ashvatth vrat evan mahima ( 22 mai, 2010 ) pan. brajkishor bharadvaj 'brajvasi' vraton ka palan karne se vyakti dikshit hota hai. uske man men shraddha bhav ka sanchar hota hai aur shraddha se hi satyasvarup brahm ki prapti hoti hai. vratendikshamapnoti dikshaya''pnoti dakshinam. dakshina shraddhamapnoti shraddhaya satyamapyate॥ aisa hi ek vrat hai ashvatth vrat. shastron men is vrat ki mahima ka vishad varnan milta hai. vaise to, hindu sanskriti ka pratyek vrat manav jivan ka kalyan karne vala tatha ihlaukik evan parlaukik sukhon ka pradata hai, parantu inmen ashvatth vrat ki apni vishesh mahima hai. yahan usi mahimamay ashvatth vrat ke vidhan v labh ka varnan prastut hai. shraddhalu jan anya vraton ki bhanti is vrat ka palan kar labh prapt kar sakte hain. ashvatth pipal ke vriksh ka hi ek nam hai. panchdev vrikshon men ashvatth ka sthan sarvopri hai. brahmand puran men brahma ji ne ashvatth vrat-puja ki mahima ka bakhan narad ji se kiya hai. katha hai ki ek bar devarshi narad ji namsankirtan karte hue tribhuvan men vicharan kar rahe the. ghumte-ghumte vah bhumandal men ek ashram men pahunche. vahan rishiyon ne unka svagat kiya. kushloprant narad ji ne brahma dvara batai gai ashvattha-vrat ki mahima un rishiyon ko sunai aur kaha ki ashvatth sakshat vishnu rup hai, isilie ise vishnu drum bhi kaha jata hai. ashvatth vriksh ke mul men brahma ka, madhya men vishnu ka aur agra bhag men shivji ka nivas hota hai- multo brahmarupay madhyato vishnu rupine. agratah shivrupay ashvatthay namo namah॥ vriksh ki shakhaon men, dakshin disha ki or shulpani mahadev, pashchim ki or nirgun vishnu, uttar ki or brahmadev aur purva disha ki or indradi dev rahte hain. iske atirikt shakhaon par anya devon ka bhi vas hai- 'vasurudradityadevaah shakhasu nivsanti hi.' is vriksh par go, brahman, ved, yagya, nadi tatha sagar adi pratishthit rahte hain.
iska mul 'a' karrup, shakhaen 'u' karrup aur fal-pushp 'ma' karrup hain. is prakar yah ashvatth vriksh ^¬* karrup hai. iska mukh agney disha ki or hai. ise kalpavriksh bhi kaha gaya hai. ashvatth vrat vidhan : ashvatth seva ka praranbh asharh, paush aur chaitra mas men, guru aur shukra ke ast hone par tatha jis din chandra bal n ho us din n karen. iske siva shubh din dekhakar snanadi se nivritt hokar seva ka aranbh karen. seva karne ke pashchat din bhar upvas karen. dyutakarm n karen, krodh n karen, asatya bhashan n karen, vani par sanyam rakhen aur vad n karen. pratahkal maun hokar sachail snan kar shvet vastra dharan karen. vriksh ke niche gomay se jamin ko pavitra karen aur us par svastik, shankh aur padm ki pratima banaen. sath hi ganga aur yamuna ke jal se purn do kalash rakhen aur unki pavitra bhavna se puja karen. vidhipurvak punyahvachan karke puja ka sankalp karen. fir vriksh ki pradakshina karke uske niche baithakar puja karen. pahle vriksh men sat bar jal charhaen. purush sukt ke path ke sath shodshopchar pujan karen. ashtabhuj vishnu, jinke hathon men shankh, padm, chakra, dhanush, ban, gada, khadg aur dhal ayudh hon, ka smaran karen. pitanbrdhari vishnu ka lakshmi ji ke sath dhyan karen. sath hi trimurti ka dhyan karen. fir shiv-parvati ji ka pujan karen. vriksh ko vastra ya sut pahnaen aur uski pradakshina karen. pradakshina ke samay purush sukt athva vishnu sahasranam ka path karen. ashvatth seva ki falashruti : ashvatth ki parikrama karne se jahan papon, vyadhiyon aur bhay se mukti milti hai, vahin grah dosh dur hote hain. niahsantan ko santan ki prapti hoti hai. seva karne vale ki apmrityu nahin hoti.
