashram (harihar kshetra) men bhagvdaradhan karne chale ae.
aj bhi bhagvan shri hari vahan nivas karte hain. uske pas gandaki nadi pravahit hoti hai, jo rishi-ashramon ko pavitra karti hai. uske donon kinaron par chakrakar shalagram-shila prapt hoti hai. us pulhashram ke upavan men ekant men akele hi rahakar vibhinn upcharon se bhagvan ke aradhna karne lage. shri shukdev ji kahte hain- rajan man ka kuch bharosa nahin. chakravarti samrat ne samrajya, anukul patni, sundar sukumar sadguni putra tatha samast aishvarya ko trin ke saman tyagakar kannvas kiya tha; par ek hiran men asakti ja atki. ek bar bharat ji gandaki men snanakar pranav ka jap karte hue tin muhurt tak nadi ke tat par baithe rahe. isi samay ek hirni jal pine ki ichcha se nadi ke tir par ayi. abhi vah jal pi hi rahi thi ki sinh ke ghor garjana se bhayatur hokar, usne nadi par jane ke lie chalang laga di, garbh jal men gir para. mrigi ke pran-pakheru nikal gae. bharat ne dekha aur snehavash, dayavash (daya dharm ka mul hai) us shishu ko ashram par le ae. bachche ko uthane men koi dosh nahin tha, uski seva-sushrusha karke use svasth kar dene men bhi koi dosh nahin tha.
lekin vah svayan to ho gae the bhagvan ke, main bhagvan ka hun- aisa mante the. kintu yahan mrig shavak ko unhonne apna man liya. chahie to yah tha ki usko bhi bhagvan ka hi mante. unhonne abhiman kar liya ki yah mera bachcha hai. ab ve pyar purvak nitya uske paln-poshan, lar larane aur vyaghradi se bachane adi kriyaon men asakt ho gae. jap-tap-sadhn-p ujn-aradhan sabhi ek-ek kar chutte chale gae. sansar ka prem bhagvan ki bhakti karne nahin deta. rajrajeshvar bharat ki sanpurn kriyaen sona-baithna-jagna -hansna-bolna-khana-pina adi mrigshavak ke lie samarpit ho gayin. ek din mrigshavak bara hone par unko chorakar jangal mane chala gaya; is bat se bharat ke hriday men bara hi santap hua. bhagvan ki jagah usi ka chintn-mann-smaran tatha dhyan karne lage aur ek din rajarshi bharat ka dehavsan ho gaya. ‘ant mati so gati’ ke anusar atmasvarup se patit bharat ko sadharan purushon ke saman mrig sharir hi mila. kintu unki sadhna puri thi, isse unki purva janm ki smriti nasht nahin hui.
us yoni men bhi purvajanm ko bhagvdaradhna ke prabhav se apne mrig rup hone ka karan janakar ve atyant pashchatap karte aur kahte main sanymshil mahanubhavon ke marg se patit ho gaya. is prakar mrig sharir ko dharan kie hue rajarshi bharat ke hriday men vairagya bhavna jagrit ho gayi aur use chipaye rakhakar unhonne apni mata mrigi v janmasthan kalantar parvat ko chorakar shantasvabhav muniyon ke priya usi shalagramtirth men, jo bhagvan ka kshetra hai, pulastya aur pulah rishi ke ashram par chale aye. sukhe patton ka ahar karte, hare trin tak n chute. kalakram se gandaki nadi ke pavan jal men sharir ka adha bhag dubaye rakhakar us mrig sharir ko shri vasudev bhagvan ka dhyan karte hue chor diya. shri shukdev ji kahte hain - rajan ! adingaras gotra men atmagyani shreshth brahman ke pahli patni se nau putra evam dusri patni se ek putra aur ek kanya ka janm hua. in donon men jo purush tha vah param bhagavat rajarshishiromni bharat hi the. dudh ka jala funk-funkakar pita hai’’. pita ko moh n ho jay, atah paramagyani bharat apne ko dusron ki drishti men pagal, murkh, andhe v bahre ke saman dikhlate.
