Vaman aur Raja Mahabali

Raja Mahabali ab tak ke sabse udaar asur the. Bhakt Prahlad ke pautra, ve teenon lokon par nyaay se raaj karte the, aur unki praja unse prem karti thi. Lekin unke guru Shukracharya ne unke hriday mein mahatvaakaanksha bhar di, unhe mahaan yagya karne aur swarg ko hi jeetne ke liye uksaaya. Bali ne sau ashvamedh yagya kiye, aur har yagya ke saath unki shakti badhi, jab tak ant mein unhone devtaon ko sinhaasanon se khadedkar swarg hi chheen na liya. Beghar aur bhaybheet devta sahaayata ke liye Vishnu ke paas gaye. Vishnu muskuraaye aur kaha ki ve Bali se swayam nipatenge — yuddh se nahi, bhikhaari ke paatra se. Ve Vaman ke roop mein janme, ek baune baalak, rishi Kashyap aur unki patni Aditi, devtaon ki maata, ke putra. Nanhe aur deeptimaan, chhaati par yagyopaveet aur haath mein chhatra liye, nanha brahman baalak us mahaan yagya mein pahuncha jahaan Bali aane waalon ko daan de rahe the. Bali swarn paatra se jal daalte hue brahmanon ko bhoomi aur swarn de rahe the, tabhi Vaman aage badhe. Poori sabha chamakte baune baalak ko dekhne mudi. Bali sinhaasan se uthkar unke swaagat mein khade hue. Unhone kaha, he vidvaan, jo chaaho maango. Main tumhe gaanv, swarn, haathi doonga — tumhaara hriday jo chaahe. Vaman muskuraaye aur bahut chhoti cheez maangi: keval teen pag bhoomi, unke apne nanhe pairon se maapi hui. Bali hanse. Keval teen pag? Aur maango, baalak. Lekin Vaman ne sir hilaaya. Unhone kaha, santoshi ko thoda chahiye. Teen pag bahut hain. Shukracharya, dhyaan se dekh rahe the, achaanak samajh gaye. Unhone Bali se turant fusfusakar kaha, yeh koi saadhaaran baalak nahi hai. Yeh swayam Vishnu hain, tumhe chhalne aaye hain. Yeh vachan mat do. Lekin Bali vachan ke dhani raja the. Unhone kaha, pavitra agni ke saamne diya vachan toda nahi jaa sakta, chaahe maangne waala swayam Vishnu hi kyon na ho. Yadi brahmaand ke swaami bhikhaari bankar mere paas aayein, to main unhe kaise thukra sakta hoon? Ishwar se chhala jaana vachan todne se bada gaurav hoga. Krodhit Shukracharya ne paatra ki tonti mein sookshm hokar baithkar jal ki dhaara rokne ki koshish ki. Vaman ne kush ki nok se tonti ko chhua, guru ki ek aankh phoot gayi, aur vachan ka jal beh nikla. Jaise hi jal Vaman ke haath ko chhua, nanha bauna badhne laga. Ve badhte gaye, yagyashaala se oonche, parvaton se oonche, jab tak unka sir aakaash ko na chhoo le aur pair dharti ko na dhak lein. Yeh Trivikram the — lokon mein dag bharne waale Prabhu. Apne pehle pag se unhone poori dharti naap li. Doosre pag se unhone swarg aur beech ka saara aakaash naap liya. Phir unhone Bali ki or mudkar, ab brahmaandiya aakaar mein, komalta se poochha: maine do pagon mein dharti aur swarg naap liye. Teesra kahaan rakhoon? Bali us kshan sab samajh gaye. Unhone samarpan ki muskaan ke saath sir jhukaaya aur kaha: he Prabhu, mere sir par rakhiye. Aapke charan ke liye aapke bhakt ke sir se uchit sthaan aur koi nahi. Vishnu ne apna charan Bali ke jhuke sir par rakha aur unhe neeche dabaaya, neeche Sutal naamak paataal lok mein. Lekin Bali ne apna vachan itni udaarta se nibhaaya tha, isliye Vishnu ne dand ke bajaay vardaan diya. Unhone kaha, tum Sutal ke raja bankar raaj karoge — swarg se bhi mahaan aur sukhi — aur main swayam sada tumhaare dwaar par pehra doonga. Aur aane waale yug mein tum Indra banoge, devtaon ke raja. Bali aanand se apne naye raajya mein utar gaye, aur devta swarg laut aaye. Kerala ke log aaj bhi varsh mein ek baar apne priya raja Mahabali ka Onam tyohaar mein swaagat karte hain, maante hue ki ve neeche se unse milne aate hain. Yeh katha sikhaati hai ki sachchi mahaanata ko deeng ki zaroorat nahi: Bali ne teenon lok khoye aur kuchh bada paaya — apne dwaar par Prabhu ki upasthiti — keval isliye ki unhone apna vachan nibhaaya.

Mahabali ki katha har varsh Kerala mein Onam-roop mein manaayi jaati hai — desh ka sabse aanandmay utsav — jab log priya raja ka sankshipt bhent ko swaagat karte hain. Kyunki daanavraaj ko vardaan mila tha: varsh mein ek baar woh praja ko dekhne laut-ta hai — aur ve phoolon, bhojon aur deepon se uska swaagat karte hain. Utsav sikhaata hai ki sachchi mahaanta prem se smaran ki jaati hai, bhay se nahi. Bali ka daan — jisne use teenon lokon se vanchit kiya — uchchatam daan-roop mein sammaanit hai: usne tab bhi diya jab jaanta tha ki yaachak shatru hai. Baune aur vidvaan ab bhi vivaad karte hain ki Vishnu ne Bali ko chhala ya sammaanit kiya — lekin bhakt satya jaante hain: ki Bali ke sir par Prabhu ka charan dand nahi, aashirvaad tha — raja ko amaratva mein dabaata. Aaj bhi katha sikhaane ko sunaayi jaati hai ki samarpan uchchatam vijay hai.