Ek samay Bhasmasur naam ka ek daanav rehta tha, jise Vrikaasur bhi kaha jaata tha, jiski mahatvaakaanksha kisi bhi yagya-agni se adhik dahakti thi. Usne devtaon ko pooja aur shakti paate dekha tha, aur vah donon apne liye chaahta tha, aur vah theek jaanta tha ki kiski kripa sabse saralta se jeeti jaa sakti hai. Mahaan dev Shiv Aashutosh kehlaate hain, sheeghra prasann hone vaale, kyonki unka hriday kisi bhi upaasak ki bhakti se pighal jaata hai, chaahe vah kitna bhi ayogya ho. Bhasmasur ne apni tapasya ka lakshya isi komal hriday ko banaane ka nishchay kiya.
Vah van mein gaya aur bhayaanak teevrata ki tapasya ki. Vah baahein uthaae ek pair par khada raha jab tak uske ang sookh nahin gaye, aur jab itne se bhi dev sheeghra prakat nahin hue, to usne apne hi maans ke tukde kaatkar pavitra agni mein aahuti dene shuru kar di, apne hi shareer ko havya banaakar jwaalaon ko arpit kiya. Uske yagya ke dhuein ne aakaash kaala kar diya, aur antatah Shiv uske samaksh prakat hue, dravit aur karunaamay, aur kaha ki jo vardaan chaahe maang le. Bhasmasur ke netra dusht prakaash se chamak uthe, kyonki usne apni yaachna pehle hi taiyaar kar rakhi thi. Usne ek bhayaanak shakti maangi: jiske bhi sir ko vah apne haath se chhue, vah tatkaal bhasm ho jaaye. Shiv, apne vachan se bandhe, vardaan de diya, yadyapi shabd kehte samay unke mukh par chhaaya utar aayi.
Vardaan milte hi daanav ki sachchi yojana phoot padi. Lokon ko bhaybheet karne se hi vah kyon santusht rahe, jab vah shakti ka pareekshan swayam Shiv par karke mahaan dev ka sthaan le sakta tha? Haath failaae Bhasmasur Shiv par jhapta, daant dikhaate hue, dev ke sir par hatheli rakhkar Kailas-swaami ko bhasm ke dher mein badalne ke iraade se. Shiv ne bhay se jaana ki unka apna aashirvaad unke viruddh ho gaya hai, aur vah kiya jo devta bhi kadaachit hi karte hain: ve bhaage. Aakaash mein ve daude, Meru ke shikharon par aur taaraamandalon mein, daanav peechhe-peechhe, haath failaae, hanste hue. Devta apne chhipne ke sthaanon se dekhte rahe, kaanpte hue, kyonki yadi Shiv gir gaye, to lokon ki raksha kaun karega?
Peechha lokon mein chalta raha. Shiv soorya aur chandrama ke paas se daude, saat samudron ke oopar aur saat swargon mein, aur daanav sada ek hi kadam peechhe tha, uska bhayaanak haath swayam mrityu ke panje ki bhaanti faila hua. Rishiyon ne jap rok diya aur chhip gaye, nadiyaan bhay se behna band kar gayin, aur vaayu ne bhi saans rok li. Teenon lokon ne pehle kabhi mahaan dev ko bhaagte nahin dekha tha, aur unhone aisa aatank kabhi nahin jaana tha, kyonki yadi sanhaarak ka apna vardaan hi uska naash kar de, to srishti ka santulan hi dhah jaayega.
Antatah Shiv Vaikunth pahunche aur Vishnu ke charnon mein gir pade, haanfte hue apni vipatti sunaayi. Vishnu ne suna, aur unke mukh par dheemi muskaan phail gayi, kyonki unhone upaay pehle hi soch liya tha. Unhone Shiv se chhipkar prateeksha karne ko kaha, aur phir unhone Mohini ka roop dhaaran kiya, aisi apratirodhya sundari ka ki vaayu bhi unke chaaron or jhilmilaati prateet hoti thi, chalte samay unke noopur bajte the. Ve peechha karte daanav ke maarg mein prakat huin, phool chunti huin, aur Bhasmasur thithakkar ruk gaya. Ek hi kshan mein vah Shiv ko bhool gaya, apna peechha bhool gaya, apne samaksh drishti ke siva sab bhool gaya. Usne unse vinati ki ki ve uski ban jaayein, uske saath nritya karein, usse vivaah karein.
Mohini ne lajaakar muskuraaya aur uske saath nritya karne ko taiyaar huin, ek shart par: vah unka har pad-chaap theek vaise hi dohraae jaise ve karein, kyonki yahi unke nritya ka niyam tha. Kaamna se andha daanav taiyaar ho gaya. Ve phoolon ke beech saath naache, Mohini ke charan sundar aakritiyaan banaate, Bhasmasur unke peechhe ladkhadaata, har bhaav-bhangima dohraata. Tez aur tez ve ghoome, aur daanav ke netra unke mukh se kabhi nahin hate. Phir ek chakkar ke beech Mohini ne kripaapoorvak haath uthaaya aur nritya-bhaav mein apni hatheli apne hi sir par rakh di. Mantramugdh daanav ne, unhein theek dohraane ke vachan se bandhe, bina soche bhaav dohra diya. Uska haath uske apne sir ko chhoo gaya.
Usi kshan vardaan poorna hua. Bhasmasur ki vijayi muskaan jam gayi, uska shareer kaala padkar choor ho gaya, aur jahaan paraakrami daanav khada tha, vahaan keval dhoosar bhasm ka dher reh gaya, vaayu mein bikharta hua. Devta apne chhipne ke sthaanon se umad pade, phool barsaate aur stuti gaate hue. Shiv prakat hue, raahat se hanste hue, aur Vishnu ki buddhimatta ke samaksh nat hue. Yah katha aaj bhi kahi jaati hai pramaan ke roop mein ki chatur mastishk us shakti ko hara deta hai jise paashvik bal nahin hara sakta, aur chetaavni ke roop mein ki sheeghrata mein diye vardaan daata par hi ulat sakte hain.
Is katha ke paatra
- Bhasmasura
- Shiva
- Mohini
