Bhikshatan, Divya Bhikshuk

Praacheen kaal mein apni srijan-shakti ke garv mein Brahma ne ahankaar se kaha aur samast devon par sarvochch hone ka daava kiya, aur aise garv par Shiv ne apne krodh mein nakh ke ek jhatke se Brahma ka paanchvaan sir kaat diya. Srashta ka kapaal Shiv ke haath se chipak gaya aur nahin chhoota, aur brahmahatya ka paap, braahman-vadh ka paap, mahaan dev se hi chipak gaya. Iske praayashchit ke liye Shiv ne kaapaalik tapasvi ka vrat liya: ve teenon lokon mein Bhikshatan bankar vicharenge, divya bhikshuk, nagna aur bhasm-lepit, jataayein bikhri huin, paap dhulne tak Brahma ke kapaal mein bhojan maangte hue.

Devtaon ne Brahma ka shirashchhed bhay se dekha tha, aur yadyapi kisi ne khule mein Shiv ko dosh dene ka saahas nahin kiya, paap karm ke lauh-niyam se unse chipak gaya, jo na dev ko chhodta hai na manushya ko. Shiv ne apna praayashchit svechchha se sveekaar kiya, kyonki ve us niyam se oopar dev nahin banenge jiska ve swayam paalan karte hain. Unhone shareer par shmashaan ki bhasm lepi, keshon ko ardhchandra se alankrit jataon mein badhne diya, gale mein mundmala pehni, aur Brahma ke kapaal ko bhiksha-paatra banaakar apne deergh praayashchit par nikal pade.

Is prakaar brahmand ke swaami, jinki Ved sarvochch ke roop mein stuti karte hain, dvaar-dvaar nirdhantam bhikshuk ki bhaanti gaye. Unke haath ka kapaal-paatra kabhi nahin bhar sakta tha, kyonki unke shaap ki prakriti aisi thi: usmein rakha jo bhi bhojan hota vah lupt ho jaata, aur unki kshudha kabhi shaant nahin hoti. Ve vanon aur nagaron mein, swarg aur paataal mein vichare, aur sarvatra dev aur rishi bhikshuk ko daya se dekhte, na jaante hue ki unke dvaar ka phate-haal tapasvi swayam Mahadev hain jo ab tak ki kathortam tapasya kar rahe hain.

Daaruvan ke devdaaru-van mein ve garvit rishiyon ke aashramon par aaye jo keval karmkaand par bharosa karte the, aur unki patniyaan sundar bhikshuk ko dekhkar mohit hokar uske peeche chalin jabki rishi eershya se krodhit hue. Rishiyon ne shaap phenke aur uske viruddh vyaaghr, sarp aur daanav utpann kiye, kintu Shiv ne vyaaghr-charm ko vastra banaaya, sarp ko aabhooshan, aur daanavon ko charnon tale kuchal diya, rishiyon ko sikhaate hue ki samarpan-rahit karmkaand rikt hai. Phir ve aage badhe, ab bhi bhiksha maangte, ab bhi atript.

Antatah unka bhraman unhein Kashi le aaya, Ganga tat par prakaash-nagri, vah nagri jise Shiv prithvi ke samast sthaanon se adhik prem karte hain. Vahaan devi Annapurna, brahmand ka bharan karne vaali maata, apne sinhaasan par haath mein swarn-kadchhi liye viraajmaan thin, apne paas aane vaale sabhi ko bhojan deti huin. Jab Bhikshatan kapaal-paatra phailaaye unke samaksh khade hue, to devi ne bhikshuk ko dekha aur muskuraayin, kyonki ve unhein jaanti thin. Unhone kadchhi mein ubalta bhaat bhara aur kapaal mein daala, aur tapasya aarambh hone ke baad pratham baar bhojan lupt nahin hua. Kapaal kanth tak bhar gaya, aur Shiv ne khaaya aur tript hue.

Usi kshan Kashi ke Kapalamochan naamak pavitra sthaan par Brahma ka kapaal Shiv ke haath se gira aur brahmahatya ka paap unse sada ke liye uth gaya. Mahaan dev mukt khade hue, punah tejasvi, aur unhone unhein bhojan dene vaali devi ko pranaam kiya, ghoshit karte hue ki Kashi mein koi kabhi bhookha nahin rahega, kyonki swayam Annapurna unhein bhojan dengi. Aaj bhi Varanasi mein Vishvanath ke mandir ke paas Annapurna ka mandir khada hai, aur vahaan hazaaron teerthyatriyon ko bhojan karaaya jaata hai, us din ka smaran karte hue jab swayam brahmand ke swaami bhikshuk bankar aaye the aur divya maata ne unka paatra bhar diya tha.

Rishi kehte hain ki jo bhi divya maata ke dvaar par sachche hriday se bhiksha maangta hai vah kabhi khaali nahin lautta, aur Kashi hi vah sthaan hai jahaan pratyek bhaar gir jaata hai, jaise kapaal Shiv ke haath se gira tha. Bhikshuk-dev dakshin mein Shiv ke priyatam roopon mein se ek hain, jahaan kaansya-moortiyaan unhein paatra phailaaye manohar gati se chalte dikhaati hain, pratyek bhakt ko smaran dilaati huin ki koi paap praayashchit se pare nahin aur koi garv vinamrata se pare nahin.

Yah katha dohri shiksha deti hai. Yah darshaati hai ki devta bhi naitik niyam ke adheen hain, kyonki swayam Shiv ne apne krodh-kritya ka praayashchit kiya, aur yah darshaati hai ki garv ka upchaar keval vinamrata hai, kyonki sarvochch prabhu ko paap dhulne se pehle nimnatam manushya ki bhaanti roti maangni padi. Aur yah devi ke hriday ko prakat karti hai, jo keval nirdhanon ko hi nahin, swayam Ishwar ko bhi bhojan deti hain jab ve aavashyakta mein unke dvaar aate hain.