ध्रुव कथा

Prachin kaal mein Raja Uttanapada ka rajya tha. Unki do raniyan thin — Suniti aur Suruchi. Suniti badi rani thin aur unka putra Dhruv tha. Suruchi chhoti rani thin aur unka putra Uttam tha. Raja Uttanapada Suruchi se adhik prem karte the aur Suniti ki upeksha karte the. Suruchi atyant abhimani aur shadyantri stri thi.

Ek din paanch varshiya balak Dhruv apne pita ki god mein baithna chahta tha. Raja Uttanapada ne Dhruv ko pyar se god mein baitha liya. Yeh dekhkar Rani Suruchi ko krodh aa gaya. Usne Dhruv ko pita ki god se utaarkar kaha — "Tu meri kokh se paida nahi hua, isliye tujhe rajsinhaasan par baithne ka koi adhikaar nahi. Yadi tujhe raja ki god mein baithna hai to jaakar Bhagwan Vishnu ki tapasya kar aur unse vardaan maang ki agle janm mein tu meri kokh se paida ho." Raja Uttanapada Suruchi ke bhay se kuch nahi bole.

Balak Dhruv apmaanit hokar rote hue apni mata Suniti ke paas gaya. Suniti ne Dhruv ko apne hriday se lagakar kaha — "Beta, Suruchi ne jo kaha woh satya hai. Yadi tumhe kuch paana hai to Bhagwan Vishnu ki sharan mein jao. Ve hi tumhari sahayta kar sakte hain." Mata ke in vachanon ne balak Dhruv ke hriday mein dridh sankalp jaga diya.

Matra paanch varsh ka balak Dhruv ghar chhodkar van ki or chal diya. Maarg mein use Devarshi Narad mile. Narad ji ne Dhruv se poocha ki itni kam aayu mein van mein kyon ja rahe ho. Dhruv ne saari baat batai. Narad ji ne pehle use samjhaane ka prayas kiya ki tapasya bahut kathin hai, jungli jaanwar hain, bhookh-pyaas sehni hogi. Parantu Dhruv ka sankalp atal tha. Tab Narad ji ne prasann hokar use "Om Namo Bhagwate Vasudevaya" mantra diya aur Madhuvan mein Yamuna tat par tapasya karne ka nirdesh diya.

Balak Dhruv Madhuvan pahuncha aur Yamuna tat par kathor tapasya aarambh kar di. Pehle mahine mein usne keval phal khaye, doosre mahine sookhi ghaas, teesre mahine keval jal piya, chauthe mahine keval vaayu ka sevan kiya, paanchve mahine usne shwaas bhi rok li aur ek pair par khade hokar dhyan lagaya. Uski tapasya itni prabal thi ki jab usne ek pair par khade hokar tap kiya to prithvi dagmagaane lagi. Teenon lok kaamp uthe.

Devtaon ne Dhruv ki tapasya bhang karne ke anek prayas kiye. Maya se bhayanak jaanwar, raakshas aur toofan bheje gaye. Dhruv ki mata Suniti ka bhram utpann kiya gaya ki woh rote hue Dhruv ko bula rahi hai. Parantu Dhruv ka dhyan ekaagra tha — woh keval Bhagwan Vishnu ko dekh raha tha aur koi bhi maya use vichlit nahi kar payi.

Chhah maah ki atyant kathor tapasya ke baad Bhagwan Vishnu swayam prakat hue. Unhone apna shankh Dhruv ke gaal par sparsh kiya jisse Dhruv ko divya vaani prapt hui. Bhagwan Vishnu ne kaha — "He Dhruv, main tumhari bhakti se atyant prasann hoon. Tumhari tapasya aisi hai jo bade-bade rishi-muni bhi nahi kar paate. Maango, kya chahte ho?" Dhruv ne Bhagwan ke darshan paakar kaha — "Prabhu, aapke darshan se meri sabhi ichchhayein poorn ho gayin. Ab mujhe kuch nahi chahiye."

Bhagwan Vishnu ne prasann hokar Dhruv ko vardaan diya ki woh apne pita ka rajya prapt karega, chhattees hazaar varshon tak nyaypoorvak shaasan karega, aur ant mein aakaash mein Dhruv Tara (Pole Star) bankar sada atal rahega. Jis prakar Dhruv Tara sada apne sthaan par sthir rehta hai aur anya sabhi taare uski parikrama karte hain, usi prakar Dhruv ki keerti sada amar rahegi.

Dhruv apne nagar lauta to Raja Uttanapada ne pashchataap karte hue use gale lagaya. Rani Suruchi bhi lajjit hui. Dhruv ne sabko kshama kiya aur samay aane par raja bankar praja ka dharmapoorvak paalan kiya. Ant mein ve Dhruv Tara bankar aakaash mein virajmaan hue, jahan ve aaj bhi sthir aur adig dikhai dete hain — ek balak ki atoot shraddha ka shaashwat prateek.