Bhadrakali aur Darik

Do daanav bhaai, Darik aur Danavendra, asaadharan kathorta ki tapasya karte the, panchaagniyon ke beech khade, shareer sookhi lakdi jaise hone tak upvaas karte hue, jab tak swayam Brahma unke samaksh prakat nahin hue. Unhone aisa vardaan maanga jo unhein teenon lokon ka swaami banaae: koi manushya, koi dev aur koi daanav unhein kabhi na maar sake. Brahma ne de diya, kyonki sachchi tapasya ki shakti aisi hai ki srashta ko bhi uska sammaan karna padta hai, aur bhaai swayam ko mrityu ki pahunch se pare maankar apne raajya laute.

Jab Brahma ka vardaan kaha gaya, bhaaiyon ne chaalees din utsav manaaya, aur phir unhone apni shakti ko sansaar ke viruddh maapna aarambh kiya. Unhone prithvi ke pratyek raajya se kar maanga, aur jin raajaon ne inkaar kiya unke nagar jala diye gaye aur praja zanjeeron mein baandhkar le jaayi gayi. Unhone apsaraon ko apne darbaar mein nritya karne ko vivash kiya aur gandharvon ko mrityu ki dhamki par apni prashansa gaane ko baadhya kiya. Brahmand ki vyavastha hi charamaraane lagi: yagya ruke, varsha ladkhadaayi, aur rishi keval praarthna se apne aashramon ki raksha nahin kar sake.

Swayam ko ajeya maankar unhone teenon lokon par aisi kroorta barpaayi jaisi rishiyon ne kabhi nahin dekhi thi. Unhone devtaon ko sinhaasanon se ghaseeta aur unke sthaan par daanavon ko bithaaya. Unhone rishiyon ke aashramon par dhaave bole, unke yagya-paatra tod daale, aur devtaon ke liye niyat havya pee gaye. Nadiyaan laal bahin, van neerav ho gaye, aur nashvar gharon mein dubke rahe, deep jalaane se bhi darte hue ki kahin daanav dekh na lein. Kasht aisi charam seema par pahuncha ki devta, jo Brahma ke vardaan ke kaaran bhaaiyon se swayam nahin lad sakte the, hataasha mein ekatra hue aur rishi Narad se vinati ki ki ve unki praarthna Kailas parvat pahunchaayein.

Narad vichaar se bhi teevra gati se Kailas ude aur devtaon ka duhkh Shiv ke samaksh rakha. Mahaan dev ne suna, aur jaise-jaise kroorta ki katha khuli, unki shaanti jalne lagi. Unke triteeya netra se, divya krodh ke netra se, agni-jwaala phooti, aur us agni se Bhadrakali prakat huin, mangalmayi aur bhayaanak devi. Ve kshitij par umde meghon ki bhaanti shyaam thin, unke netra vidyut ki bhaanti dahakte the, unke gale mein mundmala thi, aur unki garjana ne teenon lok hila diye. Pratyek dev ne unhein apne astra diye: Shiv ne trishool, Vishnu ne chakr, Indra ne vajr, aur anyon ne dhanush-bhaale, jab tak ve swarg ke aayudhaagaar se kantakit nahin ho gayin.

Ranbhoomi ki or devi ke prasthaan ka varnan kaviyon ne aatank aur saundarya ke utsav ke roop mein kiya hai. Unki anuchariyaan ugra bhooton aur shringaalon ki senaayein thin jo unki sena ke peeche chalti thin, aur unke rath se uthi dhool se aakaash andhera ho gaya. Devta swarg se dekhte rahe, saans roke, kyonki ve jaante the ki yadi ve asafal huin, to teenon lokon mein kuchh bhi bhaaiyon ke vardaan ke viruddh nahin tik sakta.

Ve samudron ko kanpa dene vaali garjana ke saath ranbhoomi mein utrin. Danavendra apni sena sahit pehle unse bhida, aur unhone uski panktiyon ko sookhi ghaas mein agni ki bhaanti cheer diya, ekal yuddh mein use kaat giraaya. Phir swayam Darik aage badha, daanavon mein paraakrami, Brahma ke vardaan se rakshit aur nishchint ki srishti ki koi shakti uska ant nahin kar sakti. Usne apne vardaan-pradatt samast bal se yuddh kiya, parvat phenke aur toofaan bulaae, kintu devi uska niyat ant thin, kyonki ve uski raksha ki shreniyon se pare janmin thin: ve na manushya thin na dev na daanav, balki swayam devi thin, jinka uske vardaan ne kabhi naam nahin liya tha.

Dvandva ne prithvi ko neenv tak hila diya. Darik ke astra un par chattaan par lehron ki bhaanti choor ho gaye. Antatah Bhadrakali ne khadg ooncha uthaaya, aur ek prachand prahaar se unhone Darik ka sir dhad se alag kar diya. Daanav ka rakt ranbhoomi ko bhigo gaya, bache daanav chillaate hue paataal mein bhaag gaye, aur teenon lok aatank se mukt hue. Devtaon ne un par phool barsaae, kintu unka krodh, ek baar prajvalit hokar, turant shaant nahin hua, aur swarg tab tak kaanpta raha jab tak devtaon ne unki stuti nahin gaayi aur ve shaant hokar mahima sahit Kailas laut nahin gayin.

Phir devtaon ne desh bhar mein unke mandir banvaae, aur Kerala ki maataein apni betiyon ko saahas ke liye unse praarthna karna sikhaati hain, kyonki ve dharmaatmaon ki rakshika aur dushton ka aatank hain, vah maata jo bachchon ke sankat mein padne par uttar deti hain.

Kerala mein yah vijay aaj bhi Mudiyettu mein manaayi jaati hai, dhol, mukhauton aur nritya ke anushthaan-rangmanch mein, jahaan graameen pratyek varsh devi ki vijay ka abhinay karte hain, Bhadrakali ka abhineta vishaal mukut dhaaran kar bhor tak nritya karta hai. Yah katha pramaan ke roop mein bani hui hai ki koi vardaan, chaahe kitni bhi chaturaai se maanga gaya ho, kroorta ki sada raksha nahin kar sakta, aur nyaay, devi ke bhayaanak aur sundar mukh ko dhaaran kiye, sada maarg khoj leta hai.