Santoshi Maa: Santosh ki Devi

Ek gaanv mein saat bhai rehte the jo kheton mein kathor parishram karte aur apni patniyon sahit ek bade ghar mein saath rehte the. Chhah bade bhaiyon ki patniyaan abhimaani aur jhagdaalu thin, sada uttam vastron aur ratnon ke liye ek-doosre se hod karti huin. Sabse chhote bhai ki patni bhinn thi. Vah saumya, parishrami aur jo bhi uske paas tha usi mein santusht thi, aur vah prasann hriday se poore parivaar ki seva karti, badle mein kuch na maangte hue. Parantu uski achhaai ne use koi daya na dilaai. Chhah badi bhaabhiyaan uski saadgi ka uphaas kartin, use sabse bhaari kaam detin, aur sabhi ke khaane ke baad use bacha-khucha bhojan parostin. Ve uski nirdhanta aur uske jeevan ki saadgi par taane maartin, aur yadyapi uska pati use atyant prem karta tha, vah praayah kaam se baahar rehta, aur vah apne dukh maun sehti. Ek din jab vah gaanv ke taal ke paas baithi ro rahi thi, to ek vriddha uske paas prakat hui aur poochha ki vah kyon roti hai. Yuva patni ne apni katha sunai, aur vriddha karuna se muskuraai. Usne use Santoshi Maa ke baare mein bataaya, santosh ki devi, vah saumya maata jo pavitra hriday se uski pooja karne waalon ko aashirvaad deti hain. Vriddha ne use Shukravaar ka vrat sikhaaya: solah Shukravaaron tak bhakt ko sandhya tak upvaas karna chaahiye, phoolon aur saral arpanon se Santoshi Maa ki pooja karni chaahiye, unki katha sunni chaahiye, aur sabse badhkar Shukravaar ko kuch bhi khatta nahin khaana chaahiye, kyonki khatas mithaas aur santosh ki devi ke liye nishiddh hai. Yuva patni ki aankhein aasha se chamkin. Usne agle hi Shukravaar se vrat aarambh kiya, bhakti se upvaas karte hue, devi ke saral chitra ke saamne praarthana karte hue, aur apne vinamra arpan nirdhanon mein baantte hue. Saptaah-dar-saptaah usne vrat nibhaaya, aur dheere-dheere uska hriday, jo shok se bhaari tha, shaanti se halka hua. Uski bhaabhiyon ne parivartan dekha aur uski nayi bhakti ka uphaas kiya, parantu vah keval muskuraai aur lagi rahi. Jab solah Shukravaar poorn hue, to usne udyaapan, samaapan samaroh taiyaar kiya, parampara ke anusaar aath baalakon ko bhojan karaate hue, kyonki devi baalakon ki nirdoshta se prem karti hain. Usi raat Santoshi Maa use swapna mein dikhin, deeptimaan aur muskuraati huin, aur aashirvaad diya, vachan dete hue ki uske dukh samaapt honge aur uska ghar sukh se bhar jaayega. Sheeghra hi yuva pati, jo aajeevika kamaane door ke nagar gaya tha, ne apratyaashit safalta paayi. Uska vyavsaay phala, eemaandaar saajhedaar use khojte aaye, aur ek varsh mein vah dhani aur sammaanit hokar ghar lauta. Chhah bade bhai, jo sangharsh kar rahe the, ne bhi uski sahaayata se apna bhaagya sudharta paaya, aur poora parivaar saath samriddh hua. Parantu samriddhi ek nayi pareeksha laayi. Chhah bhaabhiyon ne, yuva patni ke sukh se eershya karke, uska vrat todne ki yojana banai. Ek Shukravaar unhone gupt roop se uske bhojan mein khatti imli milaai, yah jaante hue ki devi khatti vastuein nishedh karti hain. Yuva patni ne anjaane mein bhojan khaaya, aur turant vipatti aayi. Uske pati ke jahaaz, unhone kaha, samudra mein doob gaye, uska dhan nasht hua, aur vah door ke nagar mein jhoothe aaropon par kaaraagaar mein daala gaya. Yuva patni ka hriday toota, parantu uski aastha na digi. Vah samjhi ki vrat toota hai, uski iccha se nahin, apitu chhal se, aur usne solah Shukravaar phir aarambh kiye, is baar aur bhi badi bhakti se, atyant saavdhaani se upvaas ki raksha karte hue. Santoshi Maa uski dridhta se prasann hokar uske saamne darshan mein prakat huin aur aashvaasan diya ki sab theek hoga. Aur vaisa hi hua. Pati kaaraagaar se mukt hua jab satya prakaash mein aaya, uska khoya dhan vaapas mila, aur vah apni nishthaavaan patni ke paas ghar lauta. Chhah bhaabhiyon ne chamatkaar dekhkar yuva patni ke charnon mein girkar kshama maangi, aur usne, jiska hriday devi ke santosh se bhara tha, unhein mukt man se kshama kiya. Us din se samast ghar har Shukravaar Santoshi Maa ki pooja karta, aur ghar mein shaanti raaj karti. Santoshi Maa ki katha samast Bharat ke laakhon gharon mein sunai jaati hai, visheshkar un striyon dwara jo Shukravaar ko upvaas aur praarthana hetu ekatra hoti hain. Yah sikhaati hai ki santosh sabse bada dhan hai, ki pavitra hriday dhani arpanon se adhik mahatva rakhta hai, ki eershya aur kroorta sada swayam paraajit hoti hain, aur vah devi jo itna kam maangti hai, keval sacchaai aur mithaas, badle mein sabse bada uphaar deti hai: ek shaant aur sukhi ghar.