Varaha ne Bachaayi Dharti

Ek naye yug ke bilkul aarambh mein, jab srashta Brahma lokon ki rachna kar rahe the, ek bhayankar ghatna ghati. Dharti, swayam devi Bhudevi, gaayab ho gayin. Rakshas Hiranyaksha, bheeshan shakti aur kroorta waala daanav, unhe pakadkar brahmaand ke neeche ke andhere brahmaandiya jal mein kheench le gaya tha. Usne unhe wahaan churaaye khazaane ki tarah chhipa diya tha, aur yeh sochkar hansta tha ki koi unhe khojne ki himmat karega. Brahma ne apni aadhi-adhoori srishti ko dekha aur woh khaali jagah dekhi jahaan dharti honi chahiye thi. Unke bina kuchh bhi tik nahi sakta tha. Parvaton ko thaharne ki jagah nahi thi, nadiyon ko behne ka maarg nahi tha, aur jeevon ko janm lene ka sthaan nahi tha. Srishti swayam thahar gayi thi, prateeksha mein. Brahma ka hriday doob gaya. Ve srashta the, lekin ve bhi un prakaashheen gehraaiyon mein dubki lagaakar akele aise rakshas se nahi lad sakte the. Unhone aankhein band keen aur Vishnu ka smaran kiya — paalankarta, jo sansaar par sankat aane par hamesha aate hain. Jaise hi Brahma ne praarthna ki, ek vichitra aur adbhut ghatna ghati. Brahma ke apne nathune se ek nanha varah nikla, angoothe ki nok se bada nahi. Lekin jaise hi ekatra rishi aur devta aashcharya se dekhte rahe, nanha varah badhne laga. Pal bhar mein woh haathi jitna bada ho gaya, phir parvat jitna, phir itna vishaal jeev ki uski garjana se swarg hil gaye aur uske rom baadalon ko chhoone lage. Yeh Varaha the — ek paraakrami varah ke roop mein Vishnu, woh karne aaye jo koi aur nahi kar sakta tha. Bina ek pal hichke, Varaha brahmaandiya saagar mein kood pade. Ve neeche gota lagaate gaye, prakaash se pare aur andhkaar se pare, unke vishaal daant chamakte hue, unki aankhein kaale jal mein do suryon ki tarah dahakti hui. Unhone gehraaiyon mein tab tak khoja jab tak ve unhe na mil gayin: dharti, athaah mein kaanpti aur khoi hui. Komalta se, apaar saavdhaani ke saath, unhone unhe apne paraakrami daanton par uthaaya aur prakaash ki or jal ke beech se lambi chadhaai shuru ki. Lekin Hiranyaksha dekh raha tha. Rakshas apna shikaar khona sahan nahi kar saka. Woh gehraaiyon se toofaan ki tarah utha, Varaha ka maarg roka, gada uthaaye, uski aawaaz jal mein garajti hui. Tum kaun ho, woh garja, jo mera chheene? Aao, Varaha, aur jaano ki Hiranyaksha se takraane waalon ka kya hota hai. Varaha use andekha karke dharti ko surakshit pahuncha sakte the. Lekin ve jaante the ki jab tak yeh rakshas jeevit hai, lok kabhi surakshit nahi honge. Unhone dharti ko komalta se jal ki satah par rakha, jahaan ve tairti huin prateeksha karti rahin, aur shatru ka saamna karne mude. Iske baad jo yuddh hua, rishi aaj bhi uska gaan karte hain. Dono daanav brahmaandiya jal mein lade, use jhaag mein mathte hue. Hiranyaksha ne apni bhayankar gada se prahaar kiya, aur Varaha ne daant se gada ka saamna kiya, prahaar-dar-prahaar. Rakshas koi durbal nahi tha; woh Diti ka putra tha, vinaash ke liye janma, aur apni jaati ke saare krodh se lada. Lambe samay tak parinaam sandeh mein raha, aur upar se dekh rahe devtaon ne saans rok rakhi thi. Lekin Varaha swayam Vishnu the, aur dharm se juda saahas haraaya nahi jaa sakta. Ant mein, jab usha ka prakaash jal ko chhoo raha tha, Varaha ne Hiranyaksha ko gada ke aise prahaar se pakda jise koi kavach nahi rok sakta tha. Rakshas gira, aur andhera jal shaant ho gaya. Tab Varaha prateeksha karti dharti ke paas laute. Ek baar phir unhone unhe apne daanton par uthaaya, aur is baar koi unke maarg mein nahi aaya. Ve dharti ko ooncha uthaaye saagar se nikle, unke kanteele shareer se jal behta hua, aur unhe lokon ke beech unke uchit sthaan par komalta se rakh diya. Brahma ki srishti aage badh saki. Parvat un par jam gaye, nadiyon ko apne maarg mile, aur jeevan ne apni lambi yaatra shuru ki. Rishiyon ne Varaha par phool barsaaye aur unka yash gaaya, aur swayam Bhudevi ne apne rakshak ko pranaam kiya. Yeh katha aaj bhi ek saral satya ki yaad dilaane ke liye sunaayi jaati hai: jab buraai sansaar ko andhkaar mein kheench le jaaye, to gehraai mein dubki lagaane, rakshas ka uske hi jal mein saamna karne, aur sansaar ko phir prakaash mein uthaane ke liye saahas chahiye.