prabal vaidhavya yog vali kanya ko ashvatth vrat ka anushthan karna chahie. iska anushthan karne se vaidhavya yog se raksha hoti hai. hindu dharm men pippala-vivah ka bhi vidhan hai. ashvatth ki parikrama karne se shani pira se mukti milti hai. jis kul men ashvatth seva ki jati hai, use uttam lok men sthan milta hai. ashvatth vriksh ke niche yagya karne par mahayagya ka fal milta hai. ashvatth vrat ya seva karte samay brahmacharya ka palan aur vishnusahasranam, purushsukt tatha ashvatth stotra ka path karna chahie. bhojan men havishyann grahan karna chahie. shri guru charitra granth men akhyan hai ki shri guru nrisinh sarasvati ne gangavti namak ek niputi stri ko, jiski avastha sath sal ki thi, yah vrat tatha puja karne ko kaha tha. usne aisa hi kiya, jiske falasvarup use vriddhavastha men putra aur kanya ki prapti hui. brihaddevtakar maharshi shaunak ne ashvatthopanayan namak vrat ki mahima batate hue kaha hai ki purush ko pipal ka vriksh lagakar use ath varshon tak nirantar jal dan karna chahie. is prakar uska putra ki tarah paln-poshan karte rahen. fir uska upnyn-sanskar kar uski puja karen. aisa karne se akshay lakshmi ki prapti hoti hai. pipal ka vriksh lagane se vyakti ki vanshpranpra kabhi samapt nahin hoti. sath hi aishvarya evan dirghayu ki prapti hoti hai aur uske pitrigan ko narak se mukti milti hai. ashvatth vriksh ki puja karne se sabhi devta pujit ho jate hain. 'ashvatthah pujite yatra pujitaah sarvadevtaah॥' (ashvatth stotra) 'ashvatthah sarva vrikshanam' arthat samast vrikshon men main pipal ka vriksh hun. gita ke mahagayak bhagvan shrikrishn ki yah ukti pipal ke mahatva ko rekhankit karti hai.
pipal vanaspati jagtmen sarvashreshth hai. isi karan svayan bhagvan ne ise apni vibhuti bataya hai aur iske devatva aur divyatva ki udghoshna ki hai. niahsandeh pipal dev vriksh hai, jiske satvik prabhav se antashchetna pulkit hoti hai. pipal sada se hi bhartiya janjivan men vishesh rup se pujniya raha hai. ashvatth stotra (18-11) men pipal ki prarthana ke lie nimn mantra diya gaya hai- ashvatth sumhabhag subhag priyadarshan. ishtakamanshch me dehi shatrubhayastu parabhavam॥ ayuah prajan dhanan dhanyan saubhagyan sarvasanpadam. dehi dev mahavriksh tvamhan sharnan gatah॥ upar varnit mantra ka savidhi jap karne se shatruon ka nash hota hai aur saubhagya, sanpda, dhan aur jan ki prapti hoti hai. bhartiya jyotish ke anusar pipal ki samidha se havan karne se brihaspati ki pratikulta se utpann hone vale ashubh fal prabhavhin ho jate hain. yahi karan hai ki yagya men pipal ki samidha ko ati upyogi aur mahatvapurn mana jata hai. atharvaved ke upved ayurved men pipal ke aushdhiya gunon par vistar se prakash dala gaya hai. kai asadhya vyadhiyon ke upchar men pipal ke vibhinn ang-upangon ka prayog kiya jat hai. pipal se bane aushadh ka sevan karne se jivan se nirash rogi bhi svasth ho jate hain. suprasiddh ganrath vrat raj men ashvatthopasna prakaran men pipal ki mahima ka varnan karte hue atharvan rishi ne pippalad muni se kaha hai ki prachin kal men daityon ke atyachar se pirit devagan jab bhagvan vishnu ki sharan men gae aur unse apne kashton se mukti ka upay pucha, to prabhu ne kaha- ''main ashvatth ke rup men bhutal par pratyakshatah virajman hun. ap sabko sabhi prakar se is vriksh ki archana aur abhyarthana karni chahie.''
