मनिकर्ण हिंदु तीर्थ

हिमाचल प्रदेश के जनपद कुल्लु में स्थित मनिकर्ण हिंदु तीर्थ प्रतिवर्ष अपनी आस्था और सुंदरता के कारण लाखों श्रधालुऑ को अपनी ओर आकर्षित करता है। समस्त  मनिकर्ण क्षेत्र अनुपम प्राकर्तिक सुंदरता का अनुपाम भंडार है। यहॉ एक ओर पवित्र पार्वती नदी का शरीर जमाने वाला बर्फीला पानी बहता है वहीं दूसरी ओर उबलते पानी के झरने सभी को मंत्रमुग्ध एवम अचम्भित कर देते हैं। सर्व-शक्तिमान देवों के देव, महादेव की इस अदभुद शक्ति एवम लीला को देखकर अज्ञानी नास्तिक भी आस्तिक हो कर आस्था मे नतमस्तक हो जाता है। इस क्षेत्र की यात्रा से एवम मंदिरों में भगवान के दर्शन मात्र से ही अदभुद मानसिक एवम आध्यात्मिक शांति प्राप्त होती है।

पहली बार, सन 1900 के आसपास, श्री राम मंदिर के पास, गर्म पानी के लगभग 15 झरने, जिनका पानी लगभग 15 फीट की ऊँचाई से, बहुत तेज वेग से गिरते हुये देखा गया था। पानी के साथ कभी-कभी बेश्कीमती पत्थेर भी (मणी) निकलते थे। मनिकर्ण के गर्म जल के चश्मों के पानी का तापमान 90.C से 100.C रहता है। चश्मों का पानी एकदम साफ होता है और उसमे गंधक नही होती है। इन चश्मों के पानी मे पके चवल-दाल आदि का स्वाद विषेष स्वदिष्ट होता है। इस गर्म पानी मे पकने मे उतना ही समय लगता है, जितना कि चुल्हे की आग मे लगता है। यह आस्था है कि यहॉ के कुंडों मे नहाने से गठिया इत्यादि रोग भी ठीक हो जाते हैं।

मनिकर्ण धाम की समुद्र तट से ऊँचाई 5500 फुट (2659 मीटर) है। जाड़ों मे यहॉ बर्फ गिरती है तथा गर्मियों मे यहॉ मौसम बहुत सुहावना रहता है। 

ब्रह्माण्ड पुराण के अनुसार, एक बार आशुतोष भगवान शंकर, माता पार्वती के साथ, भ्रमण करते हुए, इस दिव्य सुंदर स्थान आ पहुँचे। यहाँ की आलौकिक सुन्दरता पर मंत्रमुग्ध होकर, भगवान शंकर एवम माता पार्वती ने 11000 वर्षों तक यहाँ निवास किया और घोर तप किया। एक बार जलक्रिड़ा करते हुये, माता पार्वती के कान की बाली की एक मणि गिर कर पाताल लोक मे खो गयी। भगवान शंकर ने अपने गणों को आदेश दिया कि खोई मणि को खोज कर लायें। काफी खोजने के बाद भी जब मणि नही मिली तो क्रोधित होकर शंकर भगवान ने अपनी तीसरी आंख खोली। सारी स्रष्टि जलमग्न होकर कांपने लगी। देवता भी भयभीत हो गये। शंकर भगवान के तीसरे नेत्र से नैना भगवती ने पाताल के महाराजा एवम मणियों के स्वमी शेषनाग को माता पार्वती के कान की बाली की मणी के खोने के बारे मे बताया। शेषनाग ने मुंह से जोर की फुंकार लगायी जिससे उस स्थान पर पृथ्वी मे से गर्म जल की फुहार प्रकट हो गयी, जो आज तक निरंतर बह रही है।

गर्म जल की इस धारा के साथ, माता पार्वती की बाली की मणि के साथ अन्य बहुत सी मणियॉ भी निकल आयीं। माता पार्वती ने अपनी मणि ले ली तथा अन्य सभी मणियों को पत्थर बन जाने का श्राप दे दिया। भगवान शंकर का भी क्रोध शान्त हो गया। इसी से इस स्थान का नाम मनिकर्ण पड़। शंकर भगवान और माता पार्वती का तपोस्थान होने के कारण इस स्थान को पुराणों में ‘अर्धनारी क्षेत्र’  कहा गया है। यह स्थान भगवान शंकर को अत्यंत प्रिय होने के कारण, काशी में भी गंगा नदी पर अपने स्थान का नाम ‘मणिकर्णिका घाट’ रखा।

