Madhu aur Kaitabh

Ek yug ke ant mein, jab brahmand pralay-jal mein vileen ho jaata hai, to keval anant brahmaandiya saagar shesh rehta hai, andhkaarmay aur neerav. Un jalon par Anant, anant sarp tairta hai, aur sarp ke valayon par Vishnu, paalankarta, sote hain, yoganidra mein lipte, us divya nidra mein jisse lok ek din punah swapn dekhe jaayenge. Unki naabhi se kamal ugta hai, aur kamal par Brahma srashta baithe hain, naye yug ki bhor ki prateeksha mein. Yah samast astitva ka shaantatam kshan hai, ek brahmand aur agle ke beech ka viraam.

Kintu us neeravta mein bhi sankat janm le raha tha. Vishnu ke kaanon ke mail se, unke sote shareer ki dhool se, do daanav uthe, Madhu aur Kaitabh, pralay-jal se tapakte hue, balvaan aur vanya tatha poornatah nirbhay. Unhone rikt saagar mein chaaron or dekha aur keval Brahma ko dekha, apne kamal par chhote aur arakshit, aur ve tatkaal samajh gaye ki yadi unhone unka naash kar diya, to srishti hi unke aadesh ki hogi. Brahmaandiya saagar ki sthirata cheerti garjanaon ke saath ve kamal par jhapte, srashta ko ang-ang phaadne ke iraade se.

Brahma, bhaybheet, ke paas na astra tha na unse takkar ki shakti. Unhone Vishnu ki or dekha, kintu paalankarta nidra mein bandhe pade the, unki saans dheemi aur gehri, aur koi chillaaht unhein jaga nahin sakti thi. Tab Brahma ko smaran hua ki dev ko nidra mein vaastav mein kaun baandhe hai: swayam Yoganidra, divya nidra ki devi, mahaan maayaavini Mahamaya, jinki shakti ke bina Vishnu bhi vishraam nahin kar sakte. Aur tab, daanavon ke un par garajte hue, Brahma ne haath jodkar devi ka stotra gaaya, unki samast praaniyon ki nidra, pralay-raatri, pratyek dev ke peechhe ki shakti ke roop mein prashansa ki, unse vinati ki ki Vishnu ko apne aalingan se mukt karein.

Brahma ki vaani gaate samay kaanp rahi thi, kyonki daanav itne nikat aa chuke the ki ve unki aankhon ki agni dekh sakte the aur unke dhaave ki vaayu mahsoos kar sakte the. Kamal unke neeche kaanp raha tha, aur brahmaandiya saagar swayam aagaami hinsa se sikudta prateet hota tha. Unhone devi ki vedon ki maata, vah shakti jo devtaon ko hi divya banaati hai, ke roop mein prashansa ki, aur vachan diya ki yadi unhone ab srishti bachaayi, to pratyek yug ke aarambh mein unki mahima gaayi jaayegi.

Devi ne suna, aur unhone swayam ko Vishnu ke netron, mukh, hriday se kheench liya. Usi kshan paalankarta jaage, aur donon daanavon ko Brahma par lagbhag pahuncha dekha. Ve sarp-shayya se uthe aur unse yuddh mein bhid gaye, aur jo hua vah kalpana se pare sangharsh tha. Paanch hazaar varshon tak Vishnu rikt saagar par Madhu aur Kaitabh se mallyuddh karte rahe, aur koi paksh prabal nahin ho saka, kyonki daanav swayam dev jitne balvaan the. Unke mallyuddh ne brahmaandiya saagar ko phen mein math diya, aur lehrein parvato ki bhaanti uthtin aur punah toot padtin. Vishnu ne Madhu ka gala pakda aur use Kaitabh par de maara; daanavon ne Vishnu ki bhujaaen pakdin aur unhein jal mein dubone ka prayaas kiya. Door se dekh rahe devta nahin bata sakte the ki kaun jeet raha hai, kyonki dhool aur bauchhaar yoddhaaon ko chhipaati thin, aur keval unke prahaaron ki garjana bataati thi ki yuddh chal raha hai.

Antatah daanav, jo hriday se yoddha the, us shatru ka sammaan karne lage jisne itne lambe samay tak unse takkar li thi, aur unke paraakram se prasann hokar unhone unhein vardaan diya, jaise yoddha yogya shatru ko dete hain.

Vishnu ne tvarit sochkar apna avsar dekha. Unhone keval itna maanga ki ve donon ka vadh kar sakein. Daanav, apne garvit prastaav mein fanse, inkaar nahin kar sake, kintu unhone dhoortata se uttar diya: hamaara vadh karo jahaan jal na ho, kyonki samast brahmand jalmagn tha aur kahin shushk bhoomi nahin thi. Vishnu muskuraae. Unhone donon daanavon ko pakda, unhein apni paraakrami janghaaon par litaaya, lehron se ooncha uthaakar, samast srishti ki ekmaatra shushk bhoomi, aur chakr se unke sir kaat diye. Unke shareer saagar mein gire, aur unki meda se, puraakathaaen kehti hain, swayam prithvi bani, Medini, meda-jaat.

Srishti bach gayi, kintu sachchi vijeta na Vishnu ki shakti thi na daanavon ka vardaan. Vah devi ki satarkata thi, Mahamaya, jinhone nirnaayak ghadi mein sote hue ko jagaaya, aur Vishnu ki buddhimatta, jisne daanavon ke apne shabdon ko unke vinaash mein mod diya. Yah katha chetaavni ke roop mein kahi jaati hai: keval shakti, paanch hazaar varshon tak mallyuddh karke, yuddh samaapt nahin kar saki, kintu buddhimatta aur satarkata milkar un shatruon ko hara sakti hain jinhein keval bal nahin chhoo sakta.