Vaishno Devi

Jammu ki Trikuta pahaadiyon mein, jahaan parvat praarthna mein jude haathon ki bhaanti uthte hain, devi ne ek baar Vaishnavi naam ki maanavi baalika ke roop mein janm liya. Apne bachpan se hi ve anya bachchon se bhinn thin. Jab ve ghaatiyon mein khelte the, ve dhyaan mein baithtin thin, unka man Vishnu, paalankarta par sthir, jinki ve aisi bhakti se pooja karti thin jisne kshetra ke rishiyon ko chakit kar diya. Jaise-jaise ve badi huin, unki tapasya gehri hui. Ve parvatiya gufaaon aur vanon mein chali gayin, kand-mool aur jal par jeevan bitaati huin, unki aadhyaatmik aabha badhti gayi jab tak kaha jaane laga ki unki upasthiti mein pahaadiyaan hi damakti hain.

Unki aabha ne anek saadhakon ko unki or kheencha, pavitra jan jo unka gyaan seekhne aate the. Jo saadhak aaye unhein asaadharan gyaan ki guru milin. Ve unse nishkaam bhakti ki, pratyek hriday mein nivaas karne vaale Vishnu ki, aur divya samarpan se aane vaali shakti ki charcha karti thin. Anek unke shishya bankar pahaadiyon mein hi reh gaye, chhote aashram banaakar, aur Trikuta parvat, jo kabhi ekaaki aur vanya the, praarthna se goonjne lage. Rishi kehte the ki keval Vaishnavi ko dekhna hi apne sandehon ko vileen mahsoos karna tha, kyonki unke netron mein uski sthirata thi jisne satya ka saakshaatkaar kiya ho.

Kintu isne Bhairavnath ka bhi dhyaan kheencha, ek shaktishaali taantrik, goodh anushthaan ke saadhak, jinki shaktiyon ne unhein ahankaari bana diya tha aur jinki kaamnaaen belagaam badh gayi thin. Usne Vaishnavi ko dekha aur un par aasakt ho gaya, nishchint ki aisa saundarya aur shakti usi ki honi chaahiye. Jab unhone shaant garima se uske prastaav thukra diye, to uski aasakti krodh mein badal gayi, aur usne balpoorvak unhein pakadne ka nishchay kiya.

Jo hua vah pahaadiyon mein peechha tha jo aaj bhi un pathon par chadhne vaale teerthayaatri gaate hain. Vaishnavi gufa-dar-gufa, shikhar-dar-shikhar bhaagin, aur Bhairavnath ne unka aviraam peechha kiya, uski shyaam shaktiyaan parvat-paarshvon ko cheerti huin. Ek gufa mein ve vishraam ko rukin, aur unke aadesh se vahaan phoota jharna aaj bhi teerthayaatriyon ke liye behta hai. Ve aage daudti rahin, unki shakti unki bhakti se sanbhli hui, jab tak antatah ve apni parvatiya gufa ke mukh par ghir nahin gayin, bhaagne ka koi path shesh nahin raha.

Ardhakunwari naam ki gufa mein ve nau maas dhyaan mein chhipi rahin, aur Bhairavnath bhookhe bhediye ki bhaanti baahar ghoomta raha, pravesh na kar saka, kyonki devi ka tez nikat aane vaali buraai ko jala deta tha. Jab ve baahar aayin, to peechha chattaanon par aur vanon mein punah aarambh hua, jab tak parvat swayam dekhne ko jhukte prateet nahin hue. Devi ke charan kabhi nahin thake, kyonki bhakti bhakt ko vahan karti hai, kintu Bhairavnath ki shyaam shaktiyaan pratyek pag se ksheen hoti gayin, kyonki buraai achchhaai ke peechha mein swayam ko nihshesh karti hai.

Vahaan unka dhairya samaapt hua. Apne peechha karne vaale ki or mudkar Vaishnavi ne apna poorna divya roop dhaaran kiya, devi ki shakti se dahakti huin, aur khadg ke ek hi prahaar se unhone Bhairavnath ka sir kaat diya. Kata sir parvat-paarshv se neeche ghaati mein ludhak gaya, us sthaan par jise ab Bhairav Ghati kaha jaata hai. Kintu jab uska sir ludhka, to Bhairavnath ka ahankaar kaanch ki bhaanti choor ho gaya, aur apni antim saans se usne devi se kshama maangi, poorna nishkapatata se unki sarvochch shakti sveekaar karte hue.

Vaishnavi, jo swayam karuna hain, uske pashchaataap se dravit huin. Unhone use karunaamay vardaan diya: pratyek teerthayaatri jo unke dhaam ki pooja ko aaye use oopar pahaadi par uske dhaam bhi jaana hoga, anyatha uski teerthayaatra apoorna rahegi. Unki kripa se pavitra hua uska sir shraddhaalu janon dvaara pooja jaayega, aur uska naam khalnaayak ke roop mein nahin balki devi dvaara kshamaapraapt ke roop mein smaran kiya jaayega.

Aaj bhi prativarsh laakhon Trikuta pahaadiyon par chadhte hain, pehle devi ki gufa mein nat hote hue, jahaan ve teen pavitra shilaaon, teen maataon ke roop mein nivaas karti hain, aur phir Bhairavnath ke mandir tak ooncha chadhte hue. Teerthayaatri lambi raatri-chadhaai mein unka naam japte hain, aur parvat unki bhakti se goonjte hain. Yah katha pramaan ke roop mein kahi jaati hai ki sachchi shakti nirdoshon ki bina sankoch raksha karti hai, phir bhi pashchaataap karne vaalon ko bina seema kshama karti hai, aur jo devi apne bhakton ki raksha karti hai vahi maata hai jo un tak ko taarti hai jinhone uska apraadh kiya tha. Vriddh pujaari kehte hain ki devi aaj bhi bhor se pehle ke shaant ghanton mein un pahaadiyon mein vicharti hain, nishkapat hriday se chadhne vaale teerthayaatriyon ko aashirvaad deti huin, aur Bhairavnath ka dhaam smaran dilaata hai ki koi bhi, ghoratam apraadhi bhi, kshama ki pahunch se pare nahin hai.