महाभारत के समय, देवराज इन्द्र ने अर्जुन को पाशुपति शस्त्र दिया। इसमें अर्जुन की परीक्षा लेने के लिये भगवान शंकर जी  ने भील का रुप धारण करके इस स्थान पर अर्जुन से युध्ध किया। अर्जुन की युध्ध कला से प्रसन्न होकर शंकर भगवान ने अर्जुन को वरदान दिया। मनिकर्ण के गर्म पानी के चश्मों मे पके प्रसाद तथा भोजन खाने से तथा स्नान करने से अनेक रोगों का निदान हो जाता है तथा पाप नष्ट होकर मोक्ष की प्रप्ति होती है। मनिकर्ण तीर्थ की यात्रा करने से अनेक सिध्धियों की प्राप्ति होती है तथा मनोकामना पूर्ण होती हैं।

मनिकर्ण तीर्थ भगवान राम से भी जुड़ा हुआ है। इसका वर्णन प्राचीन हिन्दु ग्रन्थ रामायण में भी मिलता है। भगवान शंकर एवम राम एक दुसरे के अराध्य रहे हैं। भगवान शंकर की अराधना करने के लिये भगवान राम मनिकर्ण धाम आते रहते थे। इसके अतिरिक्त मनाली के पास वशिष्ठ मे भगवान राम के गुरु वशिष्ठ जी का स्थान है। भगवान राम अपने गुरु के पास भी आशीर्वाद एवम ज्ञान प्रप्ति के लिये आते रहते थे। समस्त हिमाचल प्रदेश क्षेत्र से अनेक देवी-देवता भी सिध्धि हासिल करने के लिये यहां तप करते हैं।  

इस धाम से एक और कहानी जुड़ी हुई है। कुल्लु राज्य मे 16वी शतब्दि मे राजा जगत सिंह का राज्य था। एक बार किसी चुगलखोर ने राजा से झुठी शिकायत कर दी कि  टिपरी गॉव, जो मनिकर्ण से 25 कि.मी. की दूरी पर है,  में एक ब्राह्मण के पास अकूत मात्रा में सच्चे मोती है। चुगलखोर ने यह भर दिया कि यह मोती राजा के पास होने चाहिये। राजा भी तीर्थ यात्रा पर मनिकर्ण आते रहते थे। राजा ने वास्तव नें गरीब ब्राह्मण को बुलाकर आदेश दिया कि सारे मोती हमारे हवाले कर दो। ब्राह्मण तो अत्यंत गरीब था। उसने तो कभी मोती देखे तक नहीं थे। ब्राह्मण ने राजा को कसम खाकर विश्वास दिलाने की कोशिश की। परन्तु राजा नहीं माना। राजा ने ब्राह्मण को आदेश दिया कि वह तीन दिन बाद मनिकर्ण वापस आयेगा, तब मोती तैयार रखना।

वापसी में जब राजा मनिकर्ण पहुंचा तो उसने ब्राह्मण को मोती देने के लिये कहा। भयभीत ब्राहम्ण ने अपने आपको परिवार सहित एक कमरे मे बंद कर, कमरे में आग लगा दी और मौत को गले लगा लिया। इससे राजा को बहुत दुःख हुया और ब्रहम हत्या के सजा स्वरुप राजा को कुष्ठ रोग हो गया।  राजा के पीने के पानी में खून तथा खाने में कीणे दिखने लगे। किसी भी तरह के उपचार से भी राजा को कोई लाभ नहीं हुआ।

