Markandeya ne Mrityu ko Jeeta

Rishi Mrikandu aur unki patni Marudmati ke paas sab kuchh tha sivaay us ek vastu ke jiski unhein sabse adhik laalsa thi: ek santaan. Varshon tak unhone atal bhakti se Shiv ki aaraadhna ki, aur antatah mahaan dev unki tapasya se prasann hokar unke samaksh prakat hue. Kintu unke aashirvaad ke saath ek bhaagya-nirnaayak vikalp aaya. Unhein ek putr mil sakta tha jo mand aur saadhaaran ho kintu sau varsh jiye, ya ek putr jo soorya ki bhaanti tejasvi ho kintu solah varsh mein mar jaaye. Dampati ne ek-doosre ko dekha aur bina sankoch chuna: chhaaya ke lambe jeevan se tej ka chhota jeevan shreshth hai. Aur is prakaar Markandeya ka janm hua, chakaachaundh kar dene vaali pragya ka baalak jisne vaani badalne se pehle hi vedon mein paarangata paa li, jiski Shiv-bhakti aise deep ki bhaanti jalti thi jo kabhi bujhta nahin.

Baalak aashcharyajanak teevrata se bada hua. Vaani gehri hone se pehle hi usne vedon aur shaastron mein paarangata paa li thi, aur door-door ke deshon se yaatri us baalak ke mukh se un satyon ko sunne aate the jinhein shvet-shmashru vidvaan bhi kathinaai se grahan karte the. Phir bhi apni samast prakharta ke baavjood vah sabse komal baalak tha, aur usmein maata-pita ka aanand sada varshon ki ginti se chhaayaankit rehta tha.

Jaise-jaise unka solahvaan varsh nikat aaya, Mrikandu aur Marudmati apne putr ko dekhkar rone lage, aur antatah baalak ne unse satya ugalva liya. Usne jaana ki uska jeevan maapa hua hai, ki varsh ke bheetar mrityu-dev use lene aayega. Adhikaansh baalak niraash ho jaate, kintu Markandeya adhikaansh baalak nahin the. Yadi unke din gine hue the, to ve unhein aisi bhakti se bhar denge ki mrityu ko bhi uska saamna karna pade. Ve samudr tat ke mandir gaye, Shivling se lipat gaye, aur apna samast hriday pooja mein undel diya. Din-raat ve Shiv ke naamon ka jap karte, phool aur jal arpit karte, aur pavitra shila ko chhodne se inkaar karte, jaise doobta manushya takhte se lipta rehta hai.

Jab niyat ghadi nikat aayi, to Yam ne pehle apne shyaam dooton ko baalak ki aatma laane bheja, kintu ve kaanpte hue laut aaye, kyonki ve baalak ki bhakti ke pradeept vritt ke nikat nahin jaa sake; mandir ke chaaron or ki vaayu hi unhein jalaati prateet hoti thi. Lajjit hokar Yam ne swayam aane ka nishchay kiya, nishchint ki koi nashvar praarthna mrityu-swaami ke samaksh nahin tik sakti.

Jis din unka solahvaan varsh poorna hua, theek usi din mrityu ke shyaam dev Yam apne bhainse par savaar aaye, bhayaanak paash haath mein lapete. Unke doot pehle hi prayaas karke asafal ho chuke the, baalak ki tapasya ke tej se peechhe dhakel diye gaye the, isliye Yam swayam aaye the. Unhone Markandeya ko ling se lipta paaya, aankhein moondi huin, honth praarthna mein hil rahe the, poornatah nirbhay. Yam ne unhein aane ko kaha, kintu baalak ne shila nahin chhodi. Adheer hokar Yam ne paash phenka, aur vah donon par jaa gira, baalak aur pavitra prateek ko ek saath baandhta hua. Yah mrityu-dev ka sabse bada apmaan tha, aur brahmand ne saans rok li.

Ling andha kar dene vaale prakaash ke saath phat pada. Shila ke bheetar se swayam Shiv prakat hue, apne krodh mein vishaal aur bhayaanak, netra judvaan sooryon jaise, trishool ooncha uthaae. Teenon lokon ko hila dene vaali garjana ke saath dev ne ek hi pad-prahaar se Yam ko door phenk diya, mrityu-swaami ko aakaash mein ludhkaate hue. Yam, jinhone kabhi paraajay nahin jaani thi, dhool mein stabdh pade rahe, aur unka paash tootkar bagal mein pada tha. Phir Shiv us kaanpte baalak ki or mude jo abhi bhi shila se lipta tha, aur unka krodh komalta mein pighal gaya. Unhone Markandeya ko uthaaya aur aashirvaad diya: unki poorna, atal shraddha ke liye baalak sada solah varsh ka rahega, mrityu ki pahunch se pare, un amar rishiyon mein se ek jo yugon ki rakhvaali karte hain.

Yam dheere-dheere uthe, vinamra hokar, aur Shiv ke samaksh nat hue. Unhone vah paath seekha jiski mrityu-dev ko bhi aavashyakta thi: koi paash us aatma ko nahin baandh sakta jisne divya sharan li ho. Krodh mein bhi dayaalu Shiv ne Yam ko unke kartavyon par punah sthaapit kiya, kyonki lokon ko abhi bhi mrityu ki aavashyakta thi taaki vah apne niyat chakra chalaae. Kintu us din se Yam ke dooton ko aadesh mila ki Shiv ke sachche bhakt ko kabhi na chhuein. Markandeya puraakathaaon ke mahaanatam rishiyon mein se ek bane, sada yuva, sada Shiv ki stuti gaate hue, jeevant pramaan ki nishkapat bhakti mrityu ki nishchitata ko bhi jeet sakti hai. Rishi kehte hain ki Markandeya aaj bhi jeevit hain, amar aur sada solah varsh ke, aur ve is yug ke ant tak jeevit rehkar vedon ko agle yug mein le jaayenge.