Ayyappa, Do Devon ke Putr

Mahishi ne bhaai ke dev-dvesh ko uttaraadhikaar mein paaya tha aur apni chaturaai se doguna kar diya tha. Usne Indra ko sinhaasan se khadedkar swayam us par baith gayi thi, rishiyon ke yagyaagni bujha diye the, aur pratigya ki thi ki manushya ya dev se janmi koi shakti uska ant nahin kar sakti. Teenon lok uske shaasan mein karaahte the, aur rishiyon ki praarthnaayein anuttarit uthtin thin, kyonki Brahma ka vardaan uske aur mrityu ke beech lauh-praacheer bankar khada tha.

Mahishasur ki mrityu ke baad uski behen Mahishi ne bhayaanak tapasya ki aur Brahma se chatur yojna ka vardaan paaya: vah keval Shiv aur Vishnu donon se janme baalak dvaara maari ja sakti thi. Choonki aisa koi baalak ho nahin sakta tha, vah swayam ko amar maanti thi, aur usne teenon lokon par apna krodh barpaaya, devon ko swarg se khadeda aur rishiyon ko sataaya. Devta hataasha mein Vishnu ke paas gaye, kyonki akele Shiv bhi vardaan ki maang ka baalak utpann nahin kar sakte the.

Vishnu ne ek baar phir Mohini ka roop dharna sveekaar kiya, vah Mohini jiski sundarta ne kabhi samudr-manthan ke samay daanavon ko mohit kiya tha. Jab Shiv ne Mohini ko dekha, to do divya shaktiyaan ek huin, aur unke milan se ek tejasvi baalak janma, Hariharan, Hari aur Har ka putr, Vishnu aur Shiv ka. Devta harshit hue, kyonki vardaan ab poorna ho sakta tha, kintu shishu Pampa nadi ke tat par chhod diya gaya, jahaan niyati ne uske liye adbhut bhaagya taiyaar kiya tha.

Santaanheen Pandalam-naresh Rajashekhar aakhet se laut rahe the jab unhone nadi-tat se shishu-krandan suna. Vahaan ab tak ka sundartam shishu pada tha, praataahkaaleen soorya ki bhaanti damakta, gale mein chhoti swarn-ghanti bandhi hui. Raaja ne, jinhone varshon tak putr ke liye praarthna ki thi, ise devon ka hi uttar maana, aur baalak ka naam Manikandan rakha, gale mein ghanti vaala. Raani bhi use apne putr jaisa prem karti thin, aur raajkumaar balvaan, gyaani aur sarvapriya hokar bada hua.

Raaja ka mantri, ek kutil manushya, pratidin raani ke kaan mein phusphusaata tha, smaran dilaata hua ki raaja sinhaasan se kam ke liye bhi vadh karte aaye hain, aur raani ne, jo apne putr se maatr-andhata se prem karti thin, us baalak ke prati hriday kathor hone diya jise kabhi unhone dulaara tha. Manikandan, jo apni divya drishti se unke shadyantra jaante the, kuchh nahin bole aur keval muskuraae, kyonki ve samajhte the ki raajkumaar ke roop mein unka samay apne niyat ant ki or badh raha hai.

Samay aane par raani ne apna putr jana, aur raaja ke eershyaalu mantri ne Manikandan ke viruddh uska man vishaakt karna aarambh kiya, chetaavni dete hue ki dattak raajkumaar sinhaasan chheen lega. Raani ne bhayaanak rog ka bahaana kiya aur ghoshna ki ki keval vyaaghr-dugdh hi use theek kar sakta hai, aasha karte hue ki raajkumaar van mein mar jaayega. Kintu Manikandan muskuraae, kyonki ve sab jaante the, aur jangal ki or chal pade. Vahaan ve apne antim utpaat mein daanvi Mahishi se mile, aur pahaadiyon ko hila dene vaale yuddh mein unhone uska vadh kiya, apne janm ka uddeshya poorna karte hue aur teenon lokon ko aatank se mukt karte hue.

Phir raajkumaar ne vah kiya jiski kisi ne aasha nahin ki thi: unhone seeti bajaayi, aur van se vyaaghr aur ek maha-vyaaghri aaye, aur ve vyaaghri par savaar hokar ghar laute, peeche vyaaghr chale, unke dugdh ke paatra liye hue. Raaja aur raani pashchaataap aur vismay se unke charnon mein gire, kyonki ve antatah samjhe ki unka putr koi nashvar raajkumaar nahin hai. Manikandan ne unhein mukt man se kshama kiya, kintu sinhaasan tyaag diya, kyonki raajkumaar ke roop mein unka kaarya poorna ho chuka tha. Jaane se pehle Manikandan ne raaja ko apna divya roop dikhaaya, soorya ki bhaanti dahakta, aur kaha ki Sabarimalai ki pahaadi par mandir banna chaahiye jahaan samast bhakt unhein pa sakein. Raaja ne apne haathon se mandir banvaaya, aur mantri ne, apne shadyantron ka pashchaataap karte hue, uska pratham sevak bana. Aaj bhi athaarah sopaan chadhne vaale teerthyaatri sir par irumudi, arpanon ki gathri, liye chalte hain, is chihn ke roop mein ki ve apne jeevanon ke bhaar liye Ishwar ke samaksh aate hain.

Ve Sabarimalai ki pavitra pahaadi par nivritt hue, jahaan aaj bhi unka mandir khada hai, aur vahaan ve Ayyappa bankar baithe hain, shaashvat brahmachaari, unke mandir tak athaarah swarn-sopaan jaate hain.

Prativarsh laakhon teerthyaatri iktaalees dinon ki tapasya ke baad Sabarimalai chadhte hain, Swaamiye Sharanam Ayyappa japte hue, aur Makar Sankranti ki raatri pahaadi par divya jyoti dahakti hai. Yah katha pramaan ke roop mein bani hui hai ki Ishwar dharm ki jaisi aavashyakta ho vaisa roop dharkar janm lete hain, do devon ke putr ke roop mein bhi, sansaar ki buraai se raksha ke liye.