Tripurantak: Teen Nagar

Teen daanav bhaai, Vidyunmali, Tarakaksh aur Kamalaksh, daanavon ke mahaan shilpi May ke putr the, aur ve aisi shakti ke bhookhe the jise koi shatru chunauti na de sake. Unhone milkar bhayaanak kathor tapasya ki, hazaar varshon tak ek pair par khade rahe, pavitra agni mein apna hi maans aahuti di, jab tak swayam Brahma unke samaksh prakat nahin hue. Unhone amaratva maanga, kintu Brahma ne inkaar kar diya, kyonki janma kuchh bhi sada nahin jee sakta. Tab unhone teen udne vaale durg maange, lohe, chaandi aur sone ke nagar jo aakaash mein vichrein, abhedya aur sada gatisheel. Aur unhone ek dhoort shart jodi: teenon nagar tabhi nasht ho sakte the jab ek hi baan se, theek us kshan mein jab teenon ek seedh mein aa jaayein, jo ghatna hazaar varshon mein ek baar hoti thi. Brahma ne vardaan de diya, aur May ne apni samast kala se nagar banaae: neeche prithvi par loha, madhya aakaash mein chaandi, aur uchchatam swarg mein sona, pratyek devtaon ya manushyon ki kisi bhi raajdhaani se adhik bhavya.

Pehle daanav bhaaiyon ne dharmapoorvak apne nagaron par shaasan kiya, bhaktipoorvak Shiv ki pooja bhi ki. Kintu shakti ne, jaisa vah sada karti hai, unke hriday sada diye. Sheeghra hi teenon nagar ghoomte hue aatank-yantra ban gaye. Daanavon ne swarg par dhaave bole, rishiyon ko unke aashramon se ghaseeta, aur devtaon ko apne saamne bhaagte dekh hanse. Teenon lok unki kroorta se karaah uthe, aur bhaybheet devta sabha mein ekatra hue. Ve pehle Brahma ke paas gaye, jinhone yaad dilaaya ki unhin ka vardaan nagaron ki raksha karta hai, phir Vishnu ke paas, jinhone kaha ki keval ek hi vah asambhav baan chhod sakta hai: Kailas ke mahaan dev Shiv.

Tab devta haath jode Shiv ke paas aaye, apni hataasha ke yogya yojana lekar. Yadi prahaar ke liye ek hi siddh baan chaahiye, to ve Shiv ke liye kalpana se pare astra banaayenge. Prithvi hi unka rath bani, soorya aur chandrama uske do pahiye, Meru parvat dhanush, aur sarparaaj Vasuki pratyanchya. Ved hi unke ashv bane, Brahma ne saarthi bankar lagaam thaami, aur Vishnu, paalankarta, swayam baan banne ko taiyaar hue. Yah ab tak ki sabse bhavya yuddh-machine thi, aur jaise-jaise usne aakaar liya, devtaon ke hridayon mein naya ahankaar reng aaya. Pratyek sochta tha ki usi ka yogdaan vijay dilaayega, aur ve aapas mein deengein maarne lage ki kiska uphaar sabse mahatvapoorna hai.

Jaise hi asambhav rath aakaash mein utha, daanav bhaaiyon ne apni swarnim praacheeron se neeche dekha aur hanse. Unhone hazaar varsh beette dekhe the, aur ve maante the ki srishti ki koi shakti us ek saans-bhar samay mein baan nahin chhod sakti jab unke nagar seedh mein khade hon. Unke purohit rakshaatmak stotra padh rahe the, unke dhanurdhar par koton par tainaat the, aur teenon nagar ahankaari prakaash se damak rahe the. Neeche se dekh rahe kuchh devtaon ke hriday mein bhi sandeh ki lehar uthi, kyonki vardaan ki shart sachmuch abhedya lag rahi thi.

Shiv ne sab dekha aur kuchh nahin kaha. Niyat din, jab hazaar varsh beet gaye aur teenon nagar antatah aakaash mein ek seedh mein aa gaye, Shiv brahmaandiya rath par aaroodh hue. Daanavon ne neeche dekha aur hanse, nishchint ki us ek saans-bhar samay mein koi baan nahin chhoda ja sakta. Devtaon ne saans rok li, pratyek man hi man aagaami vijay ka shrey le raha tha. Aur tab Shiv ne vah kiya jiski kisi ne apeksha nahin ki thi. Unhone zor nahin lagaaya, rath ki bhavyata ka aahvaan nahin kiya, mahaan dhanush ko balpoorvak bhi nahin kheencha. Unhone keval muskuraaya, aisi muskaan jismein hazaar sooryon ki agni thi, aur ek sahaj gati mein baan chhod diya.

Ek hi pradeept kshan mein teenon nagar aag pakad gaye. Loha, chaandi aur sona pighalkar tootte taaron ki bhaanti aakaash se barse, aur daanav bhaai apni samast sena sahit jwaalaon mein bhasm ho gaye. Unki bhasm dhoosar him ki bhaanti barsi, aur jahaan nagar gire, vahaan rishiyon ne kritagyata ke mandir uthaae. Devtaon ka bhavya rath lagbhag anaavashyak raha tha; prabhu ko vah karne ke liye unke uphaaron ki aavashyakta nahin thi jo keval ve kar sakte the. Deeng maarne vaale devtaon ke mukh lajja se jal uthe, aur ve Shiv ke charnon mein gir pade. Unhone unke ahankaar ko hanskar kshama kiya aur aashirvaad diya, aur us din se lok unki Tripurantak ke roop mein stuti karne lage, teen nagaron ke sanhaarak, jo ahankaar ka, chaahe daanavon ka ho ya devtaon ka, sahaj kripa se ant karte hain.