Vastuon ke aarambh mein, jab brahmand abhi yuva tha aur lokon ki vyavastha abhi sthir nahin hui thi, devtaon mein mahaanatam do ghor vivaad mein pad gaye. Srashta Brahma, apne kamal par viraajmaan, ghoshna karte the ki ve sarvochch hain, kyonki kya samast praani unhin se utpann nahin hue the? Paalankarta Vishnu, ksheersaagar mein shayan karte hue, is daave par hanse aur swayam ko sarvochch ghoshit kiya, kyonki kya unhone Brahma ki rachna ka paalan nahin kiya tha? Pratyek ne apne anuyaayi bulaae, pratyek ne apni mahima gaayi, aur unka tark itna uttapt ho gaya ki srishti ki neenv hi hilne lagi. Devta niraasha se dekhte rahe, kyonki yadi brahmand ke do swaami yuddh kar baithen, to jo kuchh unhone banaaya tha vah chhinn-bhinn ho jaayega.
Tab, unke chillaane ke beech, kuchh aisa hua jisne donon ko maun kar diya. Unki aankhon ke samaksh agni ka ek stambh prakat hua, hazaar sooryon ke prakaash se dahakta hua, uchchatam swarg tak anant oopar aur gahantam paataal tak anant neeche phaila hua. Uska koi shikhar nahin tha jise netra paa sakein aur koi aadhaar nahin tha jiski man kalpana kar sake, aur vah samast vedon ke ek saath jaap jaisi dhvani se goonj raha tha. Stambh ke bheetar se ek gambheer aur gehri vaani aayi, aisi vaani jo swayam brahmand ki vaani prateet hoti thi. Usne unhein chunauti di: jo bhi is stambh ka ant paa lega, shikhar ya aadhaar, vahi sabse mahaan ghoshit hoga, aur doosra use nat hoga.
Brahma aur Vishnu ne ek-doosre ko dekha, aur ahankaar ne kisi ko bhi inkaar nahin karne diya. Vishnu ne Varaah ka, paraakrami shookar ka roop liya, aur prithvi mein neeche dhans gaye, apne mahaan danton se shail aur andhkaar cheerte hue, hazaar varshon tak gehra aur gehra khodte rahe. Kintu stambh ka koi aadhaar nahin tha; pratyek gehraai ke neeche keval aur stambh tha, anant mein dahakta hua. Antatah thake aur vinamra hokar Vishnu satah par laute aur imaandaari se sveekaar kiya ki ve ant nahin paa sake. Unka ahankaar toot gaya tha, kintu unki satyanishtha akshunn rahi.
Brahma ne oordhv maarg chuna. Unhone hans ka, divya hans ka roop liya, aur aakaash mein ooncha aur ooncha ude, soorya aur chandrama ke paar, taaron aur devtaon ke dhaamon ke paar, hazaar varshon tak. Kintu stambh ka koi shikhar nahin tha; pratyek oonchaai ke oopar keval aur stambh tha, anant kaal mein dahakta hua. Phir bhi Brahma, haar maanne ko taiyaar nahin, paraajay sveekaar nahin kar sake. Utarte samay unhone kahin oopar se girta ek ketki pushp dekha, aur unke man mein kapatpoorna yojana bani. Unhone pushp pakda aur aarambh-sthal par laute, zor se ghoshna ki ki ve stambh ke shikhar par pahunch gaye hain, aur ketki ko apna saakshi prastut kiya, use apna jhooth pusht karne ka nirdesh dekar.
Usi kshan stambh brahmand ke tootne jaisi dhvani se phat pada, aur bheetar se swayam Shiv prakat hue, krodh se dahakte hue, netra daavaanal jaise. Unhone sab sun liya tha. Ve pehle Vishnu ki or mude aur unki haardik prashansa ki, kyonki paraajay mein imaandaari devtaon ko ahankaar se jeeti vijay se adhik priya hai. Phir ve Brahma ki or mude, aur unki vaani bhayaanak thi. Uske chhal ke liye Brahma ko shaap mila: yadyapi ve srashta the, prithvi par unhein na mandir milenge na pooja, aur manushya Vishnu aur Shiv ka sammaan karenge kintu unka kabhi nahin. Jhoothi gavaahi dene ke liye ketki pushp ko bhi shaap mila, Shiv ki pooja se sada ke liye nishiddh, yadyapi anya samast pushp swaagat-yogya rahe.
Brahma kaanpte hue Shiv ke charnon mein gir pade aur kshama maangi, aur dayaalu prabhu ne shaap ko mridu kiya, vardaan diya ki samast karmakaandon ke aarambh mein unka sammaan hoga, bhale hi unhein koi mandir na uthe. Donon dev stambh ke samaksh nat hue, antatah samajhte hue ki vah swayam Shiv ka pratham prakateekaran tha, anant, maap aur ahankaar se pare. Vah anant stambh pratham ling ke roop mein smaran kiya jaata hai, niraakaar ka saakaar chihn, aur aaj bhi bhakt Shiv ki ling-roop mein pooja karte hain, vah stambh jiska na shikhar hai na aadhaar, anant ke samaksh imaandaari aur vinamrata ka sammaan karte hue. Yah katha hamein sikhaati hai ki satya hi sabse bada bal hai.
Is katha ke paatra
- Shiva
- Brahma
- Vishnu
