Daksha ka Yagya aur Sati

Daksha Prajapati srishti ke mahaan swamiyon mein se ek the, swayam Brahma ke maanasputr, aur samast brahmand unhein yagya-vidhaan ka aacharya maankar sammaan deta tha. Aisa koi yagya nahin tha jo unki kushalta se pare ho, aisa koi mantra nahin tha jiska ve shuddh uchchaaran na kar sakein, aur isi nipunata ne unke bheetar parvat jaisi oonchi ahankaar-bhaavna bhar di thi. Unki samast putriyon mein sabse chhoti Sati unke hriday ke sabse nikat thi, aur Daksha swapn dekhte the ki uska vivaah kisi tejasvi devta se hoga jo unki apni mahima ko pratibimbit karega. Kintu Sati ke hriday ne kuchh aur hi chuna tha. Ve Shiv se prem karti thin, us mahaan tapasvi se jo bhasm lapete parvato mein vicharta tha, mundmala dhaaran karta tha, bhoot-preton aur vanya aatmaon ka saathi tha, aur koi tark unki bhakti ko diga nahin sakta tha. Apne pita ki ghor ichchha ke viruddh unhone us vichitra dev se vivaah kiya aur Kailas parvat par unke saath rehne chali gayin, aur Daksha ne un donon mein se kisi ko bhi kabhi kshama nahin kiya. Unki drishti mein Shiv koi devta nahin, balki ek amangal bhikhaari the, aur apne daamaad ka naam sunte hi Daksha ka mukh tiraskaar se kaala pad jaata tha.

Varshon baad Daksha ne sansaar ka sabse mahaan yagya karne ka sankalp liya, Kanakhal mein ek vishaal yagya jahaan swayam devta atithi bankar padhaarenge. Teenon lokon ke kone-kone mein nimantran bheje gaye. Brahma, Vishnu, Indra aur samast dikpaal apne parivaaron sahit padhaare. Jaanboojhkar Daksha ne do naam soochi se kaat diye: unki apni putri Sati aur unke pati Shiv. Yah ek saarvajanik apmaan tha, sabke samaksh ghoshna ki Shiv nimantran ke yogya bhi nahin hain.

Kailas ki oonchaaiyon se Sati ne dekha ki devta unke pita ke yagya ki or umad rahe hain, unke rath aakaash mein chamak rahe hain, aur unke hriday mein putri ki laalsa jaagi. Unhone Shiv se vinati ki ki unhein jaane dein, kaha ki putri ko pita ke ghar jaane ke liye nimantran ki aavashyakta nahin hoti, aur nishchay hi unke pita unhein dekhkar pighal jaayenge. Shiv ne duhkh bhari aankhon se suna aur komalta se chetaavni di: Daksha ki ghrina thandi nahin hui hai, vahaan unhein swaagat nahin, keval apmaan milega. Kintu Sati ka hriday sthir tha, aur antatah Shiv ne unhein jaane diya, unki raksha ke liye vishvast anucharon ko saath bheja.

Sati yagya-bhoomi mein aise pravisht huin jaise deepon se bhare bhavan mein jwaala. Unki maata aur bahanon ne aansuon sahit unhein gale lagaaya, kintu Daksha, jo sabha ke madhya sinhaasan par viraajmaan the, uthe nahin. Unhone aise dekha jaise ve koi ajnabi hon, aur jab Sati unke charnon mein jhukin, to unhone mukh pher liya. Phir samast sabha ke samaksh ve bolne lage, aur pratyek shabd Shiv par vish-baan tha. Unhone unke pati ko nirlajj bhikhaari kaha, shmashaan-bhoomi mein vicharne vaala, jo mritakon ki bhasm lapetata hai aur pishaachon ke saath nritya karta hai. Unhone kaha ki aise praani se vivaah karke Sati ne kul ko kalankit kiya hai, aur is pavitra yagya mein koi bhi aahuti uske liye nahin ho sakti.

Pratyek apmaan ke saath Sati ke bheetar kuchh tootata aur kuchh kathor hota gaya. Ve uth khadi huin, aur unki vaani nistabdh bhavan mein goonj uthi. Unhone nidarta se apne pati ka paksh liya aur kaha ki Shiv samast praaniyon ki aatma hain, ahankaari manushyon ke tuchchh niyamon se pare. Phir unhone apna shok apne pita par mod diya. Unhone Daksha se kaha ki ve ek pal bhi us shareer ko dhaaran nahin karengi jo unse utpann hua hai, us shareer ko jise unhone apne poojya prabhu ke viruddh apmaan ka astra banaaya hai. Bhaybheet sabha ke samaksh ve yagya-agni ke saamne baith gayin, aankhein moond lin, aur man ko bheetar ki or mod liya. Yog ki shakti se unhone apne hi shareer ke bheetar aantrik agni prajvalit ki, aur kshanon mein unka nashvar shareer bhasm ho gaya. Daksha ki putri jaa chuki thin, aur yagya-bhoomi par haahaakaar chhaa gaya.

Jab yah samaachaar Kailas pahuncha, to Shiv ka shok sansaar ke tootne jaisa tha, aur phir shok aisi krodhaagni mein badal gaya jaisa brahmand ne kabhi nahin dekha tha. Dhyaan se uthkar unhone apni jata se ek lat ukhaadi aur use bhoomi par patak diya. Usse Veerbhadra prakat hue, megh-shyaam yoddha, aur unke saath devi Bhadrakali tatha Shiv ke vikaraal anuchar uthe. Vanaagni ki bhaanti ve Daksha ke yagya par toot pade. Devta bhay se bikhar gaye. Veerbhadra ne Daksha ko, us garvit yagya-aachaarya ko, pakda aur ek hi prahaar mein unka sir dhad se alag kar diya. Yagya raundkar nasht kar diya gaya: soorya-dev Bhag ke netra chale gaye, Poosha ke daant toot gaye, aur purohit apne toote paatron sahit bhaag khade hue.

Antatah kaanpte hue devta, Brahma ke netritva mein, Shiv ke paas aaye aur daya ki bheekh maangi. Dheere-dheere, jaise toofaan shaant hota hai, unka krodh sheetal hua. Unhone unhein kshama kiya, Daksha ke kandhon par bakre ka sir lagaakar unhein punarjeevit kiya, aur toote yagya ko poorn hone diya. Daksha vinamra hokar Shiv ke charnon mein gir pade aur unki stuti ki. Kintu Sati jaa chuki thin, aur samay aane par ve Himalaya ki putri Parvati ke roop mein punarjanm lengi, Shiv ka hriday punah jeetne ke liye.