भक्त प्रह्लाद

Daityon ke kul mein Hiranyakashyap naam ka ek atyant shaktishali aur ahankari raja tha. Uske chhote bhai Hiranyaksha ko Bhagwan Vishnu ne Varah avatar lekar mara tha. Is kaaran Hiranyakashyap Vishnu se atyant ghrina karta tha aur usne pratigya ki ki woh Vishnu se badla lega. Usne kathor tapasya karke Brahma ji se aisa vardaan manga ki na woh din mein mare, na raat mein; na ghar ke andar mare, na bahar; na manushya se mare, na pashu se; na astra se mare, na shastra se; na bhoomi par mare, na aakaash mein.

Is vardaan se Hiranyakashyap ko laga ki woh amar ho gaya hai. Usne teenon lokon par apna adhikaar jama liya aur swayam ko bhagwan ghoshit kar diya. Usne aadesh diya ki sampoorn rajya mein keval uski puja hogi aur Vishnu ka naam lene wale ko mrityudand diya jayega. Devta, rishi-muni sabhi uske atyacharon se peedit the.

Parantu vidhata ki leela aparampar hai. Hiranyakashyap ka apna putra Prahlad Bhagwan Vishnu ka param bhakt nikla. Jab Hiranyakashyap tapasya mein tha, tab Devarshi Narad ne Prahlad ki mata Kayadhu ko apne aashram mein aashraya diya tha. Garbh mein hi Prahlad ne Narad ji se Vishnu bhakti ki shiksha grahan kar li thi. Janm se hi Prahlad ka hriday Vishnu bhakti se otprot tha.

Jab Prahlad gurukul mein padhne gaya to uske guru Shand aur Amark ne use rajneeti aur asur dharm sikhaane ka prayas kiya. Parantu Prahlad sada "Om Namo Narayanaya" ka jaap karta aur anya balakon ko bhi Vishnu bhakti ki shiksha deta. Jab Hiranyakashyap ko yeh pata chala to woh krodh se tilmila utha. Usne Prahlad ko dhamkaya, daraya, samjhaya — parantu Prahlad ne kaha ki Bhagwan Vishnu sarvavyapi hain, ve sabhi mein vidyamaan hain.

Hiranyakashyap ne Prahlad ko marne ke anek prayas kiye. Usne Prahlad ko oonche parvat se girvaya — Vishnu ne raksha ki. Samudra mein phenkwaya — Vishnu ne bachaya. Vishaile sarpon se katwaya — vish prabhavheen raha. Hathiyon se kuchalwaya — hathi Prahlad ke charan chhoone lage. Vish mila bhojan diya — vish amrit ban gaya. Agni mein jalane ka prayas kiya — agni sheetal ho gayi. Pratyek baar Bhagwan Vishnu ne apne bhakt Prahlad ki raksha ki.

Ant mein Hiranyakashyap ne apni behen Holika ko bulaya. Holika ko vardaan tha ki agni use jala nahi sakti. Hiranyakashyap ne Holika ko Prahlad ko god mein lekar agni mein baithne ka aadesh diya. Holika Prahlad ko god mein lekar agni mein baith gayi. Parantu Bhagwan Vishnu ki kripa se Prahlad ko agni ne sparsh nahi kiya jabki Holika jalkar bhasma ho gayi. Isi ghatna ki smriti mein Holika Dahan ka tyohar manaya jata hai.

Hiranyakashyap ka krodh charam seema par pahunch gaya. Usne Prahlad se poocha — "Kahan hai tera Vishnu? Kya woh is khambhe mein hai?" Prahlad ne shaant swar mein kaha — "Haan Pitaji, Bhagwan Vishnu is khambhe mein bhi hain, ve sarvavyapi hain." Hiranyakashyap ne krodh mein gada se khambhe par prahaar kiya. Usi kshan khamba phata aur usmein se Bhagwan Narasimha — aadhe manushya aadhe singh — prakat hue. Unka roop atyant bhayanak tha.

Bhagwan Narasimha ne Hiranyakashyap ko pakad liya. Ve use ghar ki dehleez par (na andar na bahar) le gaye. Godhuli bela mein (na din na raat) apni janghaon par (na bhoomi par na aakaash mein) rakha. Aur apne nakhon (na astra na shastra) se uska vaksh cheerkar uska vadh kar diya. Is prakar Brahma ji ke vardaan ki har shart ka paalan karte hue bhi Hiranyakashyap ka ant hua.

Narasimha Bhagwan atyant krodhit the. Koi bhi devta unke sameep jaane ka saahas nahi kar pa raha tha. Tab balak Prahlad ne nirbhay hokar Bhagwan ke charanon mein pranaam kiya. Prahlad ke sparsh se Narasimha Bhagwan shaant ho gaye. Unhone Prahlad ko god mein uthakar aashirvaad diya aur kaha — "Tu mera sabse priya bhakt hai. Teri bhakti se prasann hokar maine yeh avatar liya hai." Prahlad ko asuron ka raja banaya gaya aur usne dharmapoorvak shaasan kiya.