Aniruddh aur Usha

Shonitpur nagri mein Baan naam ke paraakrami daanav raja shaasan karte the, sadguni Bali ke putr aur Prahlaad ke pautr. Baan ki hazaar bhujaayen thin, aur vah Bhagwan Shiv ke mahaanatam bhakton mein se the, jinhone unhe raksha ka vardaan diya tha aur swayam unki nagri ki raksha karna sveekaar kiya tha. Baan ki Usha naam ki sundar putri thi, jo mahal ke ekaant mein pali, din-raat pehre mein. Unki sevikaayen unhe gaatin aur kahaaniyaan sunaatin, lekin unke surakshit jeevan ke khaalipan ko kuchh nahin bhar sakta tha. Ek raat Usha ne sajeev svapn dekha. Usmein unhone Chandrama jaisa tejomay sundar yuvak rajkumar dekha, jisne unka haath thaama aur prem se muskuraaya. Jab vah jaagin, rajkumar veeleen tha, lekin unka hriday kho chuka tha. Vah kabhi na mile yuvak ke prem mein bechain karvaten badalti rahin, aur unki priya sakhi Chitralekha, mantri ki pratibhaashaali putri ne unki vyatha dekhi. Chitralekha ne aakaash mein vicharne ki yog kala mein nipunata paayi thi, vah rahasya jo unhone rishiyon se seekha tha. Usha ne apna svapn bataaya, aur kushal chitrakaar tatha yog shaktiyon ki swaamini Chitralekha ne yojana banaayi. Unhone sansaar ke sabhi mahaan rajkumaaron, devtaon, Gandharvon aur rajaon ke chitra banaaye, aur ek-ek karke Usha ko dikhaaye. Usha ne pratyek par sir hilaaya, jab tak Chitralekha ne Dvaaraka ke Yaadavon ka chitra nahin khola. Vahaan unmein Usha ne svapn ka mukh dekha aur aanand se chilla uthin. Vah Aniruddh the, Pradyumna ke putr aur swayam Krishna ke pautr. Lekin Dvaaraka door thi, aur Baan aise sambandh ki kabhi anumati nahin denge. Daanav raja ne vrat liya tha ki koi nashvar unki putri se vivaah nahin karega, kyonki vah sabhi purushon ko ayogya maante the. Chitralekha muskuraayin aur Usha se na darne ko kaha. Usi raat unhone yog shakti se aakaash mein udkar Dvaaraka pahunchin, sote Aniruddh ke kaksh mein adrishya pravesh kiya, aur unhe aakaash paar Usha ke mahal le aayin. Aniruddh sundar rajkumari ke paas anjaan mahal mein jaage, aur jab Usha ne apna svapn bataaya, to vah samajh gaye ki devtaon ne hi unhe milaaya hai. Vah kai dinon tak gupt roop se saath rahe, antahpur mein chhipe. Mahal ke udyaan sandhya ko unka milan sthal bane, jahaan koi rakshak ghusne ka saahas nahin karta tha. Lekin mahal mein rahasya sada nahin rehte. Rakshakon ne anjaan yuvak ko khoja, aur baat raja Baan tak pahunchi. Daanav raja krodhit hue ki nashvar yuvak ne unki putri ke kaksh mein pravesh ka saahas kiya. Unhone shapath li ki ghuspaithiya apne praanon se chukaayega, aur apne prachandtam yoddhaon ko use pakadne ka aadesh diya. Vah apne paraakrami yoddhaon ke saath Aniruddh par toot pade, lekin yuva Yaadav sinh ki tarah lade, jo aaye sabhi ko paraajit kiya. Ant mein Baan ne unhe Naagpaash se baandha, sarpon ka phanda jisse koi yoddha nahin chhoot sakta, aur kaaraagaar mein daal diya. Jab rishi Narad ne samachar Dvaaraka pahunchaya, Krishna, Balram aur Pradyumna turant vishaal sena lekar Shonitpur chale. Bhayankar yuddh hua. Dharti hili jab daanav aur Yaadav senaayen bhidin, aur aakaash dhool se andhera ho gaya. Baan ne apni hazaar bhujaon se lade, asankhya shastra chalaaye, aur jab vah haarne lage, swayam Bhagwan Shiv apne bhakt ki raksha ko prakat hue, vrishabh par aaroodh, ganon se ghire. Tab akalpaniya hua, Krishna aur Shiv, do param devta, yuddh mein aamne-saamne hue. Yah brahmaandiya dvandva tha jisne teenon lok hila diye. Ant mein Krishna ne Jrimbhanaastra chhoda, janbhaayi ka astra, aur Shiv divya nidra se abhibhoot hokar so gaye. Shiv ke hastakshep asamarth hone par Krishna Baan par mude aur apne chakra se daanav ki hazaar bhujaayen ek-ek karke kaatne lage. Jab keval chaar bhujaayen bachin, Shiv jaage aur apne bhakt ke praanon ki bheekh maangi. Krishna, jo bhakton ke bhakton ka sammaan karte hain, maan gaye. Unhone Baan ko chhoda aur vardaan diya ki vah Shiv ke anucharon ke pramukh banenge aur moksh paayenge. Yuddh samaapt hua, aur Aniruddh Naagpaash se mukt hue. Baan vineet aur prabuddh hokar apni putri Usha ka vivaah sammaan se Aniruddh se kiya. Yugal Dvaaraka laute, jahaan mahaan utsav hua. Katha sikhaati hai ki divya aashirvaad wala sachcha prem kisi shakti se kaid nahin kiya ja sakta, aur prachandtam bhakt ko bhi Prabhu ki ichchha ke saamne vinamrata seekhni chaahiye.