Kabhi-kabhi sabse bada dushman ghar ke andar hota hai. Yeh katha usi baat ki hai.
Daksha — mahaan Prajapatiyon mein se ek. Ghamandi, sanskaaron ka pujaari, sammaan ka bhooka. Uski sabse chhoti beti Sati — sundar, samajhdaar, samarpit. Lekin Sati ka dil Shiv ko chun chuka tha. Woh raakh lagane waala vairagi — jo shmashaan mein naachta tha, bhooton ki sangat rakhta tha. Daksha hairan reh gaya. Log kya kahenge? Lekin Sati ka prem atal tha. Usne apne dil mein Shiv ko chuna tha — kisi swayamvar mein nahi. Brahma ke aashirvaad se shaadi hui. Swayam Brahma ne kanyadaan kiya. Devtaon ne phool barsaaye. Daksha ne beti vida to kar di — lekin uske man mein nafrat ka beej pad gaya tha. Wahi beej jo saalon baad ugne waala tha.
Daksha ne shaadi ko kabhi maaf nahi kiya. Usne ek bhavya yagya ka aayojan kiya — duniya ka sabse bada yagya. Har devta, har rishi, har raja ko nimantran. Har ek ko. Sivaay Shiv aur Sati ke. Jab Sati ne dooton se yagya ke baare mein suna, uska dil dukha. 'Woh mere pita hain,' usne Shiv se kaha. 'Kya beti ko apne pita ke ghar aane ke liye nimantran ki zaroorat hoti hai?' Shiv ne pyaar se chetaaya — Daksha ka ghamand sirf apmaan laayega. Lekin Sati jaane par adig rahi.
Daksha ke mahal mein kisi ne uska theek se swaagat nahi kiya. Aur jab yagya shuru hua, Daksha ne jaan-boojh kar har devta ki prashansa ki — aur khule aam Shiv ka mazaak udaaya. Bhikhaari kaha. Paagal kaha. Aahuti ke ayogya bataya. Sati sunti rahi. Har shabd uske dil par jalte koyele jaisa laga. Woh samajh gayi — uske pati sahi the. Woh sirf unke apmaan ka gawah banne aayi thi.
Tab Sati poori sabha ke saamne khadi hui. Shaanti se kaha — 'Yeh shareer mujhe mere pita ne diya tha. Aur main aisa shareer nahi rakhungi jisne apne pati ka apmaan suna ho.' Woh dhyaan mein baith gayi. Aankhein band ki. Yog ki shakti se andar hi ek agni jalaayi — jisne uske shareer ko wahin bhasm kar diya. Yagya-bhoomi dehshat mein shaant ho gayi. Koi kuch bol na saka.
Jab khabar Kailash pahunchi, Shiv ka shok dekhna bhayankar tha. Unhone apni jataon se ek lat uthaayi — zameen par patak di. Usse prakat hue Virabhadra — ek bhayankar yoddha. Ganon ki sena lekar Daksha ke yagya par toot pade. Yagya-mandap dhwast. Daksha maara gaya. (Baad mein Shiv ne use bakre ka sir laga kar jeevit kiya — taaki woh hamesha yaad rakhe ki ghamand insaan ko pashu bana deta hai. Daksha ne pashchataap mein sir jhukaya.)
Phir Shiv ne Sati ke nirjeev shareer ko uthaaya. Use liye brahmaand mein bhatakte rahe. Chhodne ko taiyaar nahi. Unhe is anant dukh se mukta karne ke liye Vishnu ke chakra ne dheere se shareer ke tukde kiye. Ikyaavan jagahon par dharti par gire. Har sthaan ek Shakti Peetha bana — Devi ka pavitra dhaam.
Aaj bhi karodon bhakt wahan jaate hain. Assam mein Kamakhya. Kolkata mein Kalighat. Himachal mein Jwalamukhi — jahan bina tel-batti ke pavitra jyoti jalti rehti hai. Balochistan mein Hinglaj — jahan har saal hazaron yaatri kathin yatra karke pahuchte hain. Har peeth par Devi alag roop mein — lekin katha ek hi kehti hai. Jahan prem ka apmaan hota hai, wahan shakti swayam prakat hoti hai.
Aur Sati? Woh hamesha ke liye nahi gayi thi. Devi to amar hai. Unka punarjanm hua Parvati ke roop mein — Himalaya ki beti. Woh Shiv ke paas wapas aa gayi.
Sammaan anmol hai, doston. Lekin yaad rakhna — ghamand ko prem ko zehreela mat banne do. Chahe woh ghamand pita ka hi kyun na ho.
Virabhadra ke baare mein sochiye — Shiv ki jata se janma ek yoddha, aankhon mein aag, haathon mein shastra. Ganon ki sena lekar woh Daksha ke yagya par toota — to mandap hil gaya. Havan-kund ulat gaye. Yagya swayam — jo devta ke roop mein prakat hua tha — hiran ban kar bhaaga. Pakad liya gaya.
Kehte hain, Daksha ne us din ke baad kabhi ghamand nahi kiya. Bakre ke sir ke saath jeena — roz ka apmaan, roz ki yaad. Lekin wahi uski mukti bani. Jo jhukna seekh le, wahi uthta hai.
Is katha ke paatra
- Sati
- Shiva
- Daksha
- Vishnu
- Virabhadra
