Ek din Kailas parvat par mahaan tapasvi Shiv uchchatam darshan ki charcha kar rahe the, aur unke shabd, yadyapi gahan, ek khatarnaak dhaar liye the. Unhone ghoshna ki ki samast sansaar maaya hai, bhram, koi sachchi vaastavikta na rakhne vaala swapn, aur usmein sab kuchh, bhojan bhi, shaashvat satya ke samaksh arthheen hai. Sun rahin Parvati ke hriday mein chubhan hui. Ve na keval unki patni thin balki brahmand ki maata bhi thin, aur ve swayam samast poshan ke peechhe ki shakti thin, vah oorja jo ann pakaati hai aur maata ke stan bharti hai. Yadi sansaar bhram hai, to unhone socha, vah bhojan bhi bhram hai jo pratyek jeev ko dhaaran karta hai, aur vah prem bhi jisse vah diya jaata hai. Unhone kuchh nahin kaha, kintu unke bheetar shaant sankalp bana: ve mahaan tapasvi ko sikhaayengi ki bhojan vaastav mein kya hai.
Unhone krodh se nahin balki prem se kaarya kiya, kyonki ve jaanti thin ki Shiv ka darshan, yadyapi uchch, kuchh aavashyak chook gaya tha. Jo tapasvi sansaar ka tyaag karta hai use bhi jeene ke liye khaana padta hai, aur jo bhiksha-paatra ve liye the vah swayam pramaan tha ki bhojan thukraaya nahin jaa sakta. Ve lokon ko seekhne dengi, jaise unhein seekhna hoga, ki poshan pratham kripa hai, vah neenv jis par tyaag bhi khada hai.
Bina ek shabd kahe Parvati sansaar se antardhaan ho gayin. Aur unke saath samast poshan chala gaya. Kheton mein faslein murjha gayin, doodh ki nadiyaan sookh gayin, vrikshon se phal sadkar gire, aur teenon lokon ko bhayaanak akaal ne jakad liya. Devta aur nashvar saath bhookhe rahe. Rishi jap karne ko itne durbal ho gaye, havya ke abhaav mein yagya-agniyaan bujh gayin, aur swayam mahaan Shiv ne bhi apne udar mein bhookh ki aparichit kuredan mahsoos ki. Pehli baar us prabhu ne jisne bhojan ko bhram kaha tha, samjha ki uske abhaav ka kya arth hai.
Devta hataasha mein Shiv ke paas aaye, unke divya roopon se pasaliyaan dikh rahi thin, aur unse sansaar punah sthaapit karne ki vinati ki. Shiv ne aankhein moondin aur tatkaal samajh gaye ki kya hua tha: maata hat gayi thin, aur unke saath pratyek ann aur phal. Unka darshan uchchatam arth mein satya tha, kintu usne us hriday ko ghaayal kiya tha jo brahmand ko khilaata hai, aur ab unke shabdon ke kaaran brahmand bhookha tha.
Vinamra aur dhansi aankhon vaale hokar Shiv ne bhiksha-paatra uthaaya aur bhiksha maangte lokon mein vichre, kintu pratyek dvaar rikt tha aur pratyek rasoi thandi, kyonki kahin bhi bhojan nahin tha. Antatah unka bhatakna unhein Kashi le aaya, prakaash ki pavitra nagari, aur vahaan, unke aashcharya ke liye, unhone aisa drishya dekha jisne unki saans rok di. Ek mahaan mandap mein Parvati Annapurna ke roop mein mahima mein viraajmaan thin, bhojan ki devi, sharad-chandrama ki bhaanti tejasvi, swarnim karchhul dhaaran kiye, akshay paatra se ubalte bhaat ki bhookhon ki antaheen panktiyon ko parosti huin. Devta, rishi, nashvar, pashu bhi, sabhi us pankti mein prateeksha karte the, aur koi bhi lautaaya nahin jaata tha.
Shiv apne rikt paatra sahit pankti mein lag gaye, mahaan tapasvi bhikhaariyon ke beech vinamrata se khade. Jab unki baari aayi, to Annapurna ne oopar dekha aur muskuraayin, aur apne hi haathon se unhone unka paatra labaalab bhara aur unhein khilaaya. Jab ve kha rahe the, to unmein samajh sooryoday ki bhaanti udit hui. Bhojan bhram nahin balki pavitra tha, divya kripa hi moort roop mein, maata ka prem saakaar. Uske bina darshan swayam bhookha rehta hai; uske bina na pooja, na dhyaan, na jeevan sambhav hai.
Us din se Shiv ne phir kabhi bhojan ko halke mein nahin kaha. Unhone Annapurna ka samast praaniyon ka paalan karne vaali shakti ke roop mein sammaan kiya, aur Kashi mein unka mandir aaj bhi khada hai, jahaan unki rasoi pratidin hazaaron teerthayaatriyon ko khilaati hai, aur koi bhi inkaar nahin paata. Yah katha desh-bhar mein smaran ke roop mein kahi jaati hai ki jo sansaar hamein bhojan deta hai vah thukraane ka swapn nahin balki kritagyata se grahan karne ka uphaar hai, aur koi bhi, mahaanatam dev bhi nahin, bhojan ke liye dhanyavaad kehne ke vinamra kaarya se oopar nahin hai. Vahaan khaane vaale teerthayaatri kehte hain ki bhojan mein devi ke apne prem ka svaad hai, aur pujaari pratyek aagantuk ko us din ki katha sunaate hain jab mahaan dev bhiksha-paatra lekar pankti mein khade hue the, yah seekhte hue ki kritagyata hi sarvochch darshan hai.
Is katha ke paatra
- Annapurna
- Shiva
