Rashmirathi is beautiful poetry written by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar ji in which he has tried to put the character of Mahavir Karna in front of the society from a different perspective. This poem not only tells us about Karna’s valor, but also raises the question on whether God gives courage, valor, skills, wealth to someone by looking at his/her caste.
The third chapter of Rashmirathi is very famous, which most people know by the name of Krishna Ki Chetavani. The lines written in this chapter shows that the Pandavas have returned from their exile and they asked Duryodhana to return their kingdom to which Duryodhana refuses and now it is sure that a massive war will break out between Kauravas and Pandavas.
But even then Lord Shri Krishna goes to the place of Kauravas to avoid this war, by becoming the peace messenger of the Pandavas. Krishna told Duryodhan that if you are not ready to return the entire kingdom of Pandavas then just give them only five villages to the Pandavas but Duryodhana did not accept it either, on the contrary, he becomes eager to imprison Lord Krishna.
This is the time when Lord Krishna makes Duryodhana realize that your war is not with Pandavas but with me, now see who I am and what I’m capable of.
Now I present the poem to you line by line as written by Dinkar Ji himself.
Krishna ki Chetavani
Varshon tak van mein ghoom-ghoom,
Baadha-vighnon ko choom-choom,
Sah dhoop-ghaam, paani-patthar,
Paandav aaye kuch aur nikhar.
Saubhaagya na sab din sota hai,
Dekhein, aage kya hota hai.
Maitri ki raah bataane ko,
Sabko sumaarg par laane ko,
Duryodhan ko samjhaane ko,
Bheeshan vidhvans bachaane ko,
Bhagwaan Hastinapur aaye,
Paandav ka sandesha laaye.
‘Do nyaay agar to aadha do,
Par, ismein bhi yadi baadha ho,
To de do keval paanch graam,
Rakkho apni dharti tamaam.
Hum wahin khushi se khaayenge,
Parijan par asi na uthaayenge!’
Duryodhan vah bhi de na saka,
Aasheesh samaaj ki le na saka,
Ulte, Hari ko baandhne chala,
Jo tha asaadhya, saadhne chala.
Jab naash manuj par chhaata hai,
Pehle vivek mar jaata hai.
Hari ne bheeshan hunkaar kiya,
Apna swaroop-vistaar kiya,
Dagmag-dagmag diggaj dole,
Bhagwaan kupit hokar bole—
‘Janjeer badha kar saadh mujhe,
Haan, haan Duryodhan! baandh mujhe.
Yeh dekh, gagan mujhmein lay hai,
Yeh dekh, pavan mujhmein lay hai,
Mujhmein vileen jhankaar sakal,
Mujhmein lay hai sansaar sakal.
Amaratva phoolta hai mujhmein,
Sanhaar jhoolta hai mujhmein.
‘Udayachal mera deept bhaal,
Bhoomandal vakshasthal vishaal,
Bhuj paridhi-bandh ko ghere hain,
Mainaak-Meru pag mere hain.
Dipte jo grah nakshatra nikar,
Sab hain mere mukh ke andar.
‘Drig hon to drishya akaand dekh,
Mujhmein saara brahmaand dekh,
Char-achar jeev, jag, kshar-akshar,
Nashvar manushya surjaati amar.
Shat koti soorya, shat koti chandr,
Shat koti sarit, sar, sindhu mandr.
‘Shat koti Vishnu, Brahma, Mahesh,
Shat koti Jishnu, Jalpati, Dhanesh,
Shat koti Rudra, shat koti Kaal,
Shat koti danddhar lokpaal.
Janjeer badhakar saadh inhein,
Haan-haan Duryodhan! baandh inhein.
‘Bhoolok, atal, paataal dekh,
Gat aur anagat kaal dekh,
Yeh dekh jagat ka aadi-srijan,
Yeh dekh, Mahabharat ka ran,
Mritakon se pati hui bhoo hai,
Pehchaan, ismein kahaan tu hai.
‘Ambar mein kuntal-jaal dekh,
Pad ke neeche paataal dekh,
Mutthi mein teenon kaal dekh,
Mera swaroop vikraal dekh.
Sab janm mujhise paate hain,
Phir laut mujhime aate hain.
‘Jihva se kadhati jwal saghan,
Sanson mein paata janm pavan,
Pad jaati meri drishti jidhar,
Hansne lagti hai srishti udhar!
Main jabhi moondta hoon lochan,
Chha jaata chaaron or maran.
‘Baandhne mujhe to aaya hai,
Janjeer badi kya laya hai?
Yadi mujhe baandhna chahe man,
Pehle to baandh anant gagan.
Soone ko saadh na sakta hai,
Vah mujhe baandh kab sakta hai?
‘Hit-vachan nahi tune maana,
Maitri ka moolya na pehchaana,
To le, main bhi ab jaata hoon,
Antim sankalp sunaata hoon.
Yachna nahi, ab ran hoga,
Jeevan-jay ya ki maran hoga.
‘Takrayenge nakshatra-nikar,
Barsegi bhoo par vahni prakhar,
Phan Sheshnaag ka dolega,
Vikraal kaal munh kholega.
Duryodhan! ran aisa hoga,
Phir kabhi nahi jaisa hoga.
‘Bhaai par bhaai tootenge,
Vish-baan boond-se chhootenge,
Vaayas-shrigaal sukh lootenge,
Saubhaagya manuj ke footenge.
Aakhir tu bhooshaayi hoga,
Hinsa ka par, daayi hoga.’
Thi sabha sann, sab log dare,
Chup the ya the behosh pade.
Keval do nar na aghaate the,
Dhritrashtra-Vidur sukh paate the.
Kar jod khade pramudit,
Nirbhay, dono pukaarthe the ‘Jai-Jai’!
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