Kaanchi ki Kaamaakshi

Kailash parvat par, vinodi sneh ke kshan mein Devi Paarvati Bhagwan Shiv ke peechhe aayin aur unke netron ko kamal haathon se dhak diya, jaise premi khel mein karte hain. Unki hansi Kailash ke sabhaagrihon mein mandir ghantiyon jaisi goonji. Lekin Shiv ke netra Soorya aur Chandrama hain, aur jab ve dhake gaye, to samast brahmaand ghor andhkaar mein doob gaya. Kshan bhar ke liye samast srishti andhi raat mein kaanpi. Rishiyon ne jap rok diya, aur nadiyaan behna bhool gayin. Shiv ne komalta se unke haath hataaye aur prakaash punah sthaapit kiya, lekin gambheer komalta se bole. Unhone kaha ki khel mein bhi brahmaandiya vyavastha baadhit nahin honi chaahiye, aur unhone jo andhkaar kiya uske praayashchit ke liye unhe dharti par tapasya karni hogi. Unki vaani komal thi, lekin Prabhu ki aagya thukraayi nahin ja sakti. Devi ne unke shabd vinamrata aur prem se sveekaar kiye. Vah dharti par utrin aur pavitra Kaanchipuram nagri aayin, jahaan Vegavati nadi aam ke upvanon ke beech behti thi. Kaanchi ke logon ne unka swaagat kiya, haalaanki ve nahin jaante the ki Devi unke beech vichar rahi hain. Nagri apne mandiron ke liye pehle se prasiddh thi, aur vaayu bhakti se goonjti thi. Vahaan mahaan aam vriksh ke neeche unhone tapasya aarambh ki. Unhone nadi tat ki baalu se apne haathon Shivling gadha aur adig bhakti se pooja ki, dhoop aur varsha mein tapasya mein khadi rahin. Vah keval gire patte khaatin, aur nangi dharti par soteen. Unki anguliyon ne baalu ko anant sneh se gadha, jaise maata apne shishu ka bhavishya gadhti hai. Shiv ne unke sankalp ki gehraayi parakhne ke liye pareekshaayen bhejin. Pehle unhone Vegavati mein prachand baadh bheji, aur jal tab tak utha jab tak unke banaaye baalu lingam ko baha le jaane ka khatra na hua. Nagar ke pujaari vismay se dekhte rahe, kyonki kisi ne aisi tapasya nahin dekhi thi. Paarvati bhaagin nahin. Unhone lingam ko baanhon mein bhara aur chhaati se lagaaya, baadh ke garajne par apne shareer se uski raksha ki. Jal unke aalingan ke chaaron or bant gaya, jaise unke prem ka sammaan karta ho. Unki kalaayi ke kanganon aur aalingan ke chihn aaj bhi praacheen lingam par dikhaayi dete hain. Phir Shiv ne agni bheji, aur jvaalaayen upvan ko chaatne lageen, lekin unki tapasya ujjvaltar dahki. Jvaalaayen unse mudkar door huin, unki pavitrata ko chhoone mein asamarth. Ant mein prasann Shiv samast mahima mein unke saamne prakat hue aur unki pooja sveekaar ki. Unhone unhe us pavitra sthaan mein patni roop mein sveekaar kiya, aur vahaan vah Ekaambaranaathar ke roop mein rehte hain, ekal aam vriksh ke swaami, jabki vah unke paas Kaamaakshi ke roop mein nivaas karti hain, vah Devi jinke netra prem aur karuna se bhare hain. Teerthayaatri aaj bhi us praacheen vriksh ki parikrama karte hain, praarthanaayen phusphusaate hue. Vivaah par divya pushp barse, aur devta swayam upasthit hue. Jis aam vriksh ke neeche unhone tapasya ki vah mandir praangan mein aaj bhi khada kaha jaata hai, apni chaar shaakhaon par chaar prakaar ke aam dhaaran kiye, pratyek Ved ke liye ek. Vanaspatishaastri vriksh par chakit hain, kyonki koi anya aam chaar prakaar nahin deta. Baad ke yugon mein mahaan daarshanik Aadi Shankaraachaarya Kaanchipuram aaye aur Devi ko ugra aur durjeya roop mein paaya, unki shakti saadhaaran upaasakon ke pahunch se pare teevra. Mandir ke haathi bhay se chinghaade, aur deepak betahaasha phadphadaaye. Apni param buddhi se unhone unke mandir ke saamne Shreechakra, divya Maata ka pavitra jyaamitiya yantra sthaapit kiya, aur unka roop komal aur kripaalu hua, karunaamayi Kaamaakshi jinki aaj laakhon pooja karte hain. Unke netra, jo kabhi khel mein dhake gaye the, ab sabhi par shaashvat karuna se dekhte hain. Kaanchipuram ka Kaamaakshi mandir Bharat ke mahaanatam shakti peethon mein se ek hai, aur unki katha sikhaati hai ki divya Maata bhi praayashchit ke anushaasan ke aage jhukti hain. Unke vinodi kaarya ne kshan bhar brahmaand andhera kiya, lekin aam vriksh ke neeche unki tapasya ne sabhi samay ke asankhya bhakton ke liye prakaash laaya. Apni bhoolon ke liye kasht sahne ko tatpar prem samast sansaar ka aashirvaad ban jaata hai. Unke mandir ki ghantiyaan aaj bhi Kaanchipuram mein goonjti hain, bhakton ko unki karunaamayi drishti ki or bulaati huin.