shri shukdev ji kahte hain- rajan ! agnidhranandan maharaj nabhi ke koi santan nahin thi. is karan unhonne apni dharmapatni merudevi ke sath putra ki kamna se yagya praranbh kiya. prabhu prasann hue aur shankh-chakra-gada padmadhari chaturbhuj narayan prakat hue. ritvijon ne raja rani ke sahit saundarya sudhasindhu anant gun nidhan prabhu ka darshanakar, stuti karte hue aghrya padadi se pujakar prabhu padapasmon men sadar dandavat pranam kiya aur kaha- prabho! rajarshi nabhi aur unki patni merudevi apke hi saman putra chahte hain. shribhgvan ‘‘main svayan maharaj nabhi ke yahan avtrit hounga, kyonki mere saman to main hi hun, anya koi nahin.’ aisa kahakar antardhan ho gae. kuch dinon ke bad nabhi ki param saubhagyashalini patni merudevi ki kukshi se bhagvan vishnu ke vajra-ankush adi chihnon se yukt atulit gunnidhan paramatatva prakat hua. putra ke atyant sundar gunon ko dekhakar maharaj ne uska nam ‘rishbh’ (shreshtha) rakha. maharaj nabhi paramaprabhu rishbhdev ka putravat palan karne lage. kuch hi dinon ke anantar rishbhdev vayask ho gae aur maharaj nabhi ne dekha ki sanpurn rashtra ke nagrik tatha mantri adi sabhi rishbhdev ko adar v priti ki drishti se dekhte hain, tab unhonne rishbhdev ko rajapad par abhishikt kar diya aur svayan apni sati patni merudevi ke sath gandh madan parvat par bhagvan nar-narayan ke vasasthan badrikashram men pahunchakar bhagvan ke nar-narayan rup ki upasna evan chintan karte hue samyanusar unhin ke tej men sthit ho gae.
shri shukdev ji kahte hain- rajan ! shasan ka dayitva svikar kar rishbhdev ne manvochit kartavya ka palan karna praranbh kar diya. bhagvan rishbhdev ke shasnkal men koi bhi purush apne lie kisi se bhi apne prabhu ke prati din-din barhne vale anurag ke siva aur kisi vastu ki kabhi ichcha nahin karta tha.’’ sanpurn praja rishbhdev ko atyadhik pyar karti evan shribhgvan ki tarah unka adar karti thi. yah dekhakar shachipti (indra) ke man men bari ishrya hui. unhonne socha - main trailokyapti hun, varsha ke dvara sabka bharn-poshan karta aur sabko jivndan deta hun, fir bhi praja mere prati itni shraddha n rakhakar dharti ke naresh ko parmeshvar ki bhanti pujti hai. tab surendra ne ishryavash ek varsh tak varsha band kar di. tab bhagvan rishbhdev ne amrpti ki dvesh vritti evan ahankar ko janakar yogabal se sajl-ghanon ki srishti ki. akash kale meghon se achchadit ho gaya aur prithvi par jal hi jal ho gaya. surpti ka mad utar gaya. unhonne bhagvan rishbhdev ke prabhav ko samajhakar unki stuti ki aur apni putri jayanti ka vivah unke sath kar diya. rishbhdev ne lok maryada ki raksha ke lie grihasthashram dharm ka palan kiya aur unse sau putra hue.
