Lalita aur Bhandaasur

Jab prem ke devta Kaamdev Shiv ke teesre netra ki agni se bhasm ho gaye, to unki raakh dharti par giri aur ashubh roop mein ekatra hui. Raakh apavitra agni se dhuaan deti thi, aur jo uth raha tha usse dharti kaanpi. Us raakh se Bhandaasur naam ka daanav utha, paraakrami aur kroor, jisne ghor tapasya ki aur Brahma se vardaan paaya ki saamaanya reeti se stri se janma koi uska vadh nahin kar sakta. Is raksha se sajj Bhandaasur ne Shoonyak naam ki shaktishaali nagri banaayi, shoonyata ki nagri, aur apne chaaron or daanavon ki sena ekatra ki. Uske senaapati sau kaale yuddhon ke anubhavi the, pratyek senaon ka netritva karta. Unhone lok jeet liye, devtaon ko sinhaasanon se khadeda, aur rishiyon ko itna sataaya ki brahmaand mukti ke liye chilla utha. Rishiyon ke yagya anuttarit rahe, kyonki devta swayam chhipe the. Indra ke netritva mein devta divya Maata ki sharan mein bhaage, lekin vah bhi unki pahunch se pare lagti thin, kyonki Bhandaasur ka vardaan use samast saadhaaran shaktiyon se bachaata tha. Unhe bhay tha ki Vishnu ka chakra bhi itne surakshit se mud sakta hai. Niraasha mein devtaon ne mahaayagya kiya, Chidagnikund, shuddh chetna ka agnikund prajvalit kiya, aur apni samast aahuti uski jvaalaon mein arpit ki. Jvaalaayen parvaton se oonchi uthin, har lok se drishyamaan. Unhone param Devi se praarthana ki ki vah prakat hon aur lokon ki raksha karein. Chetna ki dahakti agni se ab tak ka sundartam roop utha, Lalita Tripurasundari, swayam divya Maata, chaar bhujaon se dedeepyaamaan jinmein paash, ankush, eekh ka dhanush aur pushpon ke baan the. Unki muskaan daanavon ke liye kisi shastra se bhayankar thi, kyonki vah unke ant ka vachan deti thi. Devta harshit hue, kyonki vah jaante the ki jo samast janm se pare hain vah janm walon ke viruddh gadhe vardaan ko paraajit kar sakti hain. Lalita muskuraayin aur yuddh ki taiyaari ki. Unhone apni shaktiyon ka aavhaahan kiya, yoddha deviyon ke roop mein moortimaan divya shaktiyaan, aur soorya se ujjwal divya sena sajaayi. Unke yuddh dhol meghgarjana jaise baje, aur daanav sena kaanpi. Jo yuddh hua usne teenon lok hila diye. Bhandaasur ne apne bhaiyon aur senaapatiyon ko bheja, bhayankar shaktiyon wale paraakrami daanav, lekin Lalita ki shaktiyon ne unhe ek-ek karke nasht kiya. Yuddhbhoomi laal ho gayi, aur giddh kaale baadalon mein mandraaye. Daanav ke putr gire, uski senaayen kohre ki tarah pighlin, phir bhi Bhandaasur swayam ladta raha, vardaan se surakshit aur ahankaar se madmatt. Usne apna bhayankartam roop bulaaya, parvat ke aakaar ka badhta hua. Ant mein Maata swayam uska saamna keen. Dvandva brahmaandiya tha, andhkaar ke viruddh prakaash, shoonyata ke viruddh chetna. Bhandaasur ne apni kaali maaya ke samast shastra phenke, lekin Lalita ne muskaan se unhe mod diya. Unhone uske ghaataktam astra ko do anguliyon mein pakda, jaise phool pakda jaata hai. Phir unhone apne eekh dhanush par Kaameshvaraastra chadhaaya, divya prem ka param shastra, aur chhoda. Baan yuddhbhoomi mein dahka aur Bhandaasur ko gira diya, ek hi vaar mein uske shareer aur shoonyata ki nagri ko choor kiya. Daanav ke kaale durg dhool mein dhahe, aur srishti ke har kone mein prakaash lauta. Mukt devtaon ne haath jodkar ashrupoorit netron se unki stuti gaayi. Devtaon ne un par phool barsaaye, aur rishiyon ne unke sahasra naam gaaye, Lalita Sahasranaam, jise bhakt aaj bhi japte hain. Desh bhar ke mandir aaj bhi un sahasra pavitra naamon se goonjte hain. Andhkaar ke khandharon se unhone Shripur sthaapit kiya, apni dedeepyaamaan nagri, aanand ka dhaam. Kaha jaata hai ki uski deevaaren ratnon se chamakti hain jo har dhaarmik ichchha poorn karte hain. Katha Lalitopaakhyaan mein kahi gayi hai, Brahmaand Puraan ka pavitra khand, rishi Hayagreev aur Agastya ke samvaad ke roop mein. Yah sikhaati hai ki buraayi aksar chatur sharton se kavach pehenti hai, maanti hai ki usne brahmaand ko maat de di, lekin divya Maata samast sharton se pare hain. Bhandaasur ichchha ki raakh se janma tha, aur divya prem ke baan se nasht hua, kyonki keval prem ichchha se shaktishaali hai. Aaj bhi Shreechakra, Lalita ke brahmaand ka pavitra yantra, chetna ke maanchitra ke roop mein pooja jaata hai, bhakton ko yaad dilaata hai ki Bhandaasur ka vadh karne wali Maata har hriday mein uski antartam jyoti ke roop mein nivaas karti hain.