Parvati se Kaushiki ka Praakatya

Devon ki durdasha hataash thi. Shumbh ne Indra ka sinhaasan aur uska shvet gaj chheen liya tha, Nishumbh ne soorya-chandra ki kaanti apne mahal ke liye le li thi, aur donon bhaaiyon ne teenon lokon ko churaae khazaane ki bhaanti aapas mein baant liya tha. Rishi apne yagya nahin kar sakte the, nadiyon ko daanavon ki ichchha se behne ki aagya thi, aur swayam dharm marta lagta tha.

Jab daanav-bhaai Shumbh-Nishumbh ne devon ko swarg se khadeda aur teenon lok chheen liye, to paraajit devta Himalay par ekatra hue aur divya maata ki stuti gaayi, raksha ki bheekh maangte hue. Devon ne jo stotra gaaya vah Devi Mahatmya ki maha-stuti thi, maata ka pratyek dev ke peeche ki shakti ke roop mein aahvaan, vah oorja jiske bina Vishnu paalan nahin kar sakte aur Shiv sanhaar nahin kar sakte. Unhone unhein smaran dilaaya ki unhone pehle bhi unki raksha ki thi, Mahish se aur sau anya daanavon se, aur unhone vinati ki ki ve apne vachan ka smaran karein ki jab bhi dharm ka hraas hoga, ve use punah sthaapit karne ko janm lengi.

Jab ve ga rahe the, to swayam Parvati pavitra Ganga mein snaan ko aayin, tejasvi aur gaur, aur devon ka stotra sunkar ve rukin aur mand muskaan sahit poochha, ve aisi bhakti se kiski stuti kar rahe hain.

Kaushiki ke praakatya ka varnan shaastron mein sundartam aur bhayanaktam kshan ke roop mein kiya gaya hai. Parvati ke shareer se usha-bhedan ki bhaanti prakaash baha, aur prakaash ke bheetar shyaam devi khadi thin, unke netra vidyut ki bhaanti, unki muskaan chandra-ardh ki bhaanti. Himalay kaanpa, Ganga ka jal dahka, aur devta dandvat gire, kyonki ve jaante the ki unki uddhaarak aa gayi hain.

Unke bolte hi unke shareer se, unke kosh se, unke prakaashmaan aavaran se, ek anya devi prakat huin, shyaam aur mahimaamayi, shakti se dahakti huin. Ye thin Kaushiki, kosh mein nivaas karne vaali, maata ka yoddha-roop, devon ke aavashyak yuddh ke liye poorna sashastra janmin. Unhone Parvati ke prashn ka uttar swayam diya: ye meri hi stuti karte hain, unhone kaha, main hi Shumbh-Nishumbh ka naash karoongi. Aur Parvati, jinke shareer se shyaam devi prakat hui thin, swayam roopaantarit huin: unka gaur roop shyaam hua, aur ve Kalika, Shyama ke naam se jaani gayin, Himalay mein nivaas karti huin.

Rishi rahasya samjhaate hain. Parvati maata ka saumya, poshankaari mukh hain, kintu jab dharm sankat mein ho, to yoddha ko unke bheetar se prakat hona chaahiye, jaise pratyek aatma mein saumyata ke bheetar se saahas prakat hota hai. Kaushiki Parvati se bhinn nahin hain; ve Parvati ki hi shakti hain, aavaran ki bhaanti tyaagi gayi aur vinaash-kaarya ke liye svatantra roop di gayi. Donon ek hain, gaur aur shyaam, maata aur yoddha.

Kaushiki ke praakatya ke baad Parvati, ab raatri ki bhaanti shyaam, apne hi rahasya ka dhyaan karne Himalay-shikhar par nivritt huin. Rishi kehte hain ve vahaan ab bhi muskuraati hain, jaanti huin ki unki saumyata se vah yoddha aayi jisne lok bachaaye. Aur jab bhakt maata ki stuti gaate hain, to ve ek saath unke donon mukhon ki stuti karte hain, gaur aur shyaam, saumya aur bhayaanak, kyonki unhone seekha hai ki donon ek hain.

Kaushiki yuddh ko gayin, aur unki katha Devi Mahatmya ka mahaayuddh banti hai: Dhumralochan ka vadh, Raktabeej ka rakt peene ke liye unke lalaat se Kali ka janm, aur Shumbh-Nishumbh ka antim naash. Kintu unke praakatya ka kshan katha ka hriday bana hua hai, vah kshan jab maata ne apni santaanon ki aavashyakta ke liye swayam ko vibhaajit kiya.

Ek anya kathan mein Shiv ne kabhi Parvati ko Kali, Shyama kehkar chheda tha, aur parihaas se danshit hokar unhone tapasya ki jab tak Brahma ne unhein gaur swarn-kaanti nahin di, aur ve Gauri, tejasvini banin. Unhone jo shyaam aavaran tyaaga vah Kaushiki, yoddha-devi banin. Chaahe ek prakaar se kahi jaaye ya anya, arth ek hi hai: ki divya samast virodhon ko dhaaran karta hai, gaur aur shyaam, saumya aur bhayaanak, aur pratyek tab prakat hota hai jab sansaar ko uski aavashyakta hoti hai. Jo bhakt yah samajhta hai vah maata ki samast roopon mein pooja karta hai, jaante hue ki poshan karne vaala haath aur naash karne vaala haath ek hi haath hai.