Pundalik aur Vitthal

Pundalik sada sant nahin the — praarambh mein ve bhatke hue the. Yuvaavastha mein ve uchchhrinkhal aur svaarthi the, vriddh maata-pita Janudev aur Satyavati ki upeksha karte hue aur aalsi sukhon mein jeevan nasht karte hue. Kintu ek din ve Kashi jaate teerthyatriyon ke dal mein shaamil hue, maarg mein unki seva karte hue, aur Dandirvan mein unhone ek chamatkaar dekha jisne unka jeevan sada ke liye badal diya.

Dandirvan mein rishi Kukkutswami ka aashram tha, aur Pundalik ne apni aankhon se pavitra nadiyon Ganga, Yamuna aur Saraswati ko maile vastron vaali naariyon ke roop mein rishi ke aashram aate dekha. Ve apne jalon mein teerthyatriyon dvaara chhode paap dhone aati thin, aur rishi ki aadhyaatmik shakti unhein shuddh karti thi, isliye ve pavitra laut-tin thin. Pundalik turant samjhe: yadi mahaan nadiyon ko bhi sant ki shakti se shuddh hona padta hai, to unhein, ek paapi ko, kitni adhik shuddhi chaahiye? Aur unhone dekha ki rishi ki shakti dharmamay jeevan se aati thi, sabse badhkar maata-pita ki bhakti se.

Pundalik ka roopaantaran kshetra ki charcha thi. Unki kuti se guzarne vaale yaatri santosh se deept vriddh dampati aur naveen shaanti se chamakte yuvak ka mukh dekhte. Padosi, jo kabhi Janudev-Satyavati par unke nikamme putr ke liye daya karte the, ab putr ka aashirvaad maangne aate. Pundalik vinamrata se unka swaagat karte, aagrah karte hue ki ve koi sant nahin, keval kartavya nibhaata putr hain, aur unki vinamrata unki shraddha ko aur badhaati.

Pundalik badle hue manushya bankar ghar laute. Unhone Janudev aur Satyavati ki seva mein, ab vriddh aur durbal, swayam ko poornatah samarpit kar diya. Ve unka bhojan banaate, vastra dhote, thake charan dabaate, aur kabhi unka saath nahin chhodte. Unki bhakti itni poorna hui ki devtaon ne bhi dhyaan diya, aur unki chhoti kuti teerth-sthaan ban gayi.

Is beech Dvaraka mein Krishna ka apni patni Rukmini se kalah hua tha, jo upekshit anubhav karke Dandirvan mein chhip gayi thin. Krishna unhein khojte aaye, aur khoj unhein Pundalik ke dvaar le aayi. Yuvak us kshan pita ke charan daba raha tha, aur vah swayam Ishwar ke liye bhi apni seva nahin chhod sakta tha. Bina oopar dekhe usne dvaar ki or pair se ek eent sarkaaee aur pukaara, aagantuk se us par khade hokar prateeksha karne ko kaha jab tak uska kartavya poorna na ho.

Brahmand ke swaami Krishna muskuraae. Ve eent par khade hue aur dhairya se prateeksha karte rahe, kamar par haath rakhe, us mudra mein jo prasiddh hogi. Jab Pundalik maata-pita ki seva poorna kar chuke, to ve mude aur dekha ki unhone kise prateeksha karaayi hai, aur lajja-vismay se prabhu ke charnon mein gire. Kintu Krishna ne unhein prem se uthaaya, ghoshit karte hue ki maata-pita ki seva se badi koi pooja nahin, aur ve sada us sthaan par rahenge, eent par khade, samast bhakton ke darshan ke liye.

Prabhu ki prateeksha swayam updesh hai. Krishna turant swayam ko prakat kar sakte the, ek shabd se Pundalik ko maata-pita ke paas se bula sakte the, kintu unhone eent par khade hokar prateeksha chuni, lokon ko sikhaate hue ki prem se nibhaaya kartavya swayam Ishwar ki pooja se bhi badhkar hai. Eent brahmand ka sarvaadhik sammaanit aasan bani, aur prateekshaarat kamar par haath rakhe mudra divya dhairya ki pratima bani.

Aaj bhi Warkari teerthyatri Pandharpur tak saikadon meel paidal chalte hain, Vitthal-Rukmini ke naam gaate hue, aur mandir ki ghanti us sthaan par bajti hai jahaan eent sinhaasan bani. Dnyaneshwar aur Tukaram jaise santon ne Pundalik ki bhakti gaayi, sikhaate hue ki prabhu door svargon mein nahin balki vahaan nivaas karte hain jahaan putr prem se maata-pita ki seva karta hai.

Is prakaar prabhu Pandharpur mein Vitthal bankar rahe, eent par khade rehne vaale, Vit arthaat eent aur thal arthaat sthaan, kamar par haath rakhe, apne bhakton ki shaashvat prateeksha karte hue. Rukmini milin aur manaayi gayin, aur Pandharpur ka mahaan mandir us sthaan ke chaaron or utha jahaan swayam Ishwar ne bhakt ke kartavya ki prateeksha ki thi. Yah katha param pramaan ke roop mein kahi jaati hai ki maata-pita ki seva sarvochch dharm hai, swayam Ishwar ki saakshaat pooja se bhi badi, kyonki Ishwar swayam unki prateeksha karte hain jo apne pita-maata ka sachche hriday se sammaan karte hain.