Krishna ka Janm aur Kans

Mathura nagar mein Kans naamak ek atyaachaari raaj karta tha. Usne apne hi pita, saumya raja Ugrasen se sinhaasan chheen liya tha aur unhe kaalkothri mein daal diya tha. Praja uski kroorta se karaahti thi, aur swayam dharti mukti ke liye pukaarti thi. Sankat ek shubh din shuru hua. Kans apni priya chacheri behen Devaki ke vivaah mein udaar Vasudev ke saath uske rath ko haank raha tha, bhai ki tarah uska sammaan karte hue. Achaanak aakaash se vaani garji: he moorkh, is Devaki ki aathvin santaan teri mrityu hogi. Kans ka aanand bhay mein badal gaya. Usne wahin Devaki ko maarne ke liye talwaar kheenchi, lekin Vasudev uske pairon par gir pade aur praarthna ki. Unhone kaha, ise mat maaro. Main vachan deta hoon: humse janma har bachcha main swayam tumhe saunp doonga. Ise jeene do. Kans ne socha ki woh har bachche ko maar sakta hai, maan gaya aur dono ko kaaraagaar mein daal diya. Varsh-dar-varsh Devaki ne bachche jane, aur varsh-dar-varsh Vasudev apne bhayankar vachan se bandhe har navjaat ko Kans ke paas le gaye, jisne unhe nirdayata se patthar par patak diya. Chhah shishu is tarah mare, aur kaaraagaar ki deevaarein maata ke shok se goonjti rahin. Lekin saatvin santaan chamatkaar se bach gayi. Divya Sheshnaag, jo Balram ke roop mein janmne waale the, rahasyamay dhang se Devaki ke garbh se Vasudev ki doosri patni Rohini ke garbh mein sthaanantarit kar diye gaye, jo Gokul gaanv mein surakshit rehti thin. Kans ko bataaya gaya ki garbhpaat se bachcha nasht ho gaya. Phir aathvaan garbh aaya, aur saara swarg saans rokkar raha. Devta jaante the ki yahi woh hai. Ve adrishya hokar kaaraagaar ke chaaron or ikatthe hue, ajanme Prabhu ki stuti gaate hue. Shraavan maas ki ek andheri aadhi raat ko, kaaraagaar ki kothri mein, Devaki ne putra ko janm diya. Woh koi saadhaaran baalak nahi tha. Woh pehle apne divya roop mein prakat hua — chaar bhujaaon mein shankh, chakra, gada aur kamal dhaaran kiye, mukut pehne, sahasra chandramaon-sa chamakta hua. Devaki aur Vasudev ne haath jod liye, vismay aur aanand se kaanpte hue. Phir unki praarthna par Prabhu saadhaaran navjaat ban gaye, aur Vasudev samajh gaye ki unhe kya karna hai. Usi kshan chamatkaar kamal-dalon-se khulne lage. Pehredaar gehri neend mein so gaye. Vasudev ke pairon ki bhaari bediyaan khul gayin. Kaaraagaar ke dwaar swayam khul gaye. Baahar Yamuna maansoon ki baadh se uphan rahi thi, lekin Vasudev ne bachche ko tokri mein rakha aur chal pade. Jaise hi unhone jal mein pair rakha, jal unke saamne hat gaya, aur mahaan Sheshnaag ne varsha se chhatra ki tarah tokri ke upar apne phan phaila diye. Vasudev Gokul paar gaye, apne mitra Nand, gop-pramukh ke ghar. Wahaan Nand ki patni Yashoda ne abhi-abhi ek kanya ko janm diya tha — divya Maya — aur thaki soi thin. Vasudev ne komalta se bachchon ki adla-badli ki, apne putra ko Yashoda ke paas rakha aur kanya ko le liya. Ve nadi paar laut aaye, aur dwaar aur bediyaan aise band ho gaye jaise kuchh hua hi na ho. Subah jab Kans aaya aur suna ki bachcha janma hai, to woh kothri mein dauda. Vasudev ne kanya ke jeevan ki praarthna ki, lekin Kans ne use pair se pakadkar patthar par patakne ke liye uthaaya. Usi kshan woh uski pakad se chhootkar swayam devi ke roop mein aakaash mein uthin, hansti huin. Unhone kaha, he moorkh, tera sanhaarak pehle hi janm le chuka hai aur kahin aur jee raha hai. Nirdoshon par apni kroorta vyarth mat kar. Kans stabdh khada raha jab ve adrishya ho gayin. Usne Vasudev aur Devaki ko mukt kar diya, kshama maangte hue, lekin uska hriday jald phir kathor ho gaya, aur woh raajya ke har navjaat ko khojne laga. Lekin aathvin santaan Krishna Gokul mein surakshit the, Yashoda ki baanhon mein sote hue, jabki swarg aur dharti aanandit the ki aasha kaaraagaar mein jeevit rahi.

Krishna ke janm ki raat har varsh Janmashtami-roop mein manaayi jaati hai — Bharat ke sabse aanandmay utsavon mein se ek. Bhakt aadhi raat tak — janm-ghadi tak — upvaas karte hain — aur phir divya shishu ka swaagat geeton, mishthaanon aur dahi-haandiyon ke phodne se karte hain. Yamuna paar shishu ko le jaate Vasudev ki katha mandiron mein chitrit hai aur bachchon ko sunaayi jaati hai — sikhaati ki Prabhu ghor andheri ghadi mein sansaar mein aate hain. Mathura ka kaaraagaar — jahaan woh janma — smaran karaata hai ki divyata paristhitiyon se seemit nahi: bediyaan, deevaarein aur atyaachaari divya ke aagman ko rok nahi sakte. Aur Devaki ke aansu — aanand mein badle — har maata-pita ko sikhaate hain ki shraddha se saha kasht aashirvaad mein samaapt hota hai.