mahakaleshvar vrat pan. brajkishor sharma brajvasi mahakaleshvar vrat ka niyam kisi bhi shivratri se lene ka vidhan sarvottam hai. dvadash jyotirlingon (vishvanath, vaidyanath, rameshvar, mallikajarnu , ghushmeshvar, nagesh, bhimshankar, tryanbkeshvar, onkareshvar, somnath, kedarnath, mahakal) men se ek jyotirling mahakaleshvar hai, jo ujjain (avantika, vishala, kanakashrringa, kumudvati, pratikalpa, kushasthali, amravti adi namon se bhi shastron men varnit hai) men sthit hai jahan asani se pahuncha ja sakta hai. is vrat men shiv ratri se ek din purva ujjain padharakar niyamanusar kamna siddhi ya nishkam bhav ka sankalp lekar purn vidhi-vidhan ke sath trayodshi/chturdashi donon hi din upvasadi niyamon ka palan karte hue mahakaleshvar ki shodshopchar puja karen v shivratri ko rudrabhishek karaen evan un namah shivay mantra ka jap karte rahen. iske dvara sadhak akal mrityu par vijay v jivan men kalasarp dosh ko shant kar vibhinn siddhiyon ko prapt kar leta hai. yah ek advitiya v chamatkari vrat hai. is vrat ke prabhav se sanpurn amangal nasht ho jate hain, vighna-badha v archnen dur ho jati hain, samriddhi, aishvarya, ayushya, vidya, gyan sabhi prapt hote hain. mrikand putra marakandey ne inhin shiv ki aradhna se chiranjivi hone vala ashirvad prapt kiya tha. shiv sampurnata ke dyotak hain. pratyek bhakt ko parivartan karne ki shakti mahakal shiv men hai. shiv sarveshvar, purneshvar, yogeshvar hain.
inke darshan v kripaktaksh se jivatma ke samast karya siddh ho jate hain, pap-tap bhasmibhut ho jate hain. atah pratyek manv-matra ko pratyek mas ki chaturdashi ko ane vale shivratri vrat men ratri ke char prahra men to avashya hi pujan karna chahie, jo jiv ke dharma-artha-kam-moksh charon purusharthon ko purn karne vala v janm maran se mukti dilane vala hai. is pavan mahaparva par shivpuran, shiv kavach stotram, shivashtakam mahamrityunyjay stotram adi ka path evan un mahakaleshvaray namah ya un namah shivay mantra ka jap karte rahna chahie. ninda, chugli, asatya bhashan, abhakshya bhojan adi se dur rahna chahie. mahakaleshvar ki anya dinon men bhi pratidin puja karna arogya v sanpannata pradan karta hai. varsh ke purn hone par punah mahakal ki nagri men shivratri ko padharakar v vidhi-vidhan se pujn-udyapnadi krityon ko purn kar kam se kam gyarah brahmanon ko sapatnik madhur svadisht padarthon se triptakar vastra v dakshinadi dekar pranam kar vida karne se ghar-parivar sukhi ho jata hai. is mahakaleshvar vrat ki kathaon ko avashya hi parhna chahie jo bhakt ke daihik, daivik aur bhautik tapon ka shaman karne men saksham hai.
mahakaleshvar jyotirling malva pradesh men kshiprandi ke tatapar ujjain nagar men virajman hai, jo avantika puri ke nam se vikhyat hai. yah rajabhoj, udayan, vikramaditya, bhartrihri evan mahakvi kalidas ki sadhna-sthali rahi hai. mahakal ke mahatmya ke prasang men shiv bhakt raj chandrasen tatha gop-balak shrikar ki katha- sut ji kahte hain- mahakal namak jyotirling ki mahatmyaktha bhakti bhav v dhyan purvak suno. ujjayini men chandrasen namak ek mahan shiv bhakt aur jitendriya raja the. shiv ke parshadon men pradhan tatha sarvalokavandit manibhadra ji unke sakha ho gaye the. ek samay unhonne rajapar prasann hokar unhen chintamni namak mahamni pradan ki, jo kaustubhmni tatha surya ke saman dedipyaman thi. bhagvan shiv ke ashrit rahne vale raja chandrasen us chintamni ko kanth men dharan karke jab sinhasan par baithte, tab devtaon men surya narayan ki bhanti unki shobha hoti thi. samast rajaon ke man men bhi us mani ke prati lobh ki matra barh gayi ve sab chaturangini sena lekar yuddh men chandrasen ko jitne ke lie nikal pare, sabne milakar ujjayini ko charon or se gher liya. apni puri ko sanpurn rajaon dvara ghiri hui dekh raja chandsen unhin bhagvan mahakaleshvar ki sharan men gaye aur din rat ananya bhav se mahakal ki aradhna karne lage. unhin dinon us shreshth nagar men koi vidhva gvalin rahti thi, jiske ekmatra ek panch varsh ka balak tha.
