Nau raatein. Ek devi. Ek daitya. Aur teenon lokon ka bhavishya daanv par.
Mahishasura — asuron ka raja. Usne ek chaalaak vardaan paaya tha: use na koi purush maar sakta tha, na koi devta. Auraton ke baare mein usne socha hi nahi tha. Uske dimaag mein aaya hi nahi ki koi aurat khatra ho sakti hai. (Yahi uski sabse badi galti thi — aur aakhri bhi.) Apni sena ke saath usne devtaon ko swarg se nikaal diya. Indra ka sinhaasan chheen liya. Devta jungle mein bhaag gaye. Prarthana karne lage. Lekin akele koi devta uska saamna karne layak nahi tha.
Tab kuch adbhut hua. Sab devtaon ke shareeron se divya urja ki laptein nikli — ek doosre mein milne lagi. Vishnu ke krodh se. Shiv ke rosh se. Brahma ki shaanti se. Indra ki bijli se. Sab tejas mil kar ek dhahakti roshni ban gaye. Us roshni se ek devi prakat hui. Atulaniya sundarta. Apar shakti. Durga — ajey.
Har devta ne use apna hathiyaar diya. Vishnu ne apna Sudarshana Chakra. Shiv ne Trishul. Varun ne Shankh. Agni ne Shakti. Vayu ne Dhanush. Surya ne teeron se bhara tarkash. Indra ne Vajra — aur Airavata ka ghanta. Yam ne Dand. Brahma ne Kamandalu. Kaal ne talwaar-dhaal. Himalaya ne sher diya — savaari ke liye. Vishwakarma ne abhedya kavach. Jab Devi poori tarah sashastr hui, unka tej teenon lokon mein phail gaya.
Mahishasura hansa. Ek aurat aayi hai mujhse ladne? Usne apne senapati bheje. Phir senaein. Durga ka sher dahaada. Aur sundar sahajta se unhone sabko nasht kar diya. Aakhir mein daitya-raja khud aaya — vishaal bhainsa ke roop mein daudta hua, seeng dharti cheer-te hue.
Woh roop badalne mein maahir tha. Kabhi bhainsa. Kabhi dahaadta sher. Kabhi talwaar liye yoddha. Kabhi matwala haathi. Har roop mein chakma dene ki koshish. Lekin Durga shaant rahi. Jaise samudra toofaan mein bhi apni gehrai nahi khota. Unki sthirta hi unki sabse badi shakti thi.
Nau din. Nau raatein. Ve ladte rahe. Wahi yuddh jise hum Navratri ke roop mein yaad karte hain. Dasve din — Devi ne bhainsa ko apne pair se daba diya. Jab daitya bhainsa ki gardan se aadha nikal kar apne asli roop mein aaya — unka trishul uske dil mein utar gaya. Khatm.
Aakaash se phool barse. Devtaon ne stuti gaayi. Unhe naam mila — Mahishasura Mardini. Dasva din Vijayadashami — Dussehra — buraai par achchhaai ki jeet ka utsav. Bengal mein unke ghar aane ka utsav Durga Puja ke roop mein manaya jaata hai.
Lekin gehra arth wahi hai jo maayein apni betiyon ko bataati hain. Devta tab tak bebas the jab tak ekjut nahi hue. Durga kisi ek devta ki shakti nahi hai — woh sabki mili-juli shakti hai. Unki katha kehti hai — shakti har naari mein niwas karti hai. Jab woh saahas aur spashtata ke saath uthti hai, to koi daitya — andar ka ho ya baahar ka — tik nahi sakta.
Navratri mein unke nau roopon ki pooja hoti hai — komal Shailaputri se lekar ugra Kalratri tak. Adi Shankaracharya ne unki stuti mein Mahishasura Mardini Stotram likha — 'Ayi giri nandini...' — jo Navratri mein ghar-ghar goonjta hai. Aur unka sher? Woh sirf savaari nahi — unke saahas ka prateek hai. Jo darta nahi, wahi dharm ki raksha kar sakta hai.
Chahe unhe Durga kaho, Amba kaho, ya Sherawali — sandesh ek hi hai. Jab andhera bahut ghamandi ho jaaye, Maa apne hathiyaar uthaati hai. Sher par savaar hoti hai. Aur swayam santulan wapas laati hai.
Aur suno — Navratri ki un nau raaton ko aaj bhi log jeete hain. Garba ki thaap par jab diye jalte hain, dholak bajti hai, aur ladkiyan laal chunri mein ghoomti hain — to wahi yuddh yaad aata hai. Har thaap ke saath jaise Devi ka kadam padta hai. Dasve din jab murti visarjit hoti hai, bheed mein ek ajeeb shaanti chha jaati hai. Jaise sab ne mil kar kuch jeet liya ho.
To agli baar jab andhera ghamandi lage — yaad rakhna. Maa ke paas hathiyaar bhi hain, aur sher bhi. Bas pukaarne ki der hai.
Is katha ke paatra
- Durga
- Mahishasura
- Indra
- Vishnu
- Shiva
- Brahma