अंत मे दुःखी राजा त्रिकालज्ञ योगी महत्मा केशव दास फुहारी की शरण में गया। उन्होंने राजा को अयोध्या से भगवान राम की की मूर्ति लाकर मनिकर्ण के मंदिर में स्थापित करने को कहा। राजा ने ऐसा ही किया। अपना सब राजकाज भगवान राम को अर्पण कर दिया और स्वंम को भगवान राम का दास घोषित कर राजकाज चलाया। राजा के अंतिम 26 वर्ष और देह त्याग होने तक, राजा जगत सिंह ने इसी तरह यहीं बिताये। राजा की पत्थर की मूर्ती यहां के हनुमान मंदिर मे स्थापित कर दी गयी जो आज भी यहां विराजमान है। राजा जगत सिंह के समय से ही विश्व विख्यात कुल्लु दशहरा मेले का आयोजन भी मनिकर्ण से ही प्रारम्भ हुआ। राजा के वंशज स्थापित परम्परा के अनुसार आज भी भगवान राम की सेवा करते हैं।

तन्हा ज़िंदगी

बुध्धि का हर जीव, तेरे पर हंसता है,

और तुझे गाँव का गँवार कहता है।

ऐ शहरी जंतु, सबको तेरी औकात पता है,

तू तो गटर के पानी मे नहाता है।

मिट गया यहॉं हर इंसान, गुलामी करते करते,

तू इसे रोजगार और तरक्की कहता है।
वापस आजा अपनों के पास, अपने पते पर,

जहां प्रेम के खजाना हमेशा भरा रहता है।

मोबाईल नम्बरों मे सारे रिश्ते कैद रहते हैं,

 तू इन मशीनों को परिवार कहता है।

बच्चे बाल घर मे रोते-बिलखते हैं,

और माँ-बाप  व्रध्ध आश्रम मे कराहते रहते हैं।

माँ-बाप को छोड़, मज़ारों मे भगवान ढूंढ्ता है,             

पर आज ज़नाज़ों को कंधे तरसते रहते हैं,

और तू फेसबुक मे सहारा ढूंढ्ता रहता है,

नादान शहरी तू तो सांसें भी उधार की लेता है।  

सारे रिश्तों को तू भार कहता है,

वो कलेजा लेकर मिलने आते हैं,

तू फरेबी व्यस्तता बता बहका देता है,

तू रिश्तों का मान भी न करता, वो जान लुटाते हैं।

पहले पंचायतें-खापें हर समय खड़ी रहतीं थी,  

पर शहरों मे बाबु, वकील, डाक्टर ज़ेब कतरते हैं। 

पहले बैलगाडी में सब बैठ जाते थे,

पर अब कार मे अकेला तन्हा रोता है।

अब बच्चे सभ्यता-संस्कार जानते नही,

विधर्मियों से रिश्ते बना कर भाग जाते हैं,

शहरी तू इस नये दौर के पतन को कहता है,

हम पुजारी विकास-आधुनिकता के हैं।

MANIKARAN TEMPLE

There are plenty of tales about the Manikaran Shrine. This shrine is situated at the height of 2650 mt or 7956 feet from the sea level, in Manikarn town that is in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. Every visitor is amazed to get freezing water in the Parvati River on the one hand and boiling hot water spring on the other side. Even an atheist is forced to bow his head to God for this divine phenomenon. The visit to Manikaran Temple gives an inclusive mental and spiritual fulfilment to every devotee. During winter, there is snowfall but the climate is very enjoyable during the summer.

More than a century back, these boiling water springs sprang with great force creating a fountain of 10 to 15 feet high. Sometimes precious stones of different colour also come out of these springs. The temperature of different springs varies from 65 to 80 degree Celsius. Even scientists have failed to find out the cause of this warm water source. Water does not contain any sulphur. Rice, dal, vegetables etc can be cooked in this water and the cooked items are more delicious to eat. Bathing in the ‘Kunda' cures arthritics and other such ailments.

According to the tales in Brahma Legend, Aashutosh Bhagwan Shankar appeared with Parvati on his visit to this magical place. Mesmerized by the splendour of this place, Bhagwan Shankar and Mata Parvati, vowed to live and practice the meditation here for 11 thousand years. Once, a jewel of Mata Parvati lost in the other world when it fell down in the water while she was playing in the water. Bhagwan Shiva ordered his ‘Gana' (angels) to find out the lost jewel (Mani) of Mata. When all failed to find out the lost mani, Bhagwan Shankar became furious and opened his third eye. Entire earth shook with all her creations.  All the gods were terrified.

