Pradyumna aur Daanav Shambar

Jab prem ke devta Kaamdev Shiv ke teesre netra ki agni se bhasm ho gaye, to unki patni Rati roin aur unke lautne ki praarthana ki. Devtaon ne unhe aashvaasan diya ki vah punarjanm lenge, devta ke roop mein nahin balki nashvar rajkumar ke roop mein, swayam Krishna ke putr. Samay par Krishna ki raani Rukmini ne asaadhaaran sundarta ke putr ko janm diya, aur baalak ka naam Pradyumna rakha gaya. Rishiyon ne ghoshna ki ki unmein Kaamdev sansaar mein laut aaye hain. Rukmini ka aanand aseem tha, aur mahal mein kai dinon tak utsav hua. Lekin maayaavi shaktiyon wale daanav Shambar ne apni kaali vidyaon se jaana ki ek baalak ka janm hua hai jo uska vadh karne ke liye niyat hai. Bhaagya ko dhokha dene ke nishchay se Shambar Pradyumna ke keval chhah din ke hone par sootikaagrih mein ghusa, shishu ko uthaaya, aur samudra mein phenk diya, nishchint ki jal khatre ko sada ke liye nigal lega. Vah santusht hokar mahal lauta, kabhi sandeh nahin kiya ki samudra uski raksha karega jise vah nasht karna chaahta tha. Baalak dooba nahin. Ek badi machhli ne use saabut nigal liya, aur machhli jald hi machhuaron ne pakdi jo use Shambar ki rasoi mein upahaar laaye. Jab rasoiyon ne machhli kaati, to unhone bheetar jeevit baalak paaya, akshat aur tejomay. Shishu Maayaavati ko diya gaya, jo Shambar ki rasoi ki dekhrekh karti thi, apne putr ki tarah paalne ke liye. Lekin Maayaavati koi saadhaaran sevika nahin thin. Vah swayam Rati thin, punarjanmi, apne shaashvat prem se us sthaan par khinchi jahaan unke pati sansaar mein laute the. Sab kuchh dekhne wale rishi Narad gupt roop se unke paas aaye aur satya prakat kiya. Unhone kaha ki vah baalak jise vah paal rahi hain Pradyumna hai, Krishna aur Rukmini ka putr, aur vah Kaamdev ka punarjanm hai, poorv janm ke unke pati. Us din se Maayaavati ne baalak ko maata ki komalta aur patni ki bhakti se paala, us ghadi ki prateeksha mein jab vah bada hoga. Vah use lakdi ki talvaaron se abhyaas karte dekhtin, us yoddha par muskuraatin jo vah banega. Varsh beete, aur Pradyumna devtulya sundarta aur shakti ke yuvak bane, haalaanki vah apne raajkeeya janm ke baare mein kuchh nahin jaante the. Jab vah vayask hue, Maayaavati ne unhe sab kuchh bataaya, Dvaaraka mein unke divya maata-pita ke baare mein, us daanav ke baare mein jisne unhe churaaya tha, aur vah swayam kaun thin. Unhone unhe Mahaamaaya vidya bhi sikhaayi, maaya ka mahaan vigyaan, jo unhone Shambar ke ghar mein seekhi thi, taaki vah daanav ki maaya ka saamna kar saken. Is gyaan se sajj Pradyumna Shambar ke dwaar par gaye aur daanav ko yuddh ki chunauti di. Shambar daadhiheen yuvak par hanse, lekin unki hansi tham gayi jab Pradyumna ke baan nishaane par lagne lage. Daanav ne apni samast maayaavi shaktiyaan chhod deen, aakaash ko chhal senaon se bhara, shatru par agni aur sarp barsaaye. Lekin Mahaamaaya ke swaami Pradyumna ne pratyek maaya ko kram se nasht kiya, aur ant mein ek hi paraakrami vaar se Shambar ka sir kaat diya. Bhaagya ko dhokha chaahne wala atyaachaari usi baalak ke haathon gira jise vah nasht karna chaahta tha. Phir Pradyumna ne Maayaavati ka haath thaama, aur donon aakaash mein uthe aur Dvaaraka ude. Jab vah Krishna ke mahal mein utre, raaniyaan vismay se ekatra huin, kyonki yuvak swayam Krishna ki jeevit pratima the. Rukmini ka hriday uchhal pada, kyonki maata ki sahaj buddhi ne vah kaha jo unki aankhen kathinaayi se vishvaas kar sakti thin. Narad aaye aur chamatkaar ki pushti ki, yah unka lambe samay se khoya putr tha, samudra se lauta. Dvaaraka mein mahaan harsh hua, aur Krishna ne us putr ko gale lagaaya jise unhone kabhi jaana nahin tha. Naagarik sadkon par khade hue, laute rajkumar par phool barsaate hue. Pradyumna ne Yaadav rajkumaaron mein apna sthaan liya, aur Maayaavati, unki shaashvat priya, patni roop mein unke saath khadi huin. Katha Bhaagvat Puraan ki priya katha hai, aise prem ki katha jise mrityu bhi samaapt nahin kar saki. Shiv se bhasm Kaamdev Krishna ke putr roop mein laute, Rati punarjanm se unka anusaran keen, aur bhaagya ko dubone chaahne wala daanav keval use poorn kiya. Yah sikhaati hai ki jo niyat hai vah bal se nasht nahin kiya ja sakta, aur prem, ek baar sachcha, ghar paane ke liye mrityu ke mahaasaagar ko bhi paar kar lega.