Kannappa ka Netra-Arpan

Srikalahasti ke nikat pahaadi desh mein shikaariyon ki ek jaati rehti thi, aur unke sardaar ka putr tha Thinnan, asaadharan bal aur shikaari ki teekshn indriyon ka yuvak. Vah van ki pratyek pagdandi jaanta tha, ek hi baan se sooar gira sakta tha, aur do ya chaar pairon par chalne vaali kisi cheez se nahin darta tha. Kintu samast saahas ke baavjood vah devtaon ke baare mein kuchh nahin jaanta tha, aur nagaron ke mandir uske liye nirarthak the, jab tak us din tak jab vah vrikshon ke beech ardh-chhipe paashaan-ling vaale ek chhote van-mandir par thokar nahin khaaya.

Neerav paashaan mein kuchh ne Thinnan ke hriday ko avarnaneeya bal se jakad liya. Vah uske samaksh kaanpta khada raha, aur bina jaane kyon, use laga ki use apna swaami aur ghar mil gaya hai. Us din se vah pratyek bhor mandir aata, aur ekmaatra gyaat shikaari-vidhi se pooja karta: nadi se apne mukh mein laae jal se ling ka snaan karaata, uske aadhaar par chune van-pushp chadhaata, aur prabhu ko apne shikaar ka bhuna maans arpit karta, pehle swayam chakhkar sunishchit karta ki vah achchha hai. Nagaron ke purohiton ko yah ghortam apvitrata lagti, kintu Shiv ko, jo keval hriday dekhte hain, yah sansaar ki shuddhtam pooja thi.

Mandir ki dekhbhaal ek dharmaatma braahman pujaari karta tha jo pratyek praatah pushp aur mantron sahit aata tha, aur dinon tak vah apne garbhagrih ko apvitra paakar bhaybheet raha: ling ke samaksh padchihn, khaae maans ki haddiyaan, aur pavitra paashaan par thook ki boondein. Usne praarthnaon mein prabhu se katu shikaayat ki, poochha ki aisa apvitraachaar kyon saha jaata hai, aur Shiv ne swapn mein uttar diya: kal bhor mein aao, prabhu ne kaha, aur vrikshon ke peeche chhipo, aur tum jaanoge ki sachchi bhakti kaisi dikhti hai.

Paanch din Thinnan ne apne prabhu ki is prachand, saral prem se seva ki, aur chhathe din Shiv ne shikaari ki mahaanta sansaar ko prakat karne ka nishchay kiya. Jab Thinnan bhor mein aaya, to usne ling ke ek netra se rakt behta paaya. Shikaari vyatha se chilla utha. Usne jadi-bootiyon aur patton se pravaah rokne ka prayaas kiya, kintu rakt behta raha. Phir, karmath manushya ke tvarit nirnay se, usne vah kiya jo kisi purohit ya rishi ne kabhi nahin kiya tha: usne chhuri li, aur kshan-bhar ki hichkichaahat ke bina apna daayaan netra nikaalkar ling ke raktasraavi netra par daba diya. Raktasraav turant ruk gaya, aur Thinnan ka hriday aanand se ga utha ki uske prabhu swasth ho gaye.

Kintu aanand kshan-bhar hi raha, kyonki ab ling ke dviteeya netra se rakt behne laga. Thinnan hichkichaaya nahin. Usne apna shesh netra nikaalne ko chhuri uthaayi, kintu phir ruk gaya, kyonki ek vyaavhaarik kathinaai soojhi: yadi usne dviteeya netra nikaal liya to vah andha ho jaayega, aur phir ling par use rakhne ka theek sthaan kaise paayega? Shikaari ki soojh-boojh se usne turant hal nikaala: raktasraavi netra ke sthaan ko chihnit karne ke liye usne apna pair ling par dridhata se tikaaya, aur phir apne hi pair ke maargdarshan se dviteeya netra nikaalne ko taiyaar hua.

Atah pujaari chhathe din bhor mein vrikshon ke beech chhipa, aur badhte bhay aur vismay se dekha ki shikaari ne raktasraavi netra khoja, bina hichak apna netra nikaala, aur phir jab dviteeya netra baha to sthaan chihnit karne ke liye ling par pair tikaaya. Pujaari ka hriday bheetar toot gaya, aur vah antatah samjha ki uske apne varshon ke shuddh anushthaan shikaari ke prem ke samaksh tinke hain. Jab Shiv prakat hue aur Kannappa ka haath roka, to pujaari shikaari ke charnon mein gira aur kshama maangi, aur us din se mandir ne shikaari-sant ka apne samast pujaariyon se oopar sammaan kiya.

Usi kshan swarg Shiv ki vaani se goonj utha: thahro, Kannappa, thahro. Prabhu samast mahima sahit shikaari ke samaksh prakat hue, uska haath pakda, aur dviteeya netra ke balidaan ko varjit kiya. Unhone Thinnan ke donon netra poorna aur damakte hue lauta diye, aur shikaari ka naam Kannappa rakha, jiska arth hai sthir-netra vaala, aur use mahaan Nayanmar santon mein sthaapit kiya, ghoshit karte hue ki unke kisi vidvaan purohit ne kabhi itne prem se unki pooja nahin ki thi. Maans aur mukh-laae jal arpit karne vaala rookha shikaari bhakti ka amar aadarsh bana jise na anushthaan chaahiye, na vidya, na anumati, keval Ishwar ko poornatah samarpit hriday.