unmen sabse bare, sarvadhik gunvan evan mahayogi bharat pratapi naresh hue aur unhin ke nam par is ajnabhkhand ka nam ‘bharatavarsha’ prakhyat hua. rajkumar bharat se chote-nau rajkumar bharat varsh men prithk-prithak deshon ke prajapalak naresh hue. ye sabhi tapasvi evan bhagavadbhakt the. inse chote nau rajkumar balabrahmachari, bhagavat dharm pracharak evan bhagavad bhakt the. ye yogi v sannyasi ho gae. inse chote maharaj rishbhdev ke ikyasi putra vedagya, devarchan aur punyakarmon ke kahne se brahman ho gae. ek bar ki bat hai. maharaj rishbhdev bhraman karte hue ganga-yamuna ke madhya ki punya bhumi brahmavart men pahunche, jahan ke shasak unke chaturth putra brahmamavart the. vahan unhonne prakhyat maharshiyon ke sath apne atyant vinyi evan shilvan 8 putron ko bhi baithe dekha. is suavasar ka labh uthakar bhagvan rishbhdev ne apne putron ke madhyam se jagat ke lie atyant kalyanakar updesh diya. rishbhdev ne kaha- ‘putron! is matryalok men yah manushya sharir dukhamay vishay bhog prapt karne ke lie hi nahin hai. yah bhog to vishthabhoji sukar kukradi ko bhi milte hi hain. is sharir se antahkaran shuddhi v anant brahmanand ki prapti hetu divya tap hi karna shreyaskar hai.
isi se bhagvan ki prapti sulabh hai.’’ ‘‘manushya pramadavash kukarm men pravritt hota hai, kintu isse atma ko nashvar evan duahkhdayi sharir prapt hota hai. jab tak manushya shri hari ke charnon ka ashray nahin leta, unhin ka nahin ban jata, tab tak use janma-jara-maran se mukti nahin mil pati. ataev pratyek mata-pita evan guru ka param punit kartavya hai ki vah apni santan v shishya ko vishyasakti evan kamyakarmon se sarvatha prithak rahne ki hi shiksha de.’’ ‘‘punah sansar ki nashvarta evan bhagavadbhakti ka mahatmya batate hue shririshbhdev ji ne kaha- jo apne priya sanbandhi ko bhagavadbhakti ka updesh dekar mrityu ki fansi se nahin churata, vah guru guru nahin hai, svajan svajan nahin hai, pita-pita nahin hai, mata-mata nahin hai, ishtadev-ishtadev nahin hai aur pati-pati nahin hai. putrane ! tum sanpurn charachar bhuton ko mera hi sharir samajhakar shuddh buddhi se pad-pad par shri hari ki seva karo; yah meri sachchi puja hai.’’ gyan ki sat shreniyan jo yog vashishth ramayan men hain, unka gyan diya, kaha-
1. shubhechcha - atmakalyanarth sadguru ki sharan men jaye v shastron ka adhyayan v atmadarshan ka upay kare.
2. suvicharna - man-buddhi suvichar se yukt ho, kuvichar kisi ke prati bhi n ho.
3. tanumansa - shravan, manan, nididhyasan ke dvara shabdadi vishyon ke prati anasakti paida karna.
4. satvatpatti: samadhi rup sthiti ko prapt hona.
5. asansakti: avidya tatha isse sanbandhit karyon ka abhav hona.
6. padarth bhavini: padarthon men drirh apratiti hona, yani matra bhagavat darshan hi karna.
7. turyaga: brahm ko akhand v atmarup janna param lakshya$ gyani purush vastu se sneh n kare, na hi sangrah kare- yah updesh putron ka diya.
apne sushikshit evan bhakt putron ke madhyam se jagat ko updesh dekar rishbhdev ji ne sankalp matra se hi apne bare putra ko raj-pad par abhishikt kar diya aur svayan virakt jivan ka adarsh prastut karne ke lie rajdhani se bahar van men chale gae. bhagvan rishbhdev sarvatha gyan svarup the, kintu lokdrishti se praniyon ko shiksha dene evan parmhansya dharm ki shreshthata siddh karne ke lie unhonne unmatton ka vesh dharan kar liya. buddhi ke agar hone par bhi murkhon jaisa unka acharan hone laga. ve kisi ke prashn ka uttar n dekar muk sa vyavhar karne lage. dhul-dhusrit sharir, jidhar ji men ata-bhagne lagte. jahan koi kuch de deta, pet men dal lete; par kisi se mangte n the. rishbhdev ji sarvatha diganbar hokar vicharan karne lage. unki uchchatam sthiti ko n samajhakar kitne hi dusht un par dand prahar kar baithte. kitne galiyan dete, kitne un param purush par thuk dete aur kuch kankar patthar marte to kuch unke upar mal tyag bhi kar dete. par sharir ke prati anasakti aur main pan ka bhav n hone ke karan rishbhdev ji kuch nahin bolte. sarvatha shant aur maun rahakar apni rah age barh jate. ab ve avdhut vritti ke anantar ajgr-vritti se rahne lage. unhen manushyata ka abhiman vismrit ho gaya.