laukik shiksha men unki koi ruchi nahin thi. sada sajag rahne vale kalbhgvan ne akraman karke bharat ji ke pita ki jivan lila samet li aur unki choti bharya garbh se utpann hue donon balak apni saut ko saunpakar svayan sati hokar patilok ko chali gayin. bharat ji ke bhai brahmagyanrup paravidya se sarvatha anbhigya the. islie unhen bharat ji ka prabhav bhi gyat nahin tha. unhen manapman ka koi vichar n tha. jo koi jo kuch bhi kahta tab ve bhi usi ke anurup bhashan v vyavhar karne lagte. jibh ka jara bhi svad n dekhte hue jo kuch milta bhagavad arpan karke amrit ke saman kha lete, kaha bhi hai ‘rukha-sukha khay ke thanda pani piv, dekh parayi chupri mat lalchavai jiv.’’ unhen to svatah siddh keval gyananandasvarup atmagyan prapt ho gaya tha. dhul-dhusrit rahne ke karan unka brahmatej usi prakar chip gaya tha jis prakar badal ke ek chote se tukre ke karan surya ka prakash vilin ho jata hai. inke bhai kheton ki menr banane, khudai karne adi karyon men laga dete to un karyon ko bhi ulta sidha kar dete. ‘khanan kahen to kup banavain, mendh kahen to shikhar banaven’’.
ek din pake hue kheton ki rakhvali ko bhartji ko laga diya. chiriyan khet chugne ayin. sabhi men ishvar ka darshan kiya aur kahne lage- ‘‘ram ji ki chiriya, ramji ka khet. khao re chiriya bhar-bhar pet.. khane vala ram, khilane vala ram, to rokne ka kya kam?’’ chiriyan khet ka sanpurn dana chug gayin. bhaiyon ko bara hi krodh aya aur inhen ghar se nikal diya. ab to svachand vicharan karne lage. jo koi kuch de deta ahar svikar kar lete. mangte kisi se kuch nahin the, kaha bhi hai- mangt-mangat man ghate, priti ghate nit ke ghar jay. oche ki sangat buddhi ghate, krodh ghate man ke samjhay. inka nam hi jar bharat par gaya. vastav men jivan jine ka jo gyan tatva hai vah bharat ji ke charitra se purnataya prakashit hota hai. bharat ji ne bhojan karna, chalna sikhaya v manav jivan ki sarthakata ko sansar ke samaksh pragat kiya. ek din svechcha se kheton par virasan lagakar bhagvan ka dhyan kar rahe the. ratri ka gahan andhkar tha. dakuon ke sardar ne putra kamna se bhadrakali ko manushya ki bali dene ka sankalp kiya. jo purush bali hetu karagar men tha, daivat, karagar se bhag gaya.
daku ke samant jo shudra jati se the, charon or daurne lage, parantu uska kahin pata n laga. tab bharat ji inko dikhayi die; hatta-katta sharir, hrishtapusht lakshanon vale in bhartji ko rassiyon se bandhakar chandika devi ke mandir men le ae. snanadi-bhojnadi sabhi krityon ko purn kiya, us purush pashu ko nicha sir karake bhadrakali ke samne baitha diya. inhen sharir ka koi moh hi nahin tha, par bhagvti aise bhagvan ke ansh svarup, atmaram bhartji ki bali kaise svikar kartin? chandika ne pragat hokar brahmarshi kumar ki raksha ki aur us abhimantrit dakuon ke khadg se hi un sare papiyon ka sanhar kar diya. jinhonne bhagvan ke nirbhay charnkmlon ka ashram le rakha hai, un parmhanson ki raksha bhagvan kisi n kisi rup men karte hi hain, kaha bhi hai- ‘‘jako rakhai saiyan, mar sake nahin koy bal n banka kar sake, chahe jag bairi hoy.’’ shri shukdevji kahte hain- rajan ek bar sindhu sauvir desh ka svami raja rahugan palki par charhakar bhagvan kapildev ji se gyan prapt karne ganga sagar ja rahe the.
