Mahishasur-Mardini

Ek samay Mahishasur naam ka ek mahish-daanav rehta tha, jiski mahatvaakaanksha uski shakti jitni vishaal thi. Ghor tapasya se usne Brahma se vardaan paaya tha ki koi manushya aur koi dev use kabhi nahin maar sakega, aur aise samast vardaanon ki bhaanti ismein ek daraar thi jise usne kabhi nahin dekha: usne kisi stri se raksha maangne ka vichaar nahin kiya tha, kyonki apne ahankaar mein vah kisi stri ko sankat nahin maan sakta tha. Is lagbhag-ajeyata se sashastra hokar usne apni daanav-senaaen swarg par chadhaayin, Indra ko sinhaasan se hataaya, aur teenon lokon ki samprabhuta chheen li. Apmaanit devta vesh badalkar prithvi par bhatke, lajja aur krodh se jalte hue, jab tak antatah ve sabha mein ekatra hue aur Brahma, Vishnu aur Shiv ke samaksh apna duhkh undel diya.

Jab teenon mahaan dev sun rahe the, to kuchh asaadharan hua. Vishnu, Shiv, Brahma aur samast ekatra devtaon ke mukhon se andha kar dene vaala tez behne laga, unke divya krodh ki sankendrit agni, aur jahaan ye jwaalaaen milin aur vileen huin, vahaan ek stri ne aakaar liya. Ve Durga thin, ajeya, hazaar sooryon ke prakaash se damakti huin, kuchh kathanon mein hazaar bhujaaon vaali, aur anyon mein athaarah bhujaaon vaali jo devtaon ke astra dhaaran karti thin. Pratyek dev ne unhein apna astra aur apni shakti di: Shiv ne trishool, Vishnu ne chakr, Indra ne vajr, Varun ne shankh, Agni ne bhaala, Yam ne mrityu-dand, aur vaayu-dev ne dhanush. Parvatraaj Himalaya ne unhein savaari ke liye paraakrami sinh diya, aur samudr ne ratn aur amlaan vastra diye. Sashastra aur tejasvi hokar ve bhayaanak hansi hansin jisne teenon lok hila diye, aur parvat kaanp uthe, aur samudr ubal pade.

Mahishasur ne apne chheene swarg mein vah hansi suni aur apne senaapati bheje, pehle senaaon sahit, phir swayam, us stri ko kuchalne jo uska virodh karne ka dussaahas karti thi. Devi ranbhoomi mein unse milin, aur jo hua vah Navratri ke roop mein smaran kiya jaata hai, yuddh ki nau raatein. Nau din-raat daanav-senaaen lehron mein aakraman karti rahin, aur devi ne unhein avichal shaanti se nasht kiya, unka sinh unki panktiyon ko cheerta raha, unke astra vidyut ki bhaanti chamakte rahe. Pehle Chikshur aur Chaamar vishaal senaaon sahit aaye, phir Udagra apne yuddh-haathiyon sahit, aur devi ne ek-ek karke unhein kaat giraaya, unka sinh unka rakt peeta raha, unka paash unke sardaaron ko vinaash ki or ghaseetata raha. Mahishasur ke senaapati kulhaadi ke samaksh vrikshon ki bhaanti gire, aur apne swarn-mahal se dekh rahe daanavraaj ne bhay ka pehla sheetal sparsh mahsoos kiya, kyonki vah samajhne laga tha ki jis vardaan ne use ajeya banaaya tha usne ek dvaar khula chhod diya tha, aur us dvaar se ek stri khadg lekar chali aa rahi thi.

Mahishasur ne apni senaaon ko pighalte dekha, aur antatah vah apni bhayaanak shakti mein swayam saamne aaya, bachne ke liye baar-baar roop badalta hua: kabhi kruddh sinh, kabhi matvaala haathi, kabhi khadg-dhaal vaala yoddha, aur kabhi uska sachcha roop, vishaal mahish, seeng jhukaae jhapatta hua.

Antim dvandva ne prithvi ko jadon tak hila diya. Mahish jhapta, aur Durga uski peeth par kood padin, kintu daanav mahish-shareer se apne maanav-daanav roop mein phisal nikla, haath mein khadg, hataash krodh se ladta hua. Devi ne uske gale par charan rakhkar use dabaaya, bhaale se uski chhaati bedhi, aur uske chhatpataate hue ek hi svachchh prahaar mein khadg se uska sir kaat diya. Teenon lok aanand se goonj uthe. Devtaon ne swarg se un par phool barsaae, divya vaadak bajaane lage, aur rishiyon ne unki Mahishasur-Mardini ke roop mein stuti gaayi, mahish-daanav ki sanhaarika.

Unki vijay pratyek varsh Dussehra par manaayi jaati hai, jise Vijayadashami bhi kaha jaata hai, vijay ka dasvaan din, jab daanav-vadh ka sammaan desh-bhar mein shobhaayaatraon, naatakon aur buraai ke putalon ke dahan se hota hai. Isse pehle ki nau raatein Navratri hain, jab bhakt upvaas karte hain aur unke sammaan mein nritya karte hain. Yah katha anant vachan ke roop mein bani hui hai ki koi atyaachaar, chaahe vardaanon aur ahankaar se kitna bhi kavachit ho, saahas aur dhaarmikta ke samaksh sada nahin tik sakta, aur ahankaariyon dvaara upekshit divya naari-shakti hi vah shakti hai jo antatah lokon ko mukt karti hai. Yah satya sada atal hai.