Andhak, Andha Daanav

Kailas parvat par ek ujjval praatah Parvati apne prabhu ke prati kreedaamay prem se bhar uthin. Dhyaan mein baithe Shiv ke peechhe dabe paanv jaakar unhone apne komal haathon se unke netra moond diye, hanste hue, ise keval premiyon ka khel samajhkar. Kintu Shiv ke netra soorya aur chandrama hain, aur unke dhakte hi teenon lok ghor andhkaar mein doob gaye. Us apraakritik raatri mein paseene ki ek boond, akasmaat tanaav se tapt, Shiv ke lalaat se prithvi par giri. Us boond se ek shishu utha, andha janma baalak, use banaane vaale andhkaar mein tatolta hua. Uska naam Andhak rakha gaya, andhkaar vaala, andha, aur ek vichitra karuna ne Shiv ke hriday ko is kshanik kreeda se janme praani ki or dravit kiya.

Daanavraaj Hiranyaksh, paraakrami asur jiske sinhaasan ka koi uttaraadhikaari nahin tha, Kailas aaya aur Shiv se baalak ki bheekh maangi. Raaja ki laalsa se dravit hokar Shiv ne Andhak ko uski dekhrekh mein de diya, aur andh baalak asuron ke raajkumaar ke roop mein daanav-mahal mein pala, yadyapi devta phusphusaate the ki Shiv ka putr kabhi sachmuch andhkaar ka nahin ho sakta. Andhak bhayaanak shakti ka yoddha bana, aur swayam ko ajeya banaane ke liye usne aisi tapasya ki jisne swarg hila diya, dahakte soorya ke neeche panchaagniyon ke beech khada raha. Brahma prakat hue aur use bhayankar vardaan diye: koi dev, koi daanav, din ya raat ka koi praani use saralta se nahin maar sakega, aur sabse bhayaanak, uske rakt ki pratyek boond jo bhoomi ko chhuegi, ek naya Andhak ugaaegi, poorna sashastra aur samaan bhayankar.

In uphaaron se sashastra hokar Andhak ka hriday, jise kabhi vinamrata nahin sikhaayi gayi thi, bhrashtata se phool utha. Usne daanav-sinhaasan chheen liya, paataal lokon ko jeeta, aur phir apni jalti aankhein swayam swarg ki or mod din. Apne janm jitne andhe kaam se grast hokar usne swayam brahmand ki maata Parvati ki kaamna karne ka dussaahas kiya, aur Kailas doot bheje ki Shiv apni raani daanavraaj ko saunp dein. Devta is dharm-ninda se kaanp uthe, aur Shiv ki shaanti antatah krodh mein toot gayi.

Jo yuddh hua usne lokon ki neenv hila di. Andhak daanavon ki vishaal sena lekar Shiv ke ganon par chadha, aur dinon tak aakaash se astra barse. Kintu jab bhi Shiv ka trishool ya khadg daanav ka rakt bahaata, girti pratyek boond naya yoddha ban jaati, aur jitna Andhak ka rakt behta, uski sena utni badi hoti jaati, jab tak ranbhoomi hazaar Andhakon se bhar nahin gayi, sabhi avagya mein garjana karte hue. Yah dekhkar Shiv ne Maatrikaon ka aahvaan kiya, bhayaanak maatri-deviyon ka, divya naari-shakti ke yoddha roopon ka, jo agni-jaal ki bhaanti rankshetra mein phail gayin. Unhone apne mukh vishaal khole aur Andhak ke rakt ki pratyek boond ko bhoomi chhoone se pehle pee liya, use vaayu se hi chaat liya. Koi boond nahin giri, to koi pratiroop nahin janma, aur daanav ki shakti ksheen hone lagi.

Antatah Shiv ne trishool phenka, aur usne Andhak ko bedhkar vaayu mein ooncha utha liya, bindha aur asahaay. Vahaan daanav lambe yugon tak latka raha, uska rakt tapakta raha kintu dekhti deviyon ne pakad liya, uska ahankaar vedna mein dheere-dheere jalta raha. Aur us charam avastha mein andh raajkumaar ke bheetar kuchh aisa khula jise uski samast vijayon ne kabhi nahin chhua tha. Trishool par latke hue usne apni antim shakti se Shiv ki stuti gaani shuru ki, samarpan aur pashchaataap ke stotra, us dev ko samast praaniyon ki aatma maankar jiski usne ninda ki thi, apne andh ahankaar ke liye kshama maangte hue.

Shiv, jo sachche pashchaataap karne vaale ko kshama karte hain, dravit hue. Unhone Andhak ko trishool se neeche utaara, uske ghaav bhare, aur sabse karunaamay, use drishti pradaan ki, netron ki bhi aur aatma ki bhi. Jis daanav ne brahmand ki maata ki kaamna ki thi, usne ab unhein pehli baar sachmuch dekha aur lajja aur bhakti se sir jhuka diya. Shiv ne uska naash nahin kiya balki use naya banaaya: Andhak aatma se Shiv ke apne anucharon ka bhaktipoorna pramukh bankar punarjanma, us dev ka rakshak jiska usne kabhi virodh kiya tha, anant kaal tak Kailas mein seva karta hua. Yah katha pramaan ke roop mein kahi jaati hai ki koi andhkaar anugrah ke liye itna gehra nahin, aur sachche pashchaataap se andhi se andhi aatma bhi mukt ho sakti hai.