use lekar vah mahakal ke mandir men gayi. vahan usne raja chandrasen dvara ki hui puja ka adar purvak darshan kiya. vah ashcharya utsav dekhakar usne bhagvan ko pranam kiya aur apne nivas- sthan par laut ayi. gvalin ke us balak ne bhi vah sari puja dekhi thi. atah ghar ane par usne bhi kautuhalavash shiv ji ki puja karne ka vichar kiya. ek sundar patthar lakar use apne shivir se thori hi dur par dusre shivir ke ekant sthan men rakh diya aur usi ko shivling mana. fir usne bhakti purvak baranbar pujan karke bhanti-bhanti se nritya kiya aur baranbar bhagvan ke charnon men mastak jhukaya. isi samay gvalin ne bhagvan shiv men asaktachitt hue apne putra ko bare pyar se bhojan ke lie bulaya. baranbar bulane par bhi jab us balak ko bhojan karne ki ichcha nahin hui, tab uski man svayan uske pas gayi aur use shiv ke age ankhen band karke dhyan lagaye dekh vah, uska hath pakarakar khinchne lagi. itne par bhi jab vah n utha tab usne krodh men akar use khub pita. fir bhi vah nahin aya, tab usne vah shivling uthakar dur fenk diya aur us par charhayi hui sari puja-samagri nasht kar di. yah dekh balak 'hay-hay' karke ro utha. rosh se bhari hui gvalin apne bete ko dant-fatkar kar ghar men chali gayi. puja ki samagri nasht hui dekh vah balak 'dev! dev! mahadev!' ki pukar karte hue sahsa murchit hokar gir para. uske netron se ansuon ki dhara pravahit hone lagi. do ghari bad jab use chet hua, tab usne ankhen kholin. ankh khulne par us shishu ne dekha, uska vahi shivir bhagvan shiv ke anugrah se tatkal mahakal ka sundar mandir ban gaya, maniyon ke chamkile khanbhe sfatik jarit bhumi uski shobha barha rahe the. us shivalay men shiv ling pratishthit tha aur us par uski apni charhayi hui pujn-samagri susajjit hai. yah sab dekh vah balak sahsa uthakar khara ho gaya.
use man hi man bara ashcharya hua aur vah parmanand ke samudra men nimagna-sa ho gaya. tadnantar bhagvan shiv ki stuti karke usne baranbar unke charnon men mastak jhukaya aur suryast hone ke pashchat vah gop-balak shivalay se bahar nikla. bahar akar usne apne shivir ko dekha. vah indra-bhavan ke saman shobha pa raha tha. vahan sab kuch tatkal suvarnamay hokar vichitra evan param ujjaval vaibhav se prakashit hone laga. pradoshkal men shivalay ke bhitar sanand pravesh karke balak ne dekha, uski man divya lakshanon se yukt ho ek sundar palang par so rahi hai. us balak ne apni mata ko bare veg se uthaya. vah bhagvan shiv ki kripa patra ho chuki thi.
gvalin ne uthakar dekha, sab kuch apurva-sa ho gaya tha. usne mahan anand men nimagn ho apne bete ko chati se laga liya. putra ke mukh se girijapti ke kripa prasad ka vah sara vrittantt sunakar gvalin ne shiv bhakt raja ko suchna di. raja apna niyam pura karke rat men sahsa vahan aye aur gvalin ke putra ka vah prabhav dekha. mantriyon aur purohiton ke sath prasannata purvak shiv ke nam ka kirtan karte hue unhonne us balak ko hriday se laga liya. log bhi anand vibhor hokar maheshvar ke nam aur yash ka kirtan karne lage. is prakar shiv ka yah adbhut mahatmya dekhne se purvasiyon ko bara harsh hua aur isi ki charcha men vah sari rat ek kshan ke saman vyatit ho gayi. nagar ko charon or se gherakar khare hue dusre rajaon ne bhi pratahkal apne guptacharon ke mukh se vah sara adbhut charitra suna. sab ashcharya chakit ho gaye aur vahan aye hue sab naresh ekatra ho apas men is prakar bole- 'ye raja chandrasen bare bhari shiv bhakt hain; ataev in par vijay pana kathin hai. ye sarvatha nirbhay hokar mahakal ki nagri ujjayini ka palan karte hain. jiski puri ke balak bhi aise shiv bhakt hain, ve raja chandrasen to mahan shiv bhakt hain. inke sath virodh karne se nishchay hi bhagvan shiv krodh karenge aur unke krodh se ham sab log nasht ho jayenge. atah in naresh ke sath hamen mel-milap kar lena chahie. aisa hone par maheshvar ham par bari kripa karenge.'
