Ganesha's Birth — The Boy at the Door

Kailash parvat par ek din Parvati akelepan mehsoos kar rahi thi. Shiv ya to yugon tak dhyaan mein baithe rehte, ya apne ganon ke saath ghoomne nikal jaate. (Ghar mein koi ho, phir bhi akelepan — yeh ehsaas auraton ko aksar hota hai, hai na?) Woh snaan ki taiyaari kar rahi thi, aur unke man mein ek vichaar aaya. Khushboodaar haldi aur chandan ka ubtan liya — wahi jo woh apni twacha par lagati thi — aur usse ek sundar bacche ka roop bana diya.

Asal mein Parvati ne pehle yeh zimmedari Nandi ko di thi — darwaaze par pehra do. Lekin Nandi ki pehli nishtha Shiv ke prati thi. Jab Shiv aaye, Nandi ne unhe rokne ki himmat nahi ki. Parvati samajh gayi — mujhe apna koi apna chahiye. Aisa jo sirf mera ho, sirf meri sune. Isiliye unhone apne haathon se, apne prem se, apne akelepan se — ek beta gadha.

Unhone usme praan phoonke. Bacche ne aankhein kholi — aur unhe dekh kar muskuraya. Parvati ka dil khushi se bhar gaya. 'Tum mere bete ho,' unhone kaha. 'Jab tak main snaan karun, darwaaze par pehra do. Kisi ko andar mat aane dena — kisi ko bhi nahi.' Bacche ne gambheerta se sir hilaaya. Ek chhota lakdi ka danda uthaya. Apni jagah khada ho gaya. Pehle kartavya par garv — chehre par saaf dikh raha tha.

Tabhi Shiv ghar wapas aaye. Darwaaze ki taraf badhe. Nanhe bacche ne raasta rok diya. 'Ruko! Meri maa snaan kar rahi hain. Koi andar nahi aa sakta.' Shiv hairan hue. Phir krodhit. 'Jaante ho main kaun hun? Main Shiv hun! Is parvat ka swami! Raaste se hat jao!' Baccha hila tak nahi. Maa ne aadesh diya tha. Aur koi dar use apna kartavya chhodne par majboor nahi kar sakta tha.

Shiv ke gan bacche ko dhakka dekar hataane daud pade. Lekin bacche ne hairat-angez taakat se un sabko bhaga diya. Aakhir mein Shiv swayam — gusse ki aag mein — trishul uthaaya. Aur bacche ka sir kaat diya. Sir door ja gira. Kho gaya. Jab Parvati baahar aayi aur dekha jo hua tha, unki khushi dehshat mein badal gayi. Phir aisa krodh jo teenon lokon ko hila gaya.

'Mere bete ko wapas lao!' woh chillayi. Shiv samajh gaye — is galti ki keemat chukaani hogi. Unhone ganon ko chaaron dishaaon mein dauda diya. Aadesh ek hi tha — jo pehla jeevit praani uttar ki taraf munh karke mile, uska sir le aao. Sabse pehle ek chhota haathi mila — uttar ki taraf munh karke shaanti se so raha tha.

Shiv ne haathi ka sir bacche ke shareer par rakha. Praan daal diye. Baccha jaag utha — aankhein jhapkaata hua, badi samajhdaar haathi-aankhon ke saath, soondh khelti hui. Parvati ne use gale laga liya, khushi ke aansu. Lekin naarazgi abhi baaki thi. Jab tak Shiv ne vaada nahi kiya — mere bete ko sabse zyada sammaan milega.

Phir ek din dono bhaiyon mein hodd lagi — Ganesha aur Kartikeya. Kaun pehle poori duniya ki parikrama karke aayega? Jeetne waale ko gyaan ka divya phal. Kartikeya apne mayur par bijli ki raftaar se ud chale. Ganesha ne muskura kar apne mata-pita ke chaaron taraf ek parikrama ki. Haath jod liye. 'Mere liye to aap hi meri duniya hain.' Shiv prasann hue. Phal Ganesha ko mila. Buddhi aur shraddha hamesha tez raftaar se badi hoti hai — us din sab ne yahi seekha.

Shiv ne use Ganapati naam diya — ganon ke swami. Ghoshna hui — koi prarthana, koi shaadi, koi yatra, koi nayi shuruaat Ganesha ki pooja ke bina poori nahi hogi. Isiliye aaj bhi har pooja unke naam se shuru hoti hai.

Aur suniye, unki mahima sirf poojaon tak nahi hai. Jab rishi Ved Vyas ne Mahabharata likhne ka sankalp kiya, unhe ek aisa lekhak chahiye tha jo unki raftaar se likh sake — aur har shlok ka arth bhi samjhe. Ganesha maan gaye. Shart rakhi — Vyas ek pal nahi rukenge. Vyas ne shart rakhi — Ganesha bina samjhe ek akshar nahi likhenge. Teen saal tak yeh divya leela chali. Duniya ka sabse bada mahaakaavya likha gaya.

Aaj bhi Ganesh Chaturthi par unka janm manaya jaata hai — dhol-taashon ke saath, modak ke bhog ke saath. Aur is atal vishwaas ke saath ki har shuruaat unke naam se shubh hoti hai.