Narsingh aur Prahlad

Ek baar Hiranyakashipu naam ka ek rakshas raja tha jo sada raaj karna chahta tha. Usne apna raajya chhoda aur bhayankar tapasya ki, varshon tak ek pair par khada raha, jab tak Brahma uske saamne prakat na hue. Hiranyakashipu ne ek chatur vardaan maanga: na mujhe manushya maar sake na pashu, na ghar ke bheetar na baahar, na din mein na raat mein, na dharti par na aakaash mein, aur koi astra-shastra mujhe na maar sake. Brahma ne vardaan de diya, kyunki rakshas ki tapasya mein itni shakti thi. Is lagbhag-amaratva ko paakar Hiranyakashipu lauta aur swayam ko ekmaatra Ishwar ghoshit kar diya. Usne Vishnu ki pooja par rok laga di aur jo divya naam leta, use dand deta. Teenon lok uske abhimaan se kaanpte the. Lekin uske apne mahal mein bhakti ka ek nanha deep jal raha tha. Uska chhota putra Prahlad, abhi baalak hi tha, lekin maata ke garbh mein hi Narad muni se seekh chuka tha ki Vishnu hi sab jeevon ki sharan hain. Prahlad Vishnu se nirmal aur nidar hriday se prem karta tha. Jab pita ne maanga ki woh usi ko Ishwar kehkar stuti kare, to baalak ne komalta se mana kar diya. Usne kaha, main Vishnu ko pranaam karta hoon, jo har hriday mein baste hain — aapke hriday mein bhi, pitaji. Hiranyakashipu ka krodh seema paar kar gaya. Usne shikshakon ko aadesh diya ki baalak mein rakshasi abhimaan thonk dein, lekin Prahlad ne apne sahpaathiyon ko hi bhakti sikha di. Raja ne nishchay kiya ki uska apna putra marna chahiye. Pehle usne Prahlad ke bhojan mein vish milwaaya, lekin baalak ne shaanti se khaaya aur muskuraata raha, akshat. Phir use haathiyon se kuchalwaaya, lekin pashuon ne itne nirdosh ko kuchalne se inkaar kar diya aur pranaam kiya. Use oonchi chattaan se samudra mein phinkwaaya, lekin jal ne use komalta se thaam liya. Use baandhkar aag mein dalwaaya, lekin jwaalaayein chandan-si sheetal ho gayin. Har baar Prahlad Vishnu ka naam japta hua akshat nikla, uski aastha pehle se ujjwal. Hiranyakashipu ki behen Holika, jise agni na jalaane ka vardaan tha, Prahlad ko god mein lekar maha-agni mein baithi. Lekin uska vardaan tabhi kaam karta tha jab woh akeli baithe, aur agni ne usi ko bhasm kar diya jabki Prahlad jwaalaon mein achhoota baitha raha. Log aaj bhi yeh din rangon ke tyohaar mein yaad karte hain. Ant mein krodhit raja baalak ko mahal ke sabhaagaar mein ghaseet laaya aur ek patthar ke khambhe ki or ishaara kiya. Usne vyangya kiya, tum kehte ho tumhaara Vishnu sarvatra hai. Kya is khambhe mein bhi hai? Haan, pitaji, Prahlad ne komalta se kaha. Hain. Hiranyakashipu ne gada uthaakar khambha tod daala, garajte hue ki Vishnu baahar aaye aur yuddh kare. Aur Vishnu aaye. Toote khambhe se ek aisa roop prakat hua jo kabhi dekha nahi gaya tha: Narsingh, aadhe manushya aadhe singh, dahakti aankhein, teekshna nakh, aur aisi garjana ki lok hil gaye. Woh sandhya ka samay tha — na din na raat. Narsingh ne Hiranyakashipu ko pakda aur sabhaagaar ki dehleez par le gaye — na bheetar na baahar. Unhone rakshas ko apni jaangh par rakha — na dharti par na aakaash mein — aur apne nakhon se, jo koi astra nahi the, atyaachaari ko cheer daala. Brahma ke vardaan ki har shart poori hui, phir bhi rakshas nasht ho gaya. Devtaon ne upar se phool barsaaye, lekin krodhit Prabhu ke paas jaane ki kisi ki himmat na hui. Keval Prahlad aage badha, nanha aur shaant, aur Narsingh ka krodh dhoop mein him-sa pighal gaya. Unhone baalak ko komalta se uthaaya aur aashirvaad diya. Prahlad ne prem ka stotra gaaya jise rishi aaj bhi dohraate hain, kaha ki use na raajya chahiye na swarg, keval Prabhu ke charanon ki seva. Vishnu ne vachan diya ki jab tak kathaaein sunaayi jaayengi, Prahlad ki bhakti yaad ki jaayegi. Atyaachaari ka raaj samaapt hua, lokon ne mukt saans li, aur toota khambha smaran bankar khada raha: koi vardaan, kitna bhi chatur ho, abhimaan ko shraddhaalu hriday ki shakti se nahi bacha sakta.

Narsinh ki katha poore Bharat mein patthar mein khudi hai — Ellora ki gufaaon se dakshin ke mandiron tak — kyunki ismein parampara ka gahantam aashvaasan hai: ki Prabhu bhakt ki raksha ko prakriti ka har niyam todenge. Prahlaad swayam aadarsh bhakt-roop mein sammaanit hai — aur maata-pita bachchon ko aashirvaad dete uska naam lete hain. Holi ka utsav is katha ki goonj liye hai — kyunki Hiranyakashipu ki behen Holika ne Prahlaad ko jalaane ki koshish ki thi aur swayam bhasma hui. Jis stambh se Narsinh nikle, woh prateek-roop mein pooja jaata hai: ki Ishwar sabse saadhaaran cheezon mein vidyamaan hai — sabse badi aavashyakta ke kshan ki prateeksha karta. Aaj bhi sankat mein bhakt Prahlaad ki praarthna fusfusaate hain — vishvaas ki jo Prabhu baalak ke liye stambh phaadkar aaye the, ve unke liye har baadha phaadenge.