Banasura aur Dahakta Nagar

Shonitpur rakt-nagri kehlaata tha kyonki uske parkote laal range the, aur uska raaja virodhaabhaas tha: janm se daanav kintu bhakti se sant. Baan pratidin bhor se pehle uthkar hazaar ghadon se ling ki pooja karta tha, pratyek bhuja ke liye ek, aur Shiv use itna prem karte the ki prabhu ne swayam uske nagar ki raksha ka vachan diya tha. Devta swayam vyaakul the, kyonki Shiv ka itna kripaapaatra bhakt unki rok-shakti se pare tha.

Banasura mahaan Bali ka putr aur Shonitpur, rakt-nagri ka raaja tha, aur teenon lokon mein Shiv ka param bhakt tha. Uski tapasya se prasann hokar Shiv ne use hazaar bhujaaen deen thin aur uski raajdhaani ko aisa durg banaaya tha jise koi sena na jeet sake. Kintu hazaar bhujaaen bhaar ban gayin, kyonki ve yuddh ke liye khujlaati thin aur koi yoddha usse bhidne ka saahas nahin karta tha. Baan ne Shiv se yogya shatru maanga, aur Shiv muskuraae aur vachan diya ki jis din uski dhvaja-dand swayam girega, uski yuddh-kaamna poorna hogi.

Baan ki putri Usha pauraanik saundarya ki raajkumaari thi, aur ek raatri usne swapn mein ek sundar yuva raajkumaar dekha jisne use aalingan kiya, aur vah kabhi na dekhe premi ki laalsa mein aansoo bahaati jaagi. Uski chatur sakhi Chitralekha, jo maaya mein kushal thi, ne sansaar ke samast mahaan raajkumaaron ke chitra banaae jab tak Usha ne apne swapn-premi ko nahin pehchaana: Aniruddh, swayam Krishna ke pautr. Usi raatri Chitralekha maaya se Dvaraka udi, sote Aniruddh ko shayya se uthaaya, aur Usha ke kaksh mein le aayi, jahaan donon gandharva-reeti se gupt vivaahit hue aur aanand se rehne lage.

Chitralekha ki maaya prasiddh thi, aur use raajkumaar ka mukh chitrit karne ke liye Usha ke swapn-varnan maatra ki aavashyakta thi. Vah sote Aniruddh ko raatri-aakaash mein utni hi komalta se le gayi jitni maata shishu ko le jaati hai, aur unhein jagaaye bina Usha ke kaksh mein lita diya. Jab ve jaage aur raajkumaari ko dekha, to unhein laga ve ab bhi swapn dekh rahe hain, jab tak uske sparsh ne unhein vishvaas nahin dilaaya ki prem ne unhein neend mein bhi pa liya hai.

Jab Baan ne putri ke kaksh mein chhipe yuvak ko khoja, to uska krodh bhayaanak tha. Uske rakshakon ne Aniruddh ko pakda aur sarp-paashon se baandha jinhein koi bal nahin tod sakta tha, aur kaaraagaar mein daal diya. Jab samaachaar Dvaraka pahuncha, to Krishna sena sahit Shonitpur par chadhe, Balram aur Pradyumn saath mein, aur jo yuddh hua usne teenon lok hila diye, kyonki swayam Shiv apne bhakt ki raksha ko ran mein utre, aur dev dev se bhide.

Yuddh dinon tak chala, aur devon-daanavon ke charnon tale prithvi kaanpi. Balram Baan ke senaapati se lade aur apne hal se nagar ke durg dhvast kiye, jabki Aniruddh ke pita Pradyumn daanav-panktiyon ko cheerkar bandi putr tak pahunche. Antatah Krishna hazaar-bhuj raaja ke samaksh akele khade hue, aur unka chakr vaayu mein goonjta hua ek baar mein do-do sau bhujaaen kaatta gaya, jab tak hazaar bhujaon ka garv karne vaala daanav chaar bhujaon sahit vinamra na khada hua.

Yah Hari-Har yuddh tha, Vishnu aur Shiv ka sangraam. Krishna Baan se lade, chakr se uski hazaar bhujaaen ek-ek kar kaatte hue jab tak keval chaar na rahin. Shiv apne bhakt ke liye poorna bal se Krishna se lade, apne bhayaanak astra chalaate hue, kintu Krishna ne sab saha, aur jab Shiv ne Krishna ki sena par apna jvar-daanav chhoda, to Krishna ne apne daahak jvar se uska uttar diya, jab tak donon jvar ek-doosre ko nat hokar na hat gaye. Antatah Shiv ne apne bhakt ko paraajit aur vinamra dekhkar swayam hastakshep kiya aur Krishna se Baan ke praanon ki bhiksha maangi, unhein diye raksha-vardaan ka smaran dilaate hue.

Krishna ne, jo Shiv ke bhakton ka apne bhakton jaisa sammaan karte hain, haath roka aur Baan ko kshama kiya, uski shesh chaar bhujaaen chhodte hue aur use Shiv ke ganon mein pramukh sthaan dete hue, mrityu aur jara se mukt. Dahakta nagar shaant hua, Usha aur Aniruddh ka vidhivat vivaah hua, aur Baan, jiska garv yuddh ki agni mein jal chuka tha, Shiv ke sevakon mein vinamratam aur priyatam bana. Yah katha pramaan ke roop mein smaran ki jaati hai ki devta bhi swaami aur bhakt ke bandhan ka sammaan karte hain, aur sachchi bhakti paraajay mein bhi jeevit rehti hai.