Kaartikeya ka Taarak Vadh

Ek samay Taarak naam ka ek daanav tha, paraakrami Vajraang ka putr, jisne itni kathor tapasya ki ki swayam Brahma uske saamne prakat hue. Srashta itni ghor tapasya se prasann hue ki lok kaanp uthe the. Taarak ne ajeyata ka vardaan maanga, lekin Brahma poorn amarta nahin denge, kyonki vah brahmaand ke niyam ke viruddh hai. Iske bajay Taarak ne chaturaayi se maanga ki uska vadh keval Shiv ke putr dwara ho sake, aur Shiv gahan dhyaan mein apni patni Sati ka shok manaate the, unka koi putr nahin tha aur lagta tha kabhi hoga nahin. Devta niraash hue, kyonki mahaan tapasvi ko dhyaan se kaun hila sakta tha? Is lagbhag ajeyata se sajj Taarak ne teenon lok jeet liye. Unhone devtaon ko swarg se khadeda, unke khazaane chheene, aur aisi kroorta se shaasan kiya ki rishi kaanpte the. Indra ka vajra bhi unhe kharonch nahin sakta tha, itna shaktishaali Brahma ka vardaan tha. Unhone Vedpaath par rok lagaayi aur swarg par dayaaheen kar lagaaya. Devta niraasha mein Brahma ke paas gaye, lekin Brahma keval shart yaad dila sake, Shiv ka putr janmana chaahiye. Devtaon ne sir jhuka diye, kyonki kaarya asambhav lagta tha. Samasya yah thi ki Shiv Kailash parvat par apne dhyaan mein adig baithe the, Sati ki mrityu ke baad hriday band, aur sundar Paarvati, Sati ka punarjanm, unhe paane ke liye apni ghor tapasya karti thin. Vah him mein nishchal khadi rahin, unki tapasya Shiv ki tapasya ko takkar deti thi. Devtaon ne hataash hokar prem ke devta Kaamdev ko Shiv ka dhyaan pushp baanon se bhang karne bheja. Shiv ka teesra netra krodh mein khula aur Kaamdev ko bhasm kar diya, lekin prem ka beej pad gaya tha. Paarvati ki komal seva ne unke hriday ke chaaron or ki barf dheere-dheere pighlaayi. Samay par Paarvati ki bhakti ne mahaan tapasvi ka hriday pighlaaya, aur divya yugal ek hue. Unke milan se asaadhaaran tej ka baalak janma, chhah Krittika taaron, Pleiades ne uska paalan kiya, jo uski dhaatri maataayen baneen, atah vah Kaartikeya kehlaaye. Pratyek maata use apna maanti, aur vah chhahon ko samaan prem karte. Vah chamatkaari gati se badhe, aur devta harshit hue, kyonki yahaan ant mein Shiv ke putr the. Swarg mein dhol baje, aur rishiyon ne stuti gaayi. Baalak ko divya senaon ka senaapati niyukt kiya gaya, Devasenaapati, haalaanki vah yuva hi the, aur unki maata Paarvati ne swayam unke liye shastra gadha, vel, dahakte prakaash ka bhaala jo koi kavach bedh sakta tha. Swarg ke anubhavi senaapati bina dvesh baalak ko jhuke, kyonki unka tej aagyaakaarita maangta tha. Vah unke maatree aashirvaad se damakta tha, hazaar jvaalaon se ujjwal. Kaartikeya, jinhe Skand aur Murugan bhi kehte hain, divya sena ke aage Taarak par chadhe. Divya sena ke oopar mor dhvaj fehraaye, aur unka yuddhanaad swarg ki ghaatiyon mein goonja. Yuddh bhayankar tha. Taarak apne vardaan ki shakti se lade, parvat phenke aur kaali maaya bulaayi, aur dinon tak parinaam sandeh mein raha. Unke pairon ke neeche dharti hili, aur mahaasaagar bhay se mathe gaye. Daanav ne yuva senaapati ka upahaas kiya, lekin Kaartikeya ka saahas kabhi nahin dagmagaaya. Taarak ne un par parvat phenka, lekin yuva devta ne ek hi baan se use choor kar diya. Nirnaayak kshan mein yuva devta ne vah vel uthaaya jo unki maata ne diya tha, doosre Soorya jaisa dahakta bhaala, aur samast divya shakti se phenka. Shastra ne Taarak ka hriday bedha, aur apne ko ajeya maanne wala daanav yuddhbhoomi mein mrit gira. Devtaon ne swarg se phool barsaaye, aur teenon lok mukt hue. Kaid divyajan apne sinhaasanon par laute, aanand se rote hue. Kaartikeya ki vijay aaj bhi manaayi jaati hai, visheshkar dakshin mein, jahaan Murugan priyatam devtaon mein hain. Kaha jaata hai ki unke chhah mukh bhakton ki raksha ke liye sabhi dishaaon mein dekhte hain, aur unka vel agyaan nasht karne wale bedhak gyaan ka prateek hai. Katha sikhaati hai ki buraayi sabse khatarnaak tab hoti hai jab vah maanti hai ki uski suraksha ki sharten kabhi poori nahin ho sakteen, aur divya prem dhairya aur bhakti se kaarya karke sada maarg khoj leta hai. Taarak ka vardaan chatur tha, lekin prem chaturtar siddh hua, aur Shiv-Paarvati ke milan se janme putr ne vah atyaachaar samaapt kiya jise koi sena samaapt nahin kar sakti thi.