Manmatha aur Shiv ka Triteeya Netra

Tarak swayam daanav Vajraang ka putr tha, aur uski shakti itni badh gayi thi ki usne devon ko sinhaasanon se khaded diya tha aur swarg par shaasan ko daanav bitha diye the. Rishiyon ke yagya arakshit the, divya lokon ki nadiyaan sookh gayi thin, aur devta vesh badalkar prithvi par vicharte the, grihaheen aur bhaybheet. Brahma ka vardaan Tarak ko Shiv-putr ke siva sabse rakshit karta tha, aur choonki Shiv dhyaan mein avichal baithe the, daanav ka atyaachaar sada rehne ko niyat lagta tha.

Jab daanav Tarak ne bhayaanak vardaan paaya ki keval Shiv ka putr hi uska vadh kar sakta hai, to devtaon ke samaksh asambhav samasya thi, kyonki Shiv Kailas parvat par gahan dhyaan mein baithe the, sansaar se vileen, vivaah ka koi vichaar nahin. Keval yadi Shiv ko prem ke liye jagaaya ja sake, aur Himalay-putri Parvati se vivaah ho, to vah divya putr janm sakta tha jo teenon lokon ko bachaayega. Devtaon ne nishchay kiya ki prem-dev Manmatha ko apne pushp-baanon se mahaan tapasvi ka dhyaan bhang karna chaahiye.

Manmatha bhaybheet tha, kyonki vah uski shakti jaanta tha jise uksaane bheja gaya tha, kintu devtaon ne use apni raksha ka vachan diya, aur uski patni Rati ne use prerit kiya, smaran dilaate hue ki teenon lokon ka bhaagya uske baan par tika hai. Ikshu-dhanush aur pushp-agra baan lekar, aur vasant ki aatma Vasanta sahit, jisne him-parvat ko akaal mein pushpon se dhak diya, Manmatha us guha ke paas pahuncha jahaan Shiv samaadhi mein nishchal baithe the.

Vasant ki maaya ne him-parvat ko ek hi raatri mein udyaan mein badal diya. Him par pushp khile, vaayu ushn aur madhur hui, pushpit vrikshon se koyalein kookin, aur mand sameer chameli ki gandh Shiv ki guha ke mukh tak le aayi. Devta chhipkar dekhte rahe, saans roke, kyonki ve jaante the ki yadi yah prayaas asafal hua, to dviteeya avsar nahin aayega.

Deergh kaal tak uske baanon ka koi prabhaav nahin hua, tapasvi ki ekaagrata par kuhre ki bhaanti vileen hote rahe. Kintu antatah, jab swayam Parvati arpan lekar aayin, to Manmatha ne kshan pakda aur apna prabaltam baan chhoda, aur Shiv ke hriday mein kaamna shaant jheel par lehar ki bhaanti uthi. Mahaan dev ka dhyaan toot gaya. Unke netra khul gaye, aur jab unhone samjha ki unke saath kya kiya gaya hai, to unka krodh dekhna bhayaanak tha. Unke lalaat se triteeya netra khula, agni-netra, aur ek hi dahakti drishti ne Manmatha ko him par bhasm-dher mein badal diya.

Rati ka vilaap swarg hila gaya. Unhone kesh noche aur pati ki bhasm par roti girin, Shiv se daya ki bheekh maangti huin, aur devtaon ne apni praarthnaayein unse milaayin, sveekaar karte hue ki unhone prem-dev ko apne kaarya par bheja tha. Shiv ka krodh shaant hua, kyonki unka uddeshya pehle hi siddh ho chuka tha: unka dhyaan toot chuka tha, aur samay aane par ve Parvati se vivaah karenge aur divya putr janmega. Unhone shokaakul vidhva ko saantvana ke vachan kahe. Unke pati, unhone ghoshit kiya, Anang bankar jeevit rahenge, ashareeri, adrishya kintu upasthit jahaan bhi kisi hriday mein prem khilta hai, aur bhavishya yug mein Krishna ke putr Pradyumn ke roop mein punarjanm lenge, aur Rati se punarmilan hoga.

Baad ke yugon mein kaviyon ne Rati ki bhakti ka gaan kiya, jo pati ke dahan se samaapt nahin hui balki uske ashareeri varshon tak shraddha se prateeksha karti rahi. Jab antatah Krishna aur Rukmini se Pradyumn janme, aur Harivansh ki katha mein Rati ka unse punarmilan hua, to premiyon ka viyog samaapt hua aur prem punah poorna hua. Kailas ke him par bhasm samay aane par pehle se mahaanatar prem mein khili thi.

Is prakaar Manmatha, yadyapi dagdh, nasht nahin hue, kyonki prem swayam nasht nahin ho sakta, keval roopaantarit. Vasant ab bhi unki aagya se aata hai, premi ab bhi unke baan anubhav karte hain, aur Rati yugon tak punarmilan ke din ki prateeksha karti hain. Parvati ki tapasya ne antatah Shiv ka hriday jeeta, aur unke vivaah se Skand ka janm hua jinhone Tarak ka vadh kiya, jisse Manmatha ka balidaan vyarth nahin gaya.

Yah katha pramaan ke roop mein kahi jaati hai ki devon ko bhi kabhi-kabhi brihattar hit ke liye nirdosh ka balidaan karna padta hai, aur prem, yadyapi tapasya ki agni se dagdh ho, uchchatar roop mein punah uthta hai, shuddh aur shaashvat.