Barf se dhake Kailash par ek yogi baithe the — aankhein band, saanson ki gati dheemi, duniya se bekhabar. Shiv. Unki patni Sati apna shareer tyaag chuki thi, aur ve shok mein doobe gehre dhyaan mein the. Doosri taraf, neeche maidaanon mein, Devi ka punarjanm ho chuka tha — Parvati ke roop mein, parvatoraj Himavan ki beti. Bachpan se hi sab dekh sakte the — yeh aam ladki nahi thi. Samajhdaar, nirbhay. Aur uska dil pehle se hi Shiv ka tha — halanki is janm mein woh unse mili tak nahi thi.
Jab Parvati badi hui, woh Shiv ki seva ke liye Kailash jaane lagi. Roz phool laati, jal laati, chupchaap rakh kar laut aati. Lekin Shiv samadhi mein sthir — kisi cheez se bekhabar. Devta chintit the. Daitya Taarak ko sirf Shiv ka beta maar sakta tha, aur Parvati ke bina koi beta nahi hoga. Isliye unhone prem ke devta Kamadeva ko bheja. Jaao, Shiv ke dil ko jagaao.
Kamadeva ne dhyaan-magn prabhu par apna phoolon ka teer chalaaya. Shiv ki aankhein khul gayi. Teesre netra se nikli aag ne Kamadeva ko ek pal mein bhasm kar diya. Parvat kaanp uthe. Parvati ki saheliyaan dar kar bhaag gayi. Lekin Parvati sthir khadi rahi. Usne usi pal samajh liya — Shiv ko chaal se nahi jeeta ja sakta. Teer se nahi. Unhe sirf tapasya se jeeta ja sakta hai — utni hi gehri sadhana se, jitni unki apni.
Kamadeva ki patni Rati vilap karne lagi. Uske aansuon se devtaon ka dil pighla. Shiv ne use vachan diya — prem mrityu se bada hai. Kamadeva phir janm lenge — lekin shareer ke bina, sirf bhaavna ke roop mein. Tab se unhe Ananga kehte hain — ang-rahit. Isiliye prem dikhta nahi, phir bhi poori duniya ko chalaata hai.
To Parvati ne mahal chhod diya. Jungle chali gayi. Achchhe kapde tyaage, badhiya khaana tyaaga. Garmiyon mein aag se ghiri dhyaan karti. Barsaat mein mutth bharish mein baithi rehti. Sardiyon mein barf jaise thande paani mein gale tak khadi hokar Shiv ka naam japti. Saal beet gaye. Shareer dubla ho gaya. Lekin sankalp? Woh aur mazboot hota gaya. (Sochiye — ek rajkumari, jungle mein, akele. Yeh prem nahi to aur kya hai?)
Aakhir mein Shiv ne uski pariksha lene ka faisla kiya. Ek buddhe brahmin ke bhes mein aaye. Uske munh par Shiv ka mazaak udaaya — woh to bhikhaari hai! Raakh lagata hai! Bhooton ke saath rehta hai! Apni sundarta us par kyun barbaad karti ho? Kisi dhani raja se shaadi kar lo! Parvati ki aankhein chamak uthi. 'Tum mera apmaan kar sakte ho,' usne kaha, 'lekin mere Shiv ka apmaan dobara mat karna — warna main yahin apne praan de dungi.' Buddhe brahmin muskuraaye. Gayab ho gaye. Unki jagah khade the swayam Shiv — tejasvi, prabhaavit.
Unhe apne jaisa mil gaya tha. Utna hi sthir prem, jitna unka apna dhyaan.
Unki shaadi teenon lokon ne dekhi sabse bhavya shaadi thi. Aur sabse ajeeb baaraat — gan naachte hue, bhoot dhol bajate hue, Nandi bail phoolon se saja hua, devta aashirvaad barsaate hue. Kehte hain vivaah Triyuginarayan mein hua — Himalaya ki god mein. Swayam Brahma purohit bane, Vishnu ne vyavastha sambhaali. Us havan-kund ki agni aaj bhi jalti hai — nav-vivaahit jode wahan aashirvaad lene jaate hain. Himavan ki aankhon mein aansu the — beti vida ho rahi thi.
Unki shaadi ki raat aaj bhi Maha Shivaratri ke roop mein manayi jaati hai — Shiv ki mahaan raatri.
Parvati ne Shiv ko sundarta se nahi jeeta. Taakat se nahi. Usne unhe haar na maan kar jeeta. Bharat mein har yuva dil ko yeh katha sunayi jaati hai — jo prem dhairyavaan ho, sammaan se bhara ho, samay ki kasauti par khara utre — wahi prem hamesha tikta hai. Baaki sab... bas waqt ka khel hai.
Us baaraat ko zara aankhon mein laao — aage Nandi bail, phoolon se saja hua. Peeche gan — naachte, gaate. Bhoot dhol baja rahe hain. Dulha — shareer par bhabhoot, gale mein naag, haathon mein damru. Aur swarg se devta phool barsa rahe hain. Aisi baaraat na pehle dekhi thi, na phir kabhi dekhi.
Aaj bhi Triyuginarayan mein woh havan-kund jal raha hai — jahan Brahma purohit bane the. Nav-vivaahit jode wahaan jaate hain, aashirvaad lete hain. Kehte hain, us agni ke saamne liye gaye vachan kabhi tootte nahi. Prem jab tapasya se jeeta jaaye — to agni bhi uski gawah ban jaati hai.
Is katha ke paatra
- Shiva
- Parvati
- Himavan
- Kamadeva
- Nandi
- Sati
