Deucalion aur Pyrrha

Jab kansa yug ke log dharti par rah rahe the, unki buraiyon ki khabrein Jupiter tak pahunchin. Devta ne khud dekhne ka faisla kiya ki kya yeh khabrein sach hain, isliye woh ek aadmi ke roop mein dharti par aaya. Jahan bhi woh gaya, usne paya ki khabrein sachchai se kahin halki thin.

Ek shaam, der tak dhundle ujale mein, woh Arcadia ke Raja Lycaon ke apryogya aashray mein dakhil hua, jo apne vahshi vyavahar ke liye jana jata tha. Kai sanketon se Jupiter ne bataya ki woh ek devta hai, aur bheed ne ghodon ke bal jhukkar pooja ki. Par Lycaon ne unki dharmik prarthnaon ka uphaas kiya.

"Chaliye dekhte hain," usne kaha, "ki woh nashvar hai ya devta."

Isliye usne usi raat apne mehmaan ko maarne ka faisla kiya, jab woh so raha ho, maut ki ummeed na karte hue. Par aisa karne se pehle, usne ek bechara bandhuk ko maar dala jise Molossians ne uske paas bheja tha, aadhe-zinda angon ko khaulate paani mein pakaya ya aag par bhoona, aur mehmaan ke samne raat ke bhojan ke roop mein rakha.

Par Jupiter, jo yeh sab janta tha, megh se utha aur us besharam aadmi ke mahal mein bhayankar aag bhej di. Dara hua, raja khule maidano mein bhaag gaya. Uski pehli cheekh ek gurgurahat thi; uske kapde baal bankar reh gaye, uski bahuein tangon mein badal gayin, aur woh ek khooni bhediya ban gaya.

Jupiter Olympus mein wapas aaya aur devtaon ke saath salah ki, aur usne lepropan ki manav jaati ko nash karne ka faisla kiya. Pehle, woh apni bijliyan dharti par barasana chahta tha, par use darr tha ki aasmaan mein aag lag jayegi aur bramhanda ki hi dhuri nash ho jayegi. Isliye usne woh vajra alag rakh diya jo Cyclopes ne uske liye banaya tha, aur iske bajaye aasmaan se varsha bhejkar dharti ko jalmaghn karne aur sab nashvaron ko mita dene ka faisla kiya.

Turant, uttari pawan aur baaki sab baadal bikherne wale pawan Aeolus ki gufa mein band kar diye gaye, aur sirf dakshini pawan ko chhoda gaya. Dakshini pawan dharti par jhapat pada. Uska bhayankar chehra andhere mein lipta tha, uski daadhi baadalon se bhari thi, aur uske safed baalon se toofan beh raha tha. Uske maathe par kohra chha gaya tha, aur uski chhati se paani Tapak raha tha. Usne baadalon ko pakda aur unhein nichoda jab tak garaj nahi hui aur varsha ki badh aasmaan se phat padi. Khadi fasal dharti par gir gayi; kisan ki aasha nash ho gayi, aur poore saal ki thakati mehnat bekar ho gayi.

Yahan tak ki samundar ka devta, Neptune bhi, apne bhai Jupiter ki is vinaash ke kaam mein madad karne aaya. Usne saari nadiyon ko bulaya aur kaha, "Apni dharon ko poori chhoot do; gharon mein ghuso; saare bandhan tod do!"

Unhone uske aadesh ka palan kiya, aur Neptune ne khud apne trishul se dharti ko mara, jisse badh andar ghus gayi. Phir paani khule maidano par beh gaya, kheton ko dhaak diya, aur ped, mandir aur gharon ko baha le gaya. Jahan bhi koi mahal tha, uske chhajje jald hi paani ke neeche chhup gaye, aur sabse oonchi minarein toofan mein gayab ho gayin. Samundar aur dharti ab alag nahi the; sab kuch badh tha, paani ka ek behta hua vistaar.

Logon ne apni jaane bachane ki poorshi ki. Kuch ne oonche pahadon par chadh gaye; doosron ne naavon ka sahara liya aur kaddu chalaya—ab gire hue gharon ki chhaton par, ab apni ujdi hui angooron ke baghichon ki pahariyon par. Machhliyan sabse oonche pedon ki daaliyon mein tair rahi thin; jangali soor badh mein phans gaya. Log paani se beh gaye, aur jo badh mein bach gaye woh banjar pahadon par bhookhon mar gaye.

