Surapadma ne bhaai ki bhoolon se raajneeti seekhi thi. Jahaan Tarak keval aatank se shaasan karta tha, vahaan Surapadma chatur sandhiyon se shaasan karta tha, chhote daanavon ko uphaaron-vachanon se apne se baandhta hua. Uski raajdhaani kaale paashaan ka durg tha jise koi sena kabhi nahin bhed paayi thi, aur uske guptachar sarvatra the, isliye devta uski jaankaari ke bina kuchh yojna nahin bana sakte the.
Tarak ke patan ke baad uska bhaai Surapadma uska sthaan lene utha, aur vah devon ka aur bhi chatur shatru siddh hua. Kathor tapasya se usne Shiv se deergh aur nirvirodh shaasan ka vardaan paaya tha, ek sau aath yugon ka aadhipatya, aur us vishaal kaal tak usne teenon lokon ko sataaya. Usne devon ko swarg se khadeda, divya gaayakon ko bandi banaaya, aur soorya-chandra ko bhi apni aagya maanne ko vivash kiya. Devta, jo Tarak ke atyaachaar se bamushkil ubre the, ek baar phir hataash hue.
Tiruchendur ki or kooch swayam pauraanik katha thi. Kartikeya ki sena mein devon ke paraakrami the: vajr sahit Indra, paash sahit Varun, aur divya yoddhaon ki senaayein. Samudr unke samaksh bant gaya, aur tat yuddh-dholon se goonj utha. Chhah din senaayein bhidin, aur Tiruchendur ki ret daanav-rakt se rangi gayi.
Kartikeya, divya senaon ke shaashvat yuva senaapati, apni senaon sahit usse bhide, aur jo yuddh hua vah Tiruchendur mein samudr-tat par lada gaya, jahaan lehrein swayam yuddh dekhti lagtin thin. Surapadma maaya ka swaami tha, aur vah baar-baar roop badalta tha: kabhi haathi, kabhi parvat, kabhi bavandar. Uski daanav-senaayein hataash saahas se ladin, kintu Kartikeya ke senaapati, ugra Veerabahu ke netritva mein, baar-baar unki panktiyaan todte gaye.
Kartikeya ke senaapati Veerabahu ne yuddh mein paraakram ke chamatkaar kiye. Ve Surapadma ke mahaanatam yoddhaon se ek-ek kar dvandva karte the, aur unki sinh-garjana daanav-panktiyon mein bhay ki lehrein bhejti thi. Jab ve ghaayal hue, to divya vaidyon ne divya jadi-bootiyon se unhein theek kiya, aur ve pehle se balvaan hokar yuddh mein laute, jab tak daanav phusphusaane na lage ki devon ke senaapati ko maara nahin ja sakta.
Antatah Surapadma ne paraajay aati dekhkar apni antim maaya ka sahaara liya. Vah ek vishaal aam-vriksh mein badal gaya, shaakhaayein phailaakar aur jadein gehri jamaakar, aasha karte hue ki dev vriksh par prahaar nahin karenge. Kintu Kartikeya ne chhadmavesh turant bhaanp liya. Unhone Vel, maata ka dahakta bhaala uthaaya, aur poorna bal se phenka. Bhaale ne aam-vriksh ko swachchh do bhaagon mein cheer diya, aur chamatkaar hua: vriksh ke do ardhabhaag roopaantarit hue, ek bhavya mayoor mein aur doosra kukkut mein.
Aam-vriksh ke roopaantaran ki vyaakhya rishi garv ke hi roopaantaran ke roop mein karte hain. Vriksh, jad-jama aur kathor, Surapadma ka ahankaar tha, aur gyaan ke Vel ne use cheer diya. Uske ardhabhaagon se mayoor aaya, jo sarpon ko khaata hai, vishaile garv ke naash ka prateek, aur kukkut, jo bhor mein baang deta hai, gyaan-jaagaran ka prateek. Is prakaar daanav ka astitva hi dharm ke saadhanon mein badal gaya.
Usi kshan Surapadma ka garv toot gaya. Daanav chhadmavesh se baahar aaya, Kartikeya ke charnon mein gira, aur daya ki bheekh maangi. Kripaalu dev ne use poornatah kshama kiya aur, katha ke sundartam mod mein, roopaantarit daanav ko apna bana liya: mayoor Kartikeya ka vaahan bana, unhein samast yuddhon mein le jaata hua, aur kukkut unke yuddh-dhvaj ka chihn bana, teenon lokon mein vijay ki baang deta hua. Shatru nasht nahin balki uddhaarit hua, us dev ka sevak bana jisse vah lada tha.
Devtaon ne roopaantaran aansuon sahit dekha, kyonki unhone vadh ki aasha ki thi aur badle mein uddhaar dekha. Swayam Indra swarg se utarkar yuva senaapati ko maala pehnaayi, aur divya gaayakon ne, Surapadma ke kaaraagaaron se mukt hokar, aisa sangeet bajaaya jaisa teenon lokon mein ek sau aath yugon se nahin suna gaya tha.
Aaj bhi mayoor aur kukkut Murugan ki pooja se avibhaajya hain. Unke dhvaj par kukkut hai, unki pratimaayein unhein mayoor par savaar dikhaati hain, aur Tiruchendur ka mahaan mandir usi samudr-tat par khada hai jahaan yuddh lada gaya tha, lehron ke sammukh. Skand Shashthi ka utsav yuddh ke chhah dinon ka utsav manaata hai, aur bhakt upvaas-praarthna karte hain, smaran karte hue ki katutam shatru bhi dev ki kripa se roopaantarit ho sakta hai, aur sachchi vijay nasht nahin balki uddhaar karti hai.
Is katha ke paatra
- Kartikeya
- Surapadma
- Parvati
