Nandanar: Agni se guzarne waala sant

Tamil Nadu ke mahaan mandir nagar Chidambaram ke nikat, lagbhag baarah sau varsh pehle, Nandanar naamak ek nirdhan khet mazdoor rehta tha, Pulayar samudaay mein janma, jise garvit jaatiyaan asprishya kehti thin. Nandanar jalte Tamil soorya ke neeche bhor se saanjh tak kheton mein kaarya karta tha, parantu uska hriday poornatah Bhagwan Shiv ka tha, Chidambaram ke Nataraja, nritya swaami ke roop mein, jinke swarnim sabhaagriha, Kanaka Sabha mein use kabhi pravesh ki anumati na mili thi, yadyapi vah har raat uska swapna dekhta tha. Har din, jab kheton ke paar door mandir ke dhol bajte, Nandanar keechad mein apna kaarya rokta, doorasth mandir shikhar ki or apne rookhe haath jodta, aur saral hridayasparshi chhandon mein apni virah ka gaan karta jise uske saathi karmi kabhi na bhoole. Kaash main marne se pehle ek baar apne swaami ko naachte dekh sakta, vah rota, aansoo uske jhurridaar mukh par behte hue. Kaash ek baar main Nataraja ke saamne khada ho sakta aur uske naachte charnon ke ghungru dekh sakta. Uske saathi mazdoor uska uphaas karte, aur gaanv ke mukhiya ne bhi use apna moorkh swapna chhodne ki chetaavani di. Pulayan ka mandir se kya sambandh? Ve hanste. Devta tumhaare jaison hetu nahin. Parantu Nandanar aur zor se gaata, kyonki prem uphaas nahin sunta. Varsh beete, aur uski virah badhti gayi jab tak usne use gras na liya. Ant mein vah virah aur sehan na kar saka, aur apne swaami aur saathi karmiyon se vida lekar vah paidal Chidambaram hetu nikla, othon par swaami ka naam liye dinon tak chalta raha jab tak mahaan gopuram, hazaar moortiyon se mukutit ooncha praveshdwaar uske saamne swarna parvat jaisa na utha. Parantu mandir dwaar par pujaariyon ne use roka. Uski jaati ke purushon ko bheetar anumati na thi, aur unhone kathor shabdon se use lautaaya. Nandanar ne virodh ya tark na kiya, kyonki vinamrata uska svabhaav tha. Vah raja ke dwaar par bhikhaari jaisa dwaar ke baahar khada raha, lambe galiyaaron se doorasth garbhagriha ko nihaarta, aur raat bhar rota aur gaata raha, uski vaani mandir ghanton ke oopar uthti hui, taaron tak pahunchti. Kaha jaata hai ki Bhagwan Shiv, aisi bhakti se dravit, mahaan paashaan Nandi ko, vah vrishabh jo har Shiv mandir ki raksha karta hai, ek or hataaya, taaki Nandanar dwaar se seedhe swaami ko dekh sake. Phir bhi Nandanar bheetar pravesh karne, pavitra saannidhya mein swayam khade hone ko tarasta raha. Us raat, jab vah gaalon par aansoo geele mandir seedhiyon par soya, Shiv use swapna mein prakat hue, hazaar sooryon jaise deeptimaan. Mere paas aao, swaami ne kaha, parantu pehle agni se guzro, taaki sab jaanein ki shuddhata hriday ki hai, janm ki nahin. Agli praatah Nandanar bhaari bheed mein mandir aaya, aur aashcharyachakit pujaariyon aur logon ke saamne ek pavitra agni prajvalit ki gayi. Othon par Shiv ka naam aur mukh par poorn shaanti ki muskaan sahit Nandanar jvaalaon mein pravisht hua, utni shaanti se jaise purush apne ghar mein pravesh karta hai. Agni uske chaaron or garji, aur bheed haanfi. Parantu jab jvaalaayein shaant huin, Nandanar deeptimaan nikla, uska deen shareer divya saundarya ke roop mein roopaantarit, rishi jaisa chamakta. Tab, jab sab saans roke aashcharya se dekhte rahe, vah mahaan sabhaagriha se garbhagriha mein swayam gaya aur Nataraja ke prakaash mein leen hua, sada hetu apne swaami se ek, uska paarthiv roop divya aanand ke saagar mein lavan jaisa vileen. Pujaari apne ghutnon par gire, apne garv se lajjit, aur jin logon ne uska uphaas kiya tha ve roye, bahut der se us mahaanta ko pehchaante hue jiska unhone tiraskaar kiya tha. Nandanar Tirunalaippovar ke roop mein smaran kiya jaata hai, vah jo kal pavitra hoga, ek naam diya gaya kyonki vah sada kehta tha, main kal jaaoonga, main kal jaaoonga, vinamrata mein apni yaatra taalate hue. Vah tirasath Nayanaron, Shiv ke mahaan santon mein gina jaata hai, aur uska mandir aaj bhi Chidambaram mein khada hai. Uski katha Periya Puranam mein gaai jaati hai sikhaane ki koi dwaar prem ko band nahin kar sakta, koi jaati aatma ko Ishwar se rok nahin sakti, aur bhakti ki agni kisi karmkaand se adhik nishchay shuddh karti hai, nanhe mazdoor ko swarg ke raajya mein raajaon ka samkaksh banaate hue.