Shumbh aur Nishumbh

Do daanav bhaai, Shumbh aur Nishumbh, asaadharan kathor tapasya karke Brahma se aisa vardaan paa chuke the jisne unhein lagbhag ajeya bana diya tha: koi manushya, koi dev aur koi daanav unhein kabhi nahin maar sakega. Apne se pehle Mahishasur ki bhaanti ve us shakti se raksha maangna bhool gaye jisse ve ghrina karte the, aur yahi bhool unka naash karegi. Vardaan ke mad mein bhaaiyon ne teenon lok jeet liye. Unhone Indra ko sinhaasan se hataaya, soorya aur chandrama ke sthaan chheen liye, pratyek yagya ki aahuti apne liye hadap li, aur devtaon ko bhatakte bhikhaari bana diya. Apmaanit devta Himalaya par ekatra hue aur devi ka mahaan stotra gaaya, divya maata se vinati ki ki vah apna vachan smaran kare ki jab bhi lok andhkaar mein doobenge, vah prakat hogi.

Devi ne suna. Parvat-putri Parvati, komal, divya Ganga mein snaan kar rahi thin jab devtaon ki praarthna un tak pahunchi, aur unhone madhurta se poochha ki ve kiski stuti kar rahe hain. Unke bolte hi unke apne astitva se, unke shareer ke kosh se, ek doosri devi prakat huin, tejasvi aur kajraare netron vaali, chakaachaundh kar dene vaali sundari. Ye Kaushiki thin, kosh ki devi, aur unke nikalte hi Parvati ka apna roop shyaam ho gaya, Kalika, shyaama bankar. Kaushiki ne devtaon ko muskuraakar kaha ki unke stotra ne unhein bulaaya hai, aur ve donon daanav bhaaiyon se nipatengi.

Devta kritagyata se nat hue, aur jab ve dekh rahe the, to shyaam Kalika jo Parvati thin ve bhi muskuraayin, kyonki ve jaanti thin ki aagaami yuddh mein unki apni bhoomika abhi baaki hai. Phir Kaushiki ne daanav-grast swarg ki or drishti modi, aur unke netra khinche khadgon ki bhaanti chamke. Parvat saans roke prateet hue. Stotron ka samay samaapt hua, aur yuddh ka samay aa gaya.

Devi ke saundarya ki charcha sheeghra hi Shumbh ke darbaar pahunchi, aur daanavraaj kaamna se jal utha. Usne apna doot Sugreev garvit maangon sahit bheja: tejasvi devi uski vadhu bankar aaye, kyonki teenon lokon ke samast ratn adhikaar se Shumbh ke hain. Kaushiki ne doot ka poorna garima se swaagat kiya aur bahut pehle liye vrat se uttar diya: ve keval usi se vivaah karengi jo unhein yuddh mein hara sake. Shumbh ya Nishumbh aayein aur unhein jeetein, aur ve unke honge. Doot yah avagya lekar lauta, aur kruddh Shumbh ne apne senaapati Dhoomralochan ko saath hazaar daanavon sahit unhein balpoorvak pakadne bheja. Devi ko keval ek krodhit drishti ki aavashyakta hui, krodh ki ek hunkaar, aur Dhoomralochan apni sena sahit bhasm ho gaya.

Phir Shumbh ne apne prachand senaapati Chand aur Mund ko vishaal sena ke saath bheja, aadesh dekar ki devi ko kesh pakadkar ghaseet laayein. Unhone ranbhoomi mein unhein gher liya, garjana karte hue, aur devi ka lalaat krodh se kaala pad gaya. Unke mastak se unka bhayaanak shyaam roop prakat hua, Kali, raatri ki bhaanti kaali, laplapaati jihva aur mundmala vaali, vidyut ki bhaanti chamakta khadg liye. Kali daanav senaapatiyon par toot padin, do prachand prahaaron mein Chand aur Mund ke sir kaat diye, aur tapakte sir Kaushiki ko bhent chadhaae. Is karm se shyaam devi ne Chamunda naam paaya, Chand-Mund ki sanhaarika, aur daanav sena bhay se bhaag khadi hui.

Phir Nishumbh swayam vishaal sena lekar yuddh mein kooda, aur ghor sangharsh ke baad jismein prithvi hili, devi ne use kaat giraaya. Antatah Shumbh akela unse bhida. Usne apni samast daanavi shakti se yuddh kiya, parvat aur baanon ki dhaaraaen phenkin, aur jab ve us par bhaari padne lagin, to usne taana maara, chillaaya ki ve anyaay se ladti hain, doosron ki shakti ke peechhe chhipkar. In shabdon par devi ne kuchh bhavya kiya: unhone apne samast aavirbhaavon, Kali, Chamunda aur samast maatrikaon ko apne shareer mein samet liya, aur uske samaksh akeli khadi huin, ghoshna karte hue ki ve ek hain, ekmaatra, aur ve samast roop ve swayam hi thin. Phir unhone bhaala uski chhaati mein dhansa diya. Donon bhaaiyon ke vadh se devtaon ko swarg punah mila, aur devi ne kaanpte bache huon ko smaran dilaaya ki samast devtaon ke peechhe ki shakti ve akeli hain, aur divya naari-shakti ko puraskaar samajhne vaala ahankaar sada ke liye vinaash ko praapt hota hai. Dharm ki vijay nishchit hai.