Naina Bhagwati proclaimed it from the third eye of God Shankar, about the lost ‘mani' of Parvati to Patadhipati and ‘Sheshnaag', the god of all the jewels. Sheshnag blew a forceful breath, originating a hot water fountain at that place. Along with the lost ‘mani' of Mata Parvati, there came out many jewels out of this new fountain. Parvati took her own jewel (mani) and turned the other jewels into stones with her curse. Fury of Bhagwan Shankar was calmed. This tale named the place as Manikaran. In legend, this shrine is described as ‘half-woman area' (Ardh-Narishwar) due to the meditation dwelling of both Bhagwan Shankar and Mata Parvati. This pious place became so dear to Shankar Ji that he renamed this place as ‘Kashi'.

Once, during the ‘Mahabharat' era Bhagwan Shankar concealed as a ‘Bhil', to test Arjuna and his ‘Pashupatra' that was given to Arjuna by Indra, the King of Gods. He challenged Arjuna for a war. After the war, happy Bhagwan Shankar blessed him in this place. It is believed, that by eating the cooked food in hot springs and taking a bath in the ‘Holy Kunda', makes one's life free of sins and disease. This holy place is the sources of many diving blessings. People gets ‘Moksha’ and achieve ‘Nirvana' after a pilgrimage to this place.

Legends are found at a number of in Aadi Epic (ancient) in the Ramayana and many other epics that Bhagwan Shankar and Bhagwan Ram have been worshipping each other.  Manikaran was frequently visited by Bhagwan Ram to worship Bhagwan Shiva. Other than this, Bhagwan Ram visited a shrine of Guru Vashisht to seek Guru's blessings, near Manali.

There is another tale related to this shrine. King Jagat Singh ruled Kullu, in the 16th century. Once, a false complained was made against a poor Brahman of Tipri Village that is at a distance of nearly 2.5 km from Manikaran. It was alleged that poor Brahman had jewels in large quantity and those must be only in the possession of the king. During, one of his visits to Manikaran, he called and ordered the Brahman to hand over all the jewels to the king. However, the poor Brahman had no jewels. He tried his best to convince the king that he was very poor. Nevertheless, the king was fully poisoned against the Brahman.

The king warned the poor Brahman that he must hand over all the jewels, before his return from Manikaran after three days. On his return, the king asked the Brahman about the jewels. Terrified Brahman bolted himself inside his house, with his family and sat it on fire. He sacrificed his life to prove himself innocent but this filled the king with shame and repentance. The king at once suffered from leprosy for being responsible for the death of a poor and innocent Brahman. His food was filled with blood and insects. All the medicines failed and his condition started deteriorating rapidly.

When everything failed, the king went to a Mahatma, named Keshav Dass Phulari, a true devotee of ‘Trikaal'. He asked the king to renounce all the worldly pleasures and install the original idol (Murti) of Lord Ram, brought from Ayodhya. The king followed all the instructions of the Mahatma and became a true devotee of Lord Rama. The king sacrificed his palace and body and spent 26 years of his life in this holy shrine.

The world famous Kullu Dussehra festival celebrations started from Manikaran, during the regime of King Jagat Singh. The God and Goddesses along with their devotees (ganas/bhakts) from all part of Kullu and Himachal region come to seek the blessings of Bhagwan Rama and go back blessed with a message to serve the humankind. The temple of Bhagwan Rama and Mata Bhagwati is a village at Manikaran is also visited by lakhs of devotees. Temple administration is still run by the staff of the king.

Universal appeal of Sanskrit literature

Generally, people feel that Sanskrit literature is related only with Hindu scriptures and Hindu epics. But, only a few people know about its universal appeal beyond religion and beyond boundaries. Even it’s influences can be found in the Bible and the Quran. A former career diplomat A. N. D Haksar has translated a variety of Sanskrit texts, some are popular and some are less popular, from comedy and satire to erotica. The Kathakautukam is his latest Sanskrit retelling in which he has translated a Persian love story that has roots in the Quran and the Bible. Haksar claims that contrary to the misconception, Sanskrit influenced and mingled with numerous cultures.

