Mohini aur Amrit

Jab ksheer saagar ka mahaan manthan poorn hua, to divya vaidya Dhanvantari laharon se chamakta amrit-kalash liye uthe — amaratva ka ras. Ek hi pal mein sab kuchh badal gaya. Asur, jinhone amrit baantne ke vachan ke saath devtaon ke kandhe se kandha milaakar shram kiya tha, kalash dekhte hi har vachan bhool gaye. Lobh ne unka sammaan poora nigal liya. Devtaon ke hilne se pehle hi asuron ne amrit-kalash chheen liya aur use lekar bhaage, stabdh devtaon par hanste hue. Devta tat par asahaay khade rahe. Unhone yugon tak manthan kiya tha, vish aur sankat sahe the, aur ab unka puraskaar chhaliyon dwara le jaaya jaa raha tha. Unhone niraasha mein ek-doosre ko dekha, aur phir sabne Vishnu ki or dekha. Vishnu apni shaant, gyaani muskaan muskuraaye. Bal viphal hua tha, isliye ve bal se badi cheez istemaal karenge. Unhone aankhein band keen, aur jab kholin, to ve Vishnu nahi rahe. Asuron ke saamne Mohini khadi thin — aisi saans rok dene waali sundar stri ki hawa bhi saans rok le. Unki aankhein kamal-si, muskaan chaandni-si, chaal sangeet-si. Asur, jo kisi se nahi darne waale bhayankar yoddha the, daudna bhoolkar mohit bachchon ki tarah dekhte reh gaye. Kalash par unki pakad dheeli ho gayi. Ve haklaaye, tum kaun ho, sundari, aur kahaan se aayi ho? Mohini mandir ki ghantiyon-si hansin. Unhone kaha, main is sansaar mein akeli hoon, aur tumhaari sahaayata ke liye aayi hoon. Tum veer is amrit ke liye bahut jhagad chuke. Kalash mujhe de do, aur main ise tumhaare beech nyaay se baant doongi, kyunki main aise yoddhaon ko siyaaron ki tarah ladte nahi dekh sakti. Asuron ne ek-doosre ko dekha. Unmein se koi apne bhaiyon par kalash ke liye bharosa nahi karta tha, lekin is manohar ajnabi par — avashya bharosa kiya jaa sakta tha. Unhone use amrit saunp diya. Devtaon ne door se dekha, saans rokkar, kyunki ve Vishnu ki yojana samajh gaye the. Mohini ne devtaon aur asuron ko aamne-saamne alag-alag panktiyon mein baithne ko kaha. Phir sundar charanon se unhone amrit parosna shuru kiya. Lekin unhone keval devtaon ko parosa. Asuron ko unhone meethi muskaanein aur meethe vachan diye: ruko, tumhaari baari aayegi, dhairya rakho, veero. Asur, unki sundarta ke nashe mein, moorkhon ki tarah sir hilaate rahe aur prateeksha karte rahe. Pankti-dar-pankti devtaon ne amaratva ka ras piya, aur shakti unki bhujaaon mein laut-ti mehsoos ki. Lekin ek asur mohit nahi hua. Rahu, asuron mein sabse chatur, ne Mohini ke jaadu ko bhaanp liya. Bina ek shabd kahe, usne roop badla aur chupke se devtaon ki pankti mein Surya aur Chandrama ke beech baith gaya. Mohini, pankti mein sundarta se chalti huin, ne uski anjali mein amrit daala, aur ek boond uske hothon ko chhoo gayi. Usi kshan Surya aur Chandrama ne use pehchaan liya aur chetaavni mein chillaaye. Vishnu ne, Mohini ke roop mein bhi, pal bhar mein pratikriya ki. Unka chakra chala, aur Rahu ka sir dhad se kat gaya. Lekin amrit ki boond uske gale tak pahunch chuki thi. Isliye sir Rahu ke roop mein aur dhad Ketu ke roop mein jeevit raha — do chhaaya-grah. Aaj bhi ve aakaash mein Surya aur Chandrama ka peechha karte hain, aur jab unhe pakad lete hain, to sansaar grahan dekhta hai. Jab tak asuron par se jaadu utra, kalash khaali tha aur devta unke saamne deeptimaan aur amar khade the. Asur krodh mein garje, lekin bahut der ho chuki thi. Navshakti paaye, ajeya devtaon ne mahaayuddh mein unhe swarg se khaded diya. Jis amrit ko chaturaai ne jeeta tha, use shakti ne ab bachaaya. Yeh katha do bhaagon mein shiksha deti hai. Pehla, ki chaturaai wahaan safal ho sakti hai jahaan bal viphal ho: Vishnu ne ek dopahar mein woh paa liya jo senaayein yugon mein nahi jeet sakeen. Lekin doosra, ki sabse chatur yojana ko bhi satark aankhon ki zaroorat hoti hai. Ek chhali, Rahu ne lagbhag amaratva hi chura liya tha, aur keval Surya aur Chandrama ki satarkta ne din bachaaya. Chaturaai puraskaar jeet-ti hai, lekin satarkta use banaaye rakhti hai.

Mohini ka moh us kshan-roop mein smaran kiya jaata hai jab divya saundarya swayam dharma ke liye astra bana. Bharat ke kalaakaaron ne use sadiyon se chitrit kiya hai: ab tak dekha gaya sabse sundar roop — haathon mein amrit-kalash — rakshas asahaay laalsa se dekhte. Katha sikhaati hai ki maaya sada buri nahi; divya ke haathon mein woh nyaay ka saadhan banti hai. Rakshason ne jo chaaha tha, woh vaastav mein unka nahi tha — aur Mohini ne keval unki ayogyata ka satya prakat kiya. Aaj bhi uski katha sunaayi jaati hai dikhaane ko ki Prabhu bhakton ki raksha keval shakti se nahi — gyaan se karte hain — dushton ki ichchhaaon ko hi unki paraajay ka saadhan banaakar.