aisa nishchay karke un sab bhupalon ne hathiyar dal diye, unke man se bairbhav nikal gaya. ve sabhi raja atyant prasann ho chandrasen ki anumti le mahakal ki us ramniya nagri ke bhitar gaye. vahan unhonne bhi mahakal ka pujan kiya. fir ve sab ke sab us gvalin ke mahan divya saubhagya ki bhuri-bhuri prashansa karte hue uske ghar gaye. vahan raja chandrasen ne age barhakar unka svagt-satkar kiya. ve bahumulya asnon par baithe aur ashcharya chakit evan anandit hue. gop balak ke upar kripa karne ke lie svatah prakat hue shivalay aur shivling ka darshan karke un sab rajaon ne apni uttam buddhi bhagvan shiv ke chintan men lagayi. tadnantar un sare nareshon ne bhagvan shiv ki kripa prapt karne ke lie us gopshishu ko bahut-si vastuen prasannata purvak bhent kin. sanpurn janpdon men jo bahusankhayak gop rah rahe the, un sab ka raja unhonne usi balak ko bana diya.
isi samay samast devtaon se pujit param tejasvi vanrraj hanumanji vahan prakat hue. unke ate hi sab raja bare veg se uthakar khare ho gaye. un sab ne bhakti bhav se vinamra hokar unhen mastak jhukaya. rajaon se pujit ho vanrraj hanuman ji un sabke bich men baithe aur us gop balak ko hriday se lagakar un nareshon ki or dekhte hue bole- tum sab log tatha dusre dehdhari bhi meri bat sunen! isse tum logon ka bhala hoga. bhagvan shiv ke siva dehdhariyon ke lie dusri koi gati nahin hai. yah bare saubhagya ki bat hai ki is gop balak ne shiv ki puja ka darshan karke usse prerna li aur bina manke bhi shiv ka pujan karke unhen pa liya. gopvansh ki kirti barhane vala yah balak bhagvan shankar ka shreshth bhakt hai. is lok men sanpurn bhogon ka upbhog karke ant men yah moksh prapt kar lega. iski vansh paranpra ke antargat athvin pirhi men mahayashasvi nand utpann honge, jinke yahan sakshat bhagvan narayan unke putra rup se prakat hokar shrikrishn nam se prasiddh honge.
aj se yah gop kumar is jagat men shrikar ke nam se vishesh khayati prapt karega. aisa kahakar anjninandan shiv svarup vanrraj hanuman ji ne samast rajaon tatha maharaj chandsen ko bhi kripa drishti se dekha. tadnantar unhonne us buddhiman gop balak shrikar ko bari prasannata ke sath shivopasna ke us achar-vyavhar ka updesh diya, jo bhagvan shiv ko bahut priya hai. isak bad param prasann hue hanuman ji chandrasen aur shrikar se vida le un sab rajaon ke dekhte-dekhte vahin anrtadhyan ho gaye. ve sab raja harsh men bharakar sammanit ho maharaj chandrasen ki agya lekar jaise aye the, vaise hi laut gaye. mahatejasvi shrikar bhi hanuman ji ka updesh pakar dharmagya brahmanon ke sath shankar ji ki upasna karne laga. unhin ki aradhna karke paramapad prapt kar liya. is prakar mahakal namak shivling satpurushon ka ashray hai. bhaktavatsal shankar dusht purushon ka sarvatha hanan karne vale hain. yah param pavitra rahasyamay akhyan sab prakar ka sukh dene vala, shiv bhakti ko barhane tatha svarg ki prapti karane vala hai.