Narakasur aur Diwali

Poorva mein door Pragjyotishpur nagar tha — rakshas Narakasur ka shaasan. Woh swayam prithvi devi Bhudevi ka putra tha, lekin pauraanik kroorta ka atyaachaari ban gaya tha. Usne devtaon ki maata Aditi ke kundal aur swarg ka raajsi chhatra chura liya tha. Usne har disha ke raajaon ko jeeta tha aur solah hazaar raajkumariyon ko apne mahal mein kaid kar rakha tha — unki swatantrata ko apne abhimaan ka bandhak banaaye. Devta aur bandi raja sahaayata ke liye pukaare, aur unki pukaar Dwarka pahunchi. Krishna ne suni, lekin ek kathinaai thi. Bahut pehle Brahma ne Narakasur ko vardaan diya tha: use keval uski apni maata maar sakti thi. Teenon lokon ka koi devta, yoddha, astra use samaapt nahi kar sakta tha — kyunki Bhudevi swayam apne putra par haath na uthaatin. Lekin devi ki apni yojana thi. Bhudevi ne dharti par Satyabhama ke roop mein avatar liya tha — Krishna ki veer aur tejasvi patni. Ve is janm mein Narakasur ki maata thin, haalaanki nashvaron ki tarah dono mein se koi yeh nahi jaanta tha. Jab Krishna ne yuddh ki taiyaari ki, to unhone woh kiya jiski kisi ko aasha na thi: ve Satyabhama ko yuddh mein saath le gaye — mahaan Garud par apne paas baithaakar. Dwarka ke log aashcharya se dekhte rahe jab divya dampati poorva ki or ude — devi swayam yuddh ke liye jaa rahi thin. Narakasur ka durg rakshaon se ghira tha: agni ki deevaarein, jal ki deevaarein, vaayu ki deevaarein, aur paanch mukhon waale Mur ke netritva mein rakshas-sena. Krishna ne ek-ek raksha tod di. Unhone jal sukhaaya, vaayu shaant ki, aur agni bhed di. Phir swayam Mur garajta hua — paanch mukhon se — toota, aur Krishna ne chakra se uska vadh kar diya — Murari naam paaya, Mur ke sanhaarak. Mur ke saat putra daude aur kaat daale gaye. Ant mein swayam Narakasur nikla — haathi par sawaar — apni saari rakshasi shakti se bhaala phenkta hua. Yuddh se swarg hil gaya. Krishna poori shakti se lade, lekin Brahma ke vardaan se rakshit rakshas unke haathon nahi gir sakta tha. Tabhi Satyabhama rath mein uthin. Unke bheetar ki Bhudevi ko yaad aaya ki ve kaun hain aur kya karna hai. Unhone dhanush kheencha aur Narakasur ko baan maare — jo uske bhaagya ke ek chhed mein lage: uski maata ka haath. Ghaayal aur durbal hokar rakshas ladkhadaaya, aur Krishna ka chakra chamka. Kuchh kehte hain Satyabhama ke baan ne uska ant kiya, doosre ki Krishna ke chakra ne jo unhone shuru kiya woh poorn kiya. Jo bhi ho, atyaachaari gira, aur vardaan nibha: woh apni maata ke haathon maara gaya. Narakasur ke marte samay swayam Bhudevi divya roop mein prakat huin. Unhone Krishna ko pranaam kiya aur maata ke roop mein antim kripa maangi: mere putra ke uttaraadhikaari Bhagadatt ka rajyaabhishek ho, aur ateet kshama ho. Krishna ne kripaapoorvak maan liya. Phir kaaraagaar ke dwaar khol diye gaye, aur solah hazaar bandi striyaan dhoop mein mukt chalin. Unke paas lautne ko ghar nahi the — banditva ke baad parivaar unhe waapas na lete — isliye Krishna ne karuna se sabko Dwarka mein sharan aur sammaan diya. Devtaon ko Aditi ke kundal waapas mile, aur swarg ne utsav manaaya. Logon ne aanand ke deep jalaaye, aur rishi kehte hain ki Diwali ka tyohaar is vijay ki smriti rakhta hai: woh din jab andhkaar toota aur bandi mukt hue. Kuchh pradeshon mein Diwali se ek din pehle aaj bhi Narak Chaturdashi kahlaata hai — Narakasur ke patan ka din. Yeh katha sikhaati hai ki andhkaar isliye tootata hai ki bandi mukt hon. Narakasur ki shakti, uska durg, uske vardaan — sab doosron ko bediyon mein rakhne ke liye the — aur sab ek din mein gir gaye. Aur yeh sikhaati hai ki swatantrata manaane yogya hai: aanand mein jalaaya har deep un deepon ki nanhi goonj hai jo tab jale the jab solah hazaar striyaan kaaraagaar se prakaash mein nikli thin.

Narakasur par vijay poore Bharat mein Diwali-roop mein manaayi jaati hai — deepon ka utsav — yadyapi paramparaayein kshetraanusaar bhinn hain. Dakshin mein utsav ka bhor rakshas ki mrityu ki ghadi ko chinhit karta hai — aur log prakaash ki vijay manaane suryodaya se pehle jaagte hain. Solah hazaar mukt raajkumariyaan — jinhe Krishna ne aashray diya — karuna ki shiksha-roop mein smaran ki jaati hain: ki vijay tab tak apoorna hai jab tak peediton ki garima na laute. Diwali ke deep dharma ke prakaash ke prateek kahe jaate hain — Narakasur ke atyaachaar ke andhakaar ko door karte. Aaj bhi katha bachchon ko sunaayi jaati hai — pramaan ki koi atyaachaari — chaahe kitna shaktishaali — divya ke saamne sada nahi tik sakta — aur har andhakaar — chaahe kitna gehra — deep jalne par samaapt hota hai.