Phocis desh mein ek ooncha pahad apni do chotiyon ko aas-paas ke paani se oopar uthaye hua tha. Woh tha mahan Mount Parnassus. Is pahad ki taraf ek naav tair rahi thi jisme Deucalion, Prometheus ka beta, aur uski patni Pyrrha the. Koi bhi purush ya stri nahi mila tha jo unse adhik dharmi aur bhakt mein shreshth ho. Jab Jupiter ne aasmaan se neeche dekha aur paya ki hazaron-haatharon mein se sirf yeh ek jodi nashvar bachi hai, dono nirdosh aur devtaon ke samarpit sevak, usne uttari pawan ko bheja, baadalon ko wapas bulaya, aur ek baar phir dharti ko aasmaan se aur aasmaan ko dharti se alag kar diya.

Yahan tak ki samundar ka swami, Neptune, ne bhi apna trishul rakh diya aur badh ko shaant kar diya. Samundar apne kinaron par wapas aa gaya; nadiyan apne khaaton mein laut gayin; jangal apni keechad se lipti chotiyon ko gahrai se bahar nikalne lage; pahadiyan pichhe chhut gayin; aakhir mein samatal bhoomi ke hisse dikhaye diye, aur dharti pehle jaisi ho gayi.

Deucalion ne apne charon or dekha. Desh ujda hua tha, kabra jaisi khamoshi mein lipta. Uski aankhon se aansoo beh rahe the, aur usne apni patni Pyrrha se kaha, "Priye, mere jeevan ki akeli saathi, jahan tak main apni aankhon se saare aas-paas ke desh mein dekh sakta hoon, mujhe koi jeevit prani nahi dikhta. Humein do logon ko dharti ko phir se aabaad karna hoga; baaki sab badh mein doob gaye. Par humein bhi apni jaan ka yakeen nahi hai. Har baadal jo main dekhta hoon, mere dil mein darr paida karta hai. Aur agar khatra bhi taal gaya, to is chhode hue desh mein hum akele kya karenge? Oh, kash mere pita Prometheus ne mujhe manushya banane aur unmein pran dalne ki kala sikhayi hoti!"

Phir dono rone lage. Unhone devi Themis ki aadhe-dhule hue vedi ke samne ghutne tek diye aur prarthna ki, "Batao, o devi, kis upaay se hum us jaati ko badal sakte hain jo gayab ho gayi hai? Oh, dharti ko naya jeevan dene mein madad karo!"

"Meri vedi chhodo," devi ki aawaz sunai di. "Apne sir dhaanko, apne vastra kholo, aur apni maa ki haddiyon ko apne peeche phenk do."

Bahut der tak, Deucalion aur Pyrrha devi ke uljhan bhare shabdon par vichar karte rahe. Pyrrha ne sabse pehle khamoshi todI. "Kshama karo, o mahan devi," usne kaha, "agar main aapki aagya ka palan nahi karti aur apni maa ki haddiyon ko bikherne ka sahmati nahi de sakti."

Phir Deucalion ko ek achchhi soojh aayi. Usne apni patni ko dhaarsana di. "Ya to meri buddhi mujhe dhokha de rahi hai," usne kaha, "ya devi ka aadesh achchha hai aur ismein koi apavitrata nahi hai. Hum sabki mahan maa dharti hai; uski haddiyaan patthar hain, aur inhein, Pyrrha, hum apne peeche phenkenge!"

Dono ne shabdon ki is vyakhya par bharosa nahi kiya, par koshish karne se kya nuksan hoga? Phir unhone apne sir khol diye, apne vastra khole, aur apne peeche patthar phenkne lage.

Phir ek adbhut ghantna hui. Patthar apni kathorta khone lage, narm aur lachile ho gaye, badhe, aur aakaar lene lage—turant nahi, par khurdaare aakaar jaise koi kalakaar pehle marble se tudwaata hai. Pattharon mein jo bhi narm ya mitti wala hissa tha woh maans mein badal gaya; kathor hisse haddiyan ban gaye; patthar mein siraayein shareeron mein siraayein bann gayin. Is prakar, kuch hi der mein, devtaon ki sahayata se, Deucalion ke phenke hue pattharon ne purushon ka roop dharan kar liya, aur Pyrrha ke phenke hue pattharon ne striyon ka roop.

Aur aaj tak, manav jaati apni is sadharan utpatti se inkaar nahi karti. Woh kathor log hain, kaam ke aadi. Din ke har pal, woh yaad karte hain ki woh kis mazboot nasl se paida hue hain.