hona to yah tha gyan prapti evan satsang hetu paidal jate, kaha bhi hai- ‘‘sant milan ko chalie, taj maya abhiman, jyon-jyon pag age dharai, tyon-tyon kotik yagya saman.’’ parantu raja abhimani tha. marg men ikshumti nadi ke kinare jab raja ki palki pahunchi, to palki dhone hetu ek kahar ki avashyakta pari. kahar ki khoj karte samay daivavash ye brahman devta bhartji mil gae. ve bare mote taje to the hi, logon ne jabardasti pakarakar palki dhone men laga diya. ve dvijavar, koi jiv pairon tale dab n jay- is dar se age ki ek ban prithvi dekhakar chalte the. islie dusre kaharon ke sath unki chal ka mel nahin khata tha. palki thedhi-sidhi hone lagi. raja ne palki uthane valon se kaha- are kaharane ! achchi tarah chalo. svami ka yah akshep yukt vachan sunakar kaharon ne dand ke bhay se raja se kaha-maharaj! yah hamara pramad nahin hai, yah jo naya kahar palki men lagaya hai, iske karan hi palki unchi-nichi ho rahi hai. aisa sunakar rahugan ko krodh a gaya. uski buddhi mahapurushon ke sevan karne par bhi rajogun se vyapt ho gayi aur brahmatej sanpann bhashm se achchadit dvijashreshth se vyangya vachan kahne laga.
rahugan ko raja hone ka abhiman tha, islie vah anek prakar ki anap-shanap baten bol gaya. munivar jar bharat ne raja rahugan ko yatharth tattva ka updesh diya aur maun ho gae. dvijashreshth ke anekon yog-granthon se samarpit aur hriday ki granthi ka chedan karne vale uttam vachnon ko suna aur tatkal palki se utar para. raja madandh tha, kaha bhi hai- n ‘‘pashyati janmandho, kamandho naiv pashyati. n pashyati madonmatto, arthi doshan n pashyati.’’ raja ka darp chur-chur ho gaya. kahne laga- main indra vajra, yamraj dand, mahadev ke trishul tatha kuber adi ke astra-shastron se nahin darta; parantu main brahman kul ke apman se bahut hi darta hun. islie bataon, ap kaun hain? mujhe apki koi thah nahin mil rahi hai. dinbandho ! rajatva ke abhiman se unmatt hokar mainne ap jaise param sadhu ki avagya ki hai. ab ap aisi kripadrishti kijiye, jisse sadhu-avagyarup apradh se main mukt ho jaun. dvijashreshth ne raja rahugan ko gyan-darshan karaya aur kaha- rajan! vishuddh parmarth rup, advitiya tatha bhitr-bahar ke bhed se rahit paripurn gyan hi satya vastu hai. vah sarvantarvarti aur sarvatha nirvikar hai.
usi ka nam bhagvan hai aur usi ko pandit jan vasudev kahte hain. yah raja rahugan aur koi nahin vah hirn-shavak hi tha jiske karan rajarshi bharat ko mrig yoni prapt hui thi. bharat ji chahte the ki jis mrig ko mainne apni god men pala posha hai, uska kalyan ho. mrig marne par raja rahugan ban gaya tha tatha bharat ji mrigyoni ko prapt hue punah brahman kul men janm liya. raja rahugan ko sanpurn parichay kara diya. sabhi prashnon ka samadhan kiya, bhavatvi ka varnan sunaya evam raja ko sanpurn karm bandhnon se mukt kar diya. shri shukdev ji kahte hain uttaranandan ! un param prabhavshali brahmarshi putra ne apna apman karne vale sindhu naresh rahugan ko bhi atyant karunavash atmatatva ka updesh diya. raja rahugan ne bhi antahkaran men avidyavash aropit dehatmabuddhi ko tyag diya. din bhav se rahugan raja ne unke charnon ki vandna ki. fir ve paripurn samudra ke saman shantchitt hokar bhagvan vasudev ka dhyan karte prithvi par vicharan karte hue uttam gati ko prapt ho gae.
raja parikshit ko bhavatvi ka spashtikaran kiya. rajarshi bharat ke vishay men panditajan aisa kahte hain jaise garur ji ki hor koi makkhi nahin kar sakti, usi prakar rajarshi mahatma bharat ke marg ka koi anya raja man se bhi anusaran nahin kar sakta. unhonne punyakirti shrihri men anurakt hokar bhagvan ke golekdham ko prapt kiya. rajarshi bharat ke pavitra gun aur karmon ki bhaktajan bhi prashansa karte hain. unka yah charitra bara kalyankari, ayu aur dhan ki vriddhi karne vala, lok men suyash barhane vala aur ant men svarg tatha moksh ki prapti karane vala hai. jo purush ise sunta ya sunata hai aur iska abhinandan karta hai, uski sanpurn kamnaen svayan hi purn ho jati hain aisa gurh gyan dekar shri shukdev ji ne vasudev bhagvan ke shrichrnon men pranam kiya.