The Kathakautukam, composed by a Kashmiri court poet Srivara, glorifies a Persian love story by Maulana Jami, Yusuf Wa Zuleikha. It is an exceptional mingling of cultures in Sanskrit, comparatively difficult to understand. It has many literary qualities. It beautifully describes the influence of Hinduism on Islam or intermingling of Hindu and Islamic cultures.

Srivara, incorporated elements of mythology and mysticism, both from Hindu and Islamic cultures in his works. In the story when Yusuf was born, guardian angel Gabriel blessed the newborn with a divine sword that was made by a Hindu God, Vishwakarma. When the life of Yusuf was in danger, the greatest Hindu God, Mahesha (Shiva) came to protect him. This epic has got prayers to the greatest Hindu god Shiva. But it also invokes to the Prophet Mohammed with a Hindu name Paigambar Shiromani (the crown jewel of prophets).

Suleiman Charitra was a famous Sanskrit work by Kalyan Malla. He was a court poet of Lodhi ruler in the 16th century. The Biblical story of David and Bathsheba was reconstructed in this text. It uses Arabic texts, which has the elements of Arabian Nights and beautiful use of Srinagar Rasa. In its Biblical name of David was renamed as Dawood, as per Arabic tradition, but Bathsheba has been renamed as Saptasta, means the seventh daughter. This is a translation of her name in Hebrew.

Kathakautukam’s writing also has a historical and cultural context. The story of the travails of Yusuf/Joseph features both in the Quran and in Bible and Zuleikha appears only in Jami’s Yusuf Wa Zuleikha. Some events of the story are held in Mesra/Misra (Egypt). There are references to Roma also, which could probably be Rome. So geographically, the story of the Kathakautukam covers from Kashmir to the west. Jami belongs to Herat that is in present-day Afghanistan. In Jami’s collection, Yusuf was one of the poems among the seven mystical collections of Jami. A modern biography of King Jahangir, Haft Awrang (seven thrones), tells that as a child, he got an early education in Persian that included learning of Yusuf Wa Zuleikha.

Islam had firmly and ruthlessly invaded Kashmir by the time Srivara started writing. However, Sanskrit scholar kept on enriching the Sanskrit literature. The period of Sikandar Butshikan (destroyer of idols) was the darkest period of violence and bloodbath. The first and the second sequel to the royal chronicles Rajatarangini by Kalhan was written Srivara and his guru Jonaraja.

Sanskrit is the highest and ‘high-minded’ language of religion and philosophy. But it has high open and liberal works, like the Kama Sutra. On the one hand, Sanskrit literature contains scriptures, epics and religious philosophy and on the other hand, it has high and pure literature in form of poetry, prose, tragedies, comedies, satire erotica etc.

Kshemendra, a 12th-century Kashmiri author wrote a number of famous satires in classical Sanskrit. Sanskrit literature has also worked in colloquial Sanskrit, which is not about gods and kings, but the lives of the common person are the major theme. In this area, the names of Shuka Saptati, and Madhav and Kama, written in the Katha (stories) form, are two noteworthy names.

The Kama Sutra is one of the most popular of Sanskrit books that has seven books of which about the social conditions of the time and only one deal with sex.  Sanskrit literature talks about the worth on man and now it is linked with revivalism. Even Ambedkar supported and wanted Sanskrit in the Constitution as the national language. Marxist scholar D D Kosambi was a famous Sanskritist, who was well known for his research in classical poetry. Sitaram Pandit translated the Ritusamhara and Rajatarangini of Kalidas. CD Deshmukh was also a great Sanskrit scholar.

Western scholars were deeply interested in Sanskrit literature. Sir Charles Wilkins translated the famous Hindu scripture the Bhagwad Gita in 1784 and it’s forward was written by Warren Hastings (then Governor General of India). Shakuntala was also translated into English by Max Mueller with his the Sacred Books of The East. The Chanakyaniti was also translated in Greek in the early 19th century.

In free India, the government incorporated Sanskrit in the list of official languages for its revival. Adrienne Mayor, a research scholar and a is a historian of ancient science and a folklorist at Stanford University, in her book, Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology, she found out how ancient Hindu and Sanskrit cultures and books imagined revolutionary technologies in epics and scriptures. She discovered that king Ashoka fought robots and other technological tools from the past.

