Putana Rakshasi

Jab Kans ne jaana ki uska sanhaarak kahin janm le chuka hai aur abhi jeevit hai, to uska bhay kroorta ke unmaad mein badal gaya. Usne apne andhere sevakon, uske ishaare par kaam karne waale rakshason ko bulaaya, aur bhayankar aadesh diya: mere raajya mein ghoomo aur har shishu ko maar daalo — har bachcha jo Devaki ki aathvin santaan ho sakta hai. In sevakon mein Putana thi, bhayankar shakti waali rakshasi. Woh ichchha se roop badal sakti thi, aur Kans ne use sabse neech kaarya ke liye chuna: gaanv-gaanv sundar stri aur dhaay ke vesh mein jaakar navjaat shishuon ko vishaila doodh pilaana. Putana ne apne stanon par ghaatak vish lepa aur chal padi. Woh pehle Gokul aayi, jahaan shishu Krishna Yashoda ke ghar soye the. Sundar yuvati ka roop dharkar, jhoothi daya se damakti hui, woh gaanv mein ghoomi, aur kisi ko sandeh na hua. Seedhe-saade, bharosemand graameenon ne sundar ajnabi ka swaagat kiya. Woh Nand ke ghar pahunchi, jahaan baalak Krishna paalne mein soye the — ek kshan ke liye koi rakhwaali nahi thi, kyunki Yashoda door gayin thin. Putana ka hriday patthar tha, lekin bachche ko dekhkar woh bhi thithki. Woh asambhav sundar tha — varsha-megh-sa shyaam, kamal-dal-si aankhein, neend mein muskuraata hua jaise swarg ka swapn dekh raha ho. Ek dhadkan ke liye usmein lagbhag komalta-si jagi. Phir use Kans ka aadesh aur apni kroor prakriti yaad aayi. Usne bachche ko dhaay ki tarah komalta se uthaaya aur vishaile stan se laga diya. Jo vish usne wahaan lepa tha, woh pal bhar mein bade haathi ko maar sakta tha. Usne socha bachcha piyega aur mar jaayega. Lekin Krishna koi saadhaaran baalak nahi the. Jaise hi unke honth uske stan ko chhue, ve peene lage, aur doodh par nahi ruke. Divya shakti se unhone doodh ke saath uske praan hi kheenchane shuru kar diye. Putana ne apni shakti behti mehsoos ki aur bhay se cheekhi. Usne bachche ko phenkne ki koshish ki, lekin woh lohe-si pakad se chipka raha, nanhe haath kaskar pakde hue. Woh chhatpataayi aur daudi, apne sachche rakshasi roop mein badhti hui — pedon jitni oonchi daanavi — itni zor se cheekhti ki dharti hil gayi. Graameen bhay se daude aaye. Lekin baalak keval peeta raha, shaant aur muskuraata hua, jab tak antim bhayankar cheekh ke saath Putana markar na gir padi — uska vishaal shareer girkar meelon tak pedon ko chapta kar gaya. Yashoda daudi aayin, hriday munh mein, aur apne nanhe Krishna ko rakshasi ki chhaati par akshat baitha, khushi se khelta paaya. Unhone use uthaakar seene se laga liya, raahat se roti huin, jabki gwaale aashcharya se dekhte rahe. Unhone Putana ke vishaal shareer ko chita par jalaaya, aur jwaalaon se chandan aur dhoop-si meethi sugandh uthi. Rishi is aashcharya ki vyaakhya karte hain: kyunki Putana ne, apne tedhe dhang se, dhaay ka kaarya kiya tha aur Prabhu ko apna stan arpit kiya tha, Krishna ne use maata ka puraskaar diya. Uske paap jal gaye, aur uski aatma ko shaanti mili. Buraai ne maasoomiyat ko chhua aur keval khud ko nasht kiya. Gokul ke graameenon ne utsav manaaya, lekin Yashoda ne apne bachche ko pehle se kaskar pakad rakha. Ve nahi jaanti thin ki woh Ishwar hai. Ve keval jaanti thin ki woh unka putra hai, aur kuchh andhera uske liye aaya tha aur viphal raha. Us din se unhone use kabhi akela na chhoda, aur poora gaanv pehra deta raha. Putana ki mrityu sunkar Kans pehle se adhik bhaybheet hua, kyunki woh samajh gaya ki bachche ke viruddh bheji koi shakti jeevit nahi lautegi.

Putana ki katha woh rahasya rakhti hai jis par sant vichaar karna prem karte hain: ki maarne aayi rakshasi ko bhi moksh mila. Parampara samjhaati hai ki kyunki uska vishaila doodh Krishna ke adharon ko chhua — aur kyunki woh maata-roop mein aayi — Prabhu ne use maata gina aur aatma mukt ki. Uski chita se chandan ki sugandh aayi kahi jaati hai — uski shuddhi ka chinh. Braj mein uski katha sikhaane ko sunaayi jaati hai ki koi praayashchit se pare nahi — aur Prabhu ki kripa ateet nahi poochhti — vartamaan kshan dekhti hai. Braj ki maataayein ab bhi shishuon ko Putana se saavdhaan karti loriyaan gaati hain — lekin sant uski mukti gaate hain — sabko smaran karaate ki andheri neeyat bhi — divya ki upasthiti mein laayi — prakaash mein roopaantarit ho sakti hai.