Sheetala, Sheetalta ki Devi

Sheetala ki pooja desh ki praacheentam poojaon mein se ek hai, anek mahaan mandiron se bhi praacheen. Chikitsakon dvaara chechak samjhe jaane se bahut pehle graameen maataayein jaanti thin ki in vyaadhiyon par shaasan karne vaali koi shakti hai, aur unhone us shakti ko maata ka mukh diya. Unhone tark kiya ki yadi rog aana hi hai, to vah andhi niyati bankar aane se achchha hai jisse vinati nahin ki ja sakti, maata bankar aaye jisse vinati ki ja sakti hai.

Bharat ke graamon mein, jahaan greeshm-ooshma jvar laati hai aur bhayaanak chechak kabhi hazaaron baalak le jaati thi, log ek adviteeya devi ki pooja karte hain: Sheetala, jinke naam ka arth hi sheetalta dene vaali hai. Ve vah devi hain jo daahak rog bhejti bhi hain aur harti bhi hain, kyonki praacheen bodh mein peeda dene vaali shakti aur aarogya dene vaali shakti ek hi hain.

Unki pratima-vidya vidvaanon dvaara graameen jeevan ki poorna pratima ke roop mein padhi jaati hai. Jis gardabh par ve savaar hain vah nirdhanon ka pashu hai, jhaadoo pratyek ghar mein milti hai, soop fasal ka saadhan hai, aur jal-ghat grihasthi ka kendra hai. Unke dhaaran ki pratyek vastu bhakt ko bataati hai ki devi door nahin balki dainik jeevan ke vinamratam vivaranon mein upasthit hain.

Sheetala laal vastron mein saumya maata ke roop mein chitrit hain, vinamra gardabh par savaar, nimnatam vaahanon mein se ek, kyonki ve nirdhantam aur nimnatam ke paas pehle aati hain. Unke haathon mein graameen grihini ke saadhan hain: rog buhaarne ko jhaadoo, jvargraston par sheetal vaayu karne ko soop, aur shuddh jal ka ghat jisse ve dahakte mastakon par sheetalta chhidakti hain. Kuchh neem-patte, mahaan shodhak, sada unki pooja se jude hain.

Jvaraasur ki utpatti swayam chetaavni hai. Vah tab janma jab Shiv apne krodh mein krodh ki ooshma se paseene, aur paseene se daahak jvar ka daanav upja. Devtaon ne seekha ki divya krodh bhi, jab aniyantrit ho, vyaadhi janmaata hai, aur keval maata ki sheetal karuna hi devon ki daahak oorja ko santulit kar sakti hai.

Katha kehti hai ki jab jvar-daanav Jvaraasur Shiv ke lalaat ke sved se janma aur dahakte jvaron se maanavta ko sataane laga, to devtaon ne aisi shakti ki vinati ki jo uski agni sheetal kar sake. Divya maata ki karuna se Sheetala prakat huin, aur unhone jvar-daanav ka apne sheetal jalon se saamna kiya. Jahaan unhone apna jal chhidka, vahaan jvar toota; jahaan unhone pankha dulaaya, vahaan daah sheetal hua. Swayam Jvaraasur vash mein hua aur unka sevak bana, kyonki jvar ko bhi us maata ki aagya maanni chaahiye jo us par shaasan karti hain.

Kintu Sheetala keval rog-haarini nahin hain; parampara kehti hai ki ve chechak bhejti bhi hain, bhakton ki shraddha ki pareeksha leti huin aur maanavta ko divya par uski nirbharta ka smaran dilaati huin. Jab chechak gaanv aati hai, to log kehte hain ki devi padhaari hain, aur ve vishesh bhakti se unki pooja karte hain, unhein sheetal bhojya arpit karte hue, kyonki sheetalta dene vaali ko kuchh ushn arpit nahin ho sakta. Ve raatri-bhar unke geet gaate hain, unka vrat rakhte hain, aur praarthna karte hain ki ve unke gharon par komalta se nikal jaayein.

Bangal mein ve vishesh shraddha se Sheetala bankar pooji jaati hain, aur uttar mein vasant mein unke mandir bheed se bhare rehte hain. Mahaan kavi-santon ne unki stuti gaayi hai, aur aaj bhi, jab jvar aate hain, to vriddh daadiyaan ab bhi unka naam phusphusaati hain aur sheetal jal chhidakti hain, us pooja ko jeevit rakhte hue jisne yugon se karodon bhaybheet maataon ko saantvana di hai.

Unka mahaan utsav Sheetala Ashtami hai, Holi ke baad ashtami tithi, jab koi taaza bhojan nahin banta aur keval pichhle din bana, thanda aur saadhaaran bhojan khaaya aur unhein arpit kiya jaata hai. Maataayein visheshatah apni santaanon ki raksha ke liye unse praarthna karti hain, aur pratyek gaanv mein unka chhota mandir, praayah neem-vriksh ke neeche ek paashaan maatra, prem se sanvaara jaata hai. Sheetala ki paavan katha sikhaati hai ki rog aur aarogya donon maata ke haathon mein hain, ki vinamrata, unke gardabh-vaahan ki prateek, unki kripa ka maarg hai, aur kasht mein bhi divya ka sheetal sparsh kabhi door nahin hota.