pipal ki seva aur suraksha karne valon ke pitrigan narak se chutakar sadgati ko prapt karte hain. shastron ke anusar pipal ka vriksh lagane se akshay punya ka labh hota hai. pipal lagane evan uska paln-poshan karne valon ko is lok men sukh-saubhagya tatha marnoprant shrihri ki niktta prapt hoti hai. sath hi unhen yamlok ki darun yatna nahin bhogni parti. shastron men kaha gaya hai ki pipal ko bina kisi prayojan ke katna apne pitron ko katne ke saman mahapap hai. aisa karne se vansh ki hani hoti hai. nitya pipal ki tin var parikrama karke uske mul men jal charhane se duahkh, durbhagya evan daridrata se mukti milti hai. is dev vriksh ke darshan, naman aur shraddha purvak pratidin pujan karne se sukh-samriddhi ki para pti hate i hai arai vyakti dirghay u hate a hai. shanivar ko pipal ka sparsh, pujan aur sat parikrama karne ke uprant sarson ke tel ke dipak ka dan karne se shani ke kop ka shighra shaman hota hai. shani dev ka stavan 'pippalashraysansthitay namah' mantra dvara kiya jata hai. isse shanidev ka pipal ke ashray men rahne ka tathya svatah pramanit hota hai. shanivasriya amavasya ko pipal ke pujan ka vishesh mahatva hai. is din ke vishesh grahyog men pipal ke vriksh ka savidhi pujan evan sat parikrama karne ke pashchat pashchim disha ki or munh karke kale til se yukt sarson ke tel ka dipak jalakar chayadan karne se shani pira se mukti milti hai.
anuradha nakshatrayukta shanivasriya amavasya ko is vriksh ka vidhivat pujan karne se shani grah ke prakop se mukti milti hai. vahin, is amavasya ko shraddh karne se pitri dosh se bhi mukti milti hai. amavasyant shravan mas men shanivar ko pipal ke niche sthit hanuman ji ki archana karne se bare-se-bara sankat dur ho jata hai. dhyatavya hai ki pipal ko brahm sthan bhi mana jata hai. itna hi nahin, paryavaran ko pradushan se mukt rakhne men pipal ke vriksh ka yogdan ati mahatvapurn hai. yah vriksh anya vrikshon ki tulna men vatavaran men auksijan ki adhik-se-adhik matra men abhivriddhi karta hai. yah pradushit vayu ko svachch karta hai aur as-pas ke vatavaran men satvikta ki vriddhi bhi karta hai. iske sansarg men ate hi tan-man svatah harshit aur pulkit ho jata hai. yahi karan hai ki is vriksh ke niche dhyan evan mantra jap ka vishesh mahatva hai. shrimad bhagavat mahapuran (11. 30. 27) ke anusar dvapar yug men parmdham jane ke purva yogeshvar bhagvan shrikrishn is divya evan pavitratam vriksh ke niche hi baithakar dhyanavasthit hue the. upnishdon men ullekh hai ki yah sanpurn brahmand ashvatth vriksh rup hai, jo sada se hai. iska mul purushottam upar sthit hai aur iski shakhaen niche ki or hain. 'urdhvamulo'vakshakh esho'shvatthah sanatnah॥' (kathovm 2. 3. 1) 'urdhvamulmdhah shakhamashvatthan prahuravyayam.' (gita 15. 1) kaliyug men bhagvan gautam buddh ko sanbodhi ki mahaprapti bodh gaya men pipal ke vriksh ke niche hi hui thi.
is karan is vriksh ko bodhi vriksh bhi kaha jata hai. pipal ka dharmik mahatva ke sath-sath ayurvedik mahatva sarvavidit hai. yah vriksh sthul vatavaran ke sath hi sukshm vatavra ko bhi prabhavit karta hai. iska yah prabhav matra sharir aur man tak hi simit nahin hai, varan yah hamare bhavajagat ko bhi andolit karta hai. is sandarbh men vaigyanik prayog aur anusandhan bhi ho rahe hain. pipal ki in samast visheshtaon ko dhyan men rakhakar hi hamare rishi-muniyon ne iski bahumukhi upyogita par bal diya hai. sarvapapnashak yah vriksharaj apne upasak ki manokamna purn karta hai. pipal ke in divya gunon se hi use prithvi par kalp vriksh ka sthan mila hai.