Parvati ki Tapasya

Himalaya-raaj Himavan ki putri ke roop mein punarjanm lekar Parvati apne bheetar apne vartamaan jeevan se puraane prem ki smriti liye thin. Sati ke roop mein unhone Shiv se prem kiya tha aur unke liye praan diye the, aur yadyapi us jeevan ka vivaran unhein keval swapnon aur akasmaat pehchaan ki kasak mein aata tha, prem swayam parvatiya dhaara jitna spasht tha. Kintu Shiv apne shikhar par gahan dhyaan mein leen baithe the, sansaar se vimukh, khoe hue ke shok mein, aur parvat-raajkumari tatha tapasvi dev ke beech ki khaai alanghya prateet hoti thi.

Vicharte rishi Narad ne unhein setu dikhaaya. Himavan ke mahal padhaarkar aur raajkumari ke bhavishya ki rekhaaen padhkar Narad ne unse spasht kaha ki unka prem koi baal-sulabh kalpana nahin balki shaashvat bandhan ki nirantarta hai, aur Shiv ko jeetne ka maarg saundarya ya anunay nahin balki tapasya hai, tap ki aadhyaatmik agni jo devtaon ko bhi sunne ko vivash karti hai. Parvati ne chamakte netron se unhein suna, aur usi raatri unhone sankalp liya. Ve mahal aur uske sukhon ko tyaag dengi, aur aisi ghor tapasya karengi ki swayam Shiv ko netra kholne padein.

Ve uchch parvato mein gayin, ek ekaant upvan mein jahaan Ganga sheetal aur nirmal behti hai, aur vahaan unhone aarambh kiya. Unki tapasya ki avasthaaen aaj bhi vismay se gaayi jaati hain. Pehle ve sheet ritu ke maheenon mein barfeeli nadi mein khadi rahin, nishchal, jab tak sheet unki asthiyon mein dhansata raha, Shiv ke naamon ka jap karti huin. Phir dahakte greeshm mein ve dahakte soorya ke neeche panchaagniyon ke ghere mein baithin, kabhi vichalit nahin huin. Unhone maheenon upvaas kiya, keval gire patte khaae, phir keval jal, phir keval vaayu, aur antatah patte bhi tyaag diye, jisse unhein Aparna, patton se rahit, naam mila. Unka shareer sarkande jaisa dubla ho gaya, unki tvacha aantrik agni se damakne lagi, aur unki tapasya ki ooshma lokon mein uthti gayi jab tak swarg mein devta swayam paseena nahin bahaane lage.

Unki maata Mena roin aur lautne ki vinati ki, aur dhairyavaan Himavan ne bhi putri se anunay karte doot bheje, kintu Parvati ka sankalp parvato jaisa tha: vah hilaaya nahin jaa sakta tha. Unki sakhiyaan, jo mahal se unke peechhe aayi thin, unhein bhay aur pooja ke mishran se dekhti thin, kyonki unhone prem ko aisa bhayaanak aur sundar roop lete kabhi nahin dekha tha.

Devta unki dridhata se aanandit hue, kyonki unhein Shiv ka vivaah aur Tarak daanav ke vadh ke liye putr-janm chaahiye tha. Kintu Shiv, yadyapi ve unhein badhte vismay se dekh rahe the, unhone ek antim baar unki pareeksha lene ka nishchay kiya. Ve ek yuva Brahmin baalak ke vesh mein unke samaksh prakat hue, sundar aur teekshn-vaani, aur unke mukh par hi Shiv ka uphaas karne lage. Unhone mahaan dev ko ganda bhikhaari kaha jo shareer par chita-bhasm lapetata hai, jo gale mein maalaon ki bhaanti sarp latkaata hai, jo bhoot-preton ke saath shmashaan mein vicharta hai, aur jiske paas raajkumari ko dene ke liye baagh-charm, bhiksha-paatra aur daridrata ke jeevan ke siva kuchh nahin hai. Unhone unki tapasya par hansa aur kaha ki ve apni yauvan uphaas-yogya pati par vyarth kar rahi hain.

Parvati ke netra angaaron ki bhaanti dahak uthe. Ve apni poorna oonchaai mein uthin aur baalak ko kathorta se daanta, unki vaani dharmasangat krodh se kaanp rahi thi. Unhone usse kaha ki vah us prabhu ke baare mein kuchh nahin jaanta jiska vah uphaas karta hai, ki Shiv brahmand ki aatma hain, deenon ke aashray hain, un kshudra manon ki samajh se pare jo baahya roop se nyaay karte hain. Unhone apni sakhiyon ko dhrisht baalak ko bhagaane ka aadesh diya aur ghoshna ki, aise aaveg se ki parvat goonj uthe, ki ve Shiv se hi vivaah karengi ya kisi se nahin, chaahe hazaar janm prateeksha karni pade, chaahe lok hi vileen ho jaayein.

In shabdon par vesh dhoop mein kuhaase ki bhaanti pighal gaya, aur Shiv apne sachche tejasvi roop mein unke samaksh khade hue, jataaon mein ardhachandra chamak raha tha, unka triteeya netra ab komal tha, unki muskaan snehmayi thi. Unhone kaha ki unki bhakti ne unhein poornatah jeet liya hai, ki lokon ke itihaas mein koi tapasya unki jaisi nahin damki. Unhone unke haath apne haathon mein liye aur unhein apni shaashvat vadhu sveekaar kiya. Jis parvat-raajkumari ne swayam ko chhaaya-bhar ke liye bhookha rakha tha, usne atal sankalp se sabse lambi prateeksha aur mahaanatam puraskaar jeet liya tha, aur unki tapasya aaj bhi gaayi jaati hai pramaan ke roop mein ki sachchi dridhata asambhav laalsa ko bhi vijay mein badal deti hai.