koi khane ko de deta to kha lete. pashuon ki tarah pani pi lete. lete hi lete pashuon ki tarah mal-mutra ka tyag kar dete. mal ko apne sare sharir men pot lete, kintu unke mal se atyant alaukik sugandh niklti thi, jo das-das yojan tak fail jati thi. is prakar mokshapati bhagvan rishbhdev anek prakar ki yog charchaon ka acharan karte hue nirantar anandamagn rahte the. prabhu ka yah jivan achrniya nahin, yah to avastha thi. yah sthiti shastra se pare hai. jab bhagvan rishbhdev sansar ki asarta ka purnataya anubhav kar jivan mukt avastha ka anand labh kar rahe the, us samay samast siddhiyon ne unki seva men upasthit hokar unki seva karni chahi, parantu rishbhdevji ne unka man se adar ya grahan nahin kiya, varan muskurate hue vahan se chale jane ki agya de di. sarvasamarth bhagvan rishbhdev ko siddhiyon ki avashyakta bhi kya thi? ve to siddhon ke siddh mahasiddh the. siddhiyan to unki charn-dhuli ka sparsh prapt karne ke lie lalayit rahtin, par vah punyamyi dhuli- sur-muni-vandit raj unhen mil nahin pati. sath hi sadhkon, bhakton evan yogabhyasiyon ke sammukh unhen adarsh bhi upasthit karna tha. man bara hi chanchal hota hai. ise tanik bhi suvidha dene se patan ke mahagart men dhakel deta hai.
‘‘kam, krodh, mad, lobh, moh aur bhay adi shatruon ka tatha karma-bandhan ka mul to yah man hi hai; is par koi bhi buddhiman kaise vishvas kar sakta hai.’’ isi karan bhagvan rishbhdev ne sakshat puranpurush adinarayan ke avtar hone par bhi apne ishvariya prabhav ko chipakar avdhut ka sa, moksh ki prapti karane vale parmhansya-dharm ka acharan kiya. gyani to apni yog drishti se unhen ishvaravtar samjhte the; kintu samanya prani unka parichay pane men asamarth hi the. diganbr-vesh men bhraman karte-karte unhonne kutkachal ke nirjan van men pravesh kiya aur panch bhautik sharir ko tyag dene ki ichcha ho ayi. ek din sahsa prabal jhanjhavat se gharshan ke karan van ke banson men ag lag gayi aur vah ag apni lal-lal lapton se sanpurn van ko bhasmasat karne lagi. rishbhdev ji bhi vahin vidyaman the. unki sharir men tanik bhi asakti v moh nahin tha, isi karan sharir raksha ke lie unhonne koi prayatn nahin kiya, unki to sarvatra sambuddhi thi. ataev ve chupchap baithe rahe aur unka nashvar sharir agni ki bhayanak jvala men jalakar bhasm ho gaya. is prakar sharir chorakar bhagvan rishbhdev ne yogiyon ko deh tyag ki vidhi ki bhi shiksha de di. ‘aymvtaron rajsopaplut kaivalyopshikshanarthah (5-6 -12 shrimadbhagvt) bhagvan ka yah avtar rajogun se bhare hue logon ko mokshamarg ki shiksha dene ke lie hi hua tha.’