There is a common and popular belief that Hindu-Sanskrit literature had invented every scientific thing from spacecraft to missiles to the Internet. World of mythology and scientific impulse are deeply dipped into it. Long before the technology came into being, ancient Indians imagined building artificial life, automaton (or robots), used self-moving devices, and other amazing things. About 27 centuries ago, during the age of Homer, surprisingly such tales about robots and other devices in ancient oral traditions were first written.

Similar tales are found in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other Hindu epics. In Hindu mythology, it is believed that engineer-god Vishwakarma and the divine Maya made automatons. Hephaestus and the bright artisan Daedalus is the god of technology in Greek mythology. Hellenistic culture also borrowed from Indian culture right from the fifth century BC. Pieces of evidence are found that Alexander of Macedon and King Porus have relations in the fourth century BC. Ancient Jain texts cite that Ajatasatru’s engineers invented armoured war vehicle or chariots with rotating blades, which may have motivated Persian scythed chariots, and he had strong machines to throw huge boulders before Philip II of Macedon.

India was much more developed than the western nations.  India was known of using the oil lamps, telling familiarity of naphtha, which was unknown to the west, the Greeks and Romans until much later. The wanderer Greek sage Apollodorus of Tyana saw automated servants and self-moving carts in the court of a ruler of India. India was hundreds of years ahead of Europe in the technologies of arms, distillation and hydraulics. India got this advancement and knowledge from Sanskrit literature.

Sanskrit epics have tales about flying chariots and synthetic swans, missiles, animated servants, big robots, machines, and the like appear in the Ramayan, Mahabharata, Kathasaritsagara, Harivamsa, and other works. Self-navigating ships appear in Homer’s Odyssey and Egyptian texts; android and animal automatons are described frequently in Homer’s Iliad and in Chinese archives. Such examples are countless.

The Lokapanatti, a complex anthology of stories from Myanmar, contains a very interesting tale about the death of Buddha.  After the death of Buddha, King Ajatasatru conserved his bodily remains in a secret chamber under a stupa. It is said that bhuta vahana yantra (spirit movement machines) or ghosts guarded the relics.

In Sanskrit literature, there are so many references to robotic fighters, with spinning swords — suggestive of the modern war machines with revolving blades. Such examples are also in Greek myths, telling automaton guards in human and animal form guarding palaces and treasure. It is a mythological story that the robots were made from plans stealthily brought to Pataliputra from Roma-visaya, the Greek-influenced West, by a yantrakara, (mechanic) a robot maker who was initially from Pataliputra. The automaton soldiers guarded Buddha’s remnants until the great Indian monarch Ashoka heard about the hidden chamber. Ashoka fought the robots and after he conquered and learned how to manage them, they obeyed him. Historically, this was a fact that Ashoka did discover and distribute, across India, the long-hidden relics of Buddha.

By third century BC, artisan and experts in India, Greek, Alexandria, Arabia, and China began making flying birds, self-moving machines, animated machines, and automatons like those mentioned in Sanskrit literature and myths.

The Sanskrit language is a very scientific language. Computer expert believes that the Sanskrit language is very useful in computer programming. Scientists, the world over have found that reciting the Sanskrit shlokas, strengthen the memory. The speaker of Sanskrit can very easily learn to speak any language of the world.

References:

1-      ‘Sanskrit literature isn’t just about Hindu epics, it also dips in the Bible and Quran’, says well  Known translator AND Haksar, as told to Malini Nair, TNN! April 7, 2019, .02.00IST.

2-      ‘Hindu epics are full of AI, robots. Legend has it that they guarded Buddha’s relics', Manimugdha S Sharma TNN | Mar 31, 2019, 03:00 IST.

3-      https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-reason-behind-saying-that-Sanskrit-is-the-most-suitable-language-for-programming. (Google).

4-      https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-learning-Sanskrit-helps-to-increase-my-memory-power-and-learning-capability. (Google).

5-      https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/the-sanskrit-effect-and-how-rigorous-memorising-helps-the-memory/article22436878.ece. (Google).

6-      https://1md.org/article/sanskrit-effect-1md. (Google.

7-      ‘Influence of the Bhagwad Gita on Matthew Arnold’, Dr.Yogesh Kumar Sharma, A research work.