गजराज व मूषकराज

gajaraj v mooshakaraj panchatantr ki prasiddh kahaniyoan mean se ek hai jisake rachayita achary vishnu sharma haian.

kahani

          prachin kal mean ek nadi ke kinare basa nagar vyapar ka kendr tha. phir ae us nagar ke bure din, jab ek varsh bhari varsha huee. nadi ne apana rasta badal diya. logoan ke lie pine ka pani n raha aur dekhate hi dekhate nagar viran ho gaya ab vah jagah keval choohoan ke layaq rah gee. charoan or choohe hi choohe najar ane lage. choohoan ka poora samrajy hi sthapit ho gaya. choohoan ke us samrajy ka raja bana mooshakaraj chooha. choohoan ka bhagy dekho, unake basane ke bad nagar ke bahar zamin se ek pani ka strot phoot p da aur vah ek b da jalashay ban gaya.
nagar se kuchh hi door ek ghana jangal tha. jangal mean anaginat hathi rahate the. unaka raja gajaraj namak ek vishal hathi tha. us jangal kshetr mean bhayanak sookha p da. jiv-jantu pani ki talash mean idhar-udhar mare-mare phirane lage. bhari bharakam sharir vale hathiyoan ki to durdasha ho gee.
hathiyoan ke bachche pyas se vyakul hokar chillane v dam todane lage. gajaraj khud sookhe ki samasya se chiantit tha aur hathiyoan ka kasht janata tha. ek din gajaraj ki mitr chil ne akar khabar di ki khandahar bane nagar ke doosari or ek jalashay haian. gajaraj ne sabako turant us jalashay ki or chalane ka adesh diya. saikadoan hathi pyas bujhane dolate hue chal pade. jalashay tak pahuanchane ke lie unhean khandahar bane nagar ke bich se gujarana pada.
hathiyoan ke hajaroan pair choohoan ko rauandate hue nikal ge. hajaroan choohe mare ge. khandahar nagar ki sadakean choohoan ke khoon-maans ke kichad se lathapath ho gee. musibat yahian khatm nahian huee. hathiyoan ka dal phir usi raste se lauta. hathi roj usi marg se pani pine jane lage.
kafi sochane-vicharane ke bad mooshakaraj ke mantriyoan ne kaha 'maharaj, apako hi jakar gajaraj se bat karani chahie. vah dayalu hathi haian.' mooshakaraj hathiyoan ke van mean gaya. ek bade pe d ke niche gajaraj kh da tha.
mooshakaraj usake samane ke b de patthar ke oopar chadha aur gajaraj ko namaskar karake bola 'gajaraj ko mooshakaraj ka namaskar. he mahanh hathi, maian ek nivedan karana chahata hooan.'
avaz gajaraj ke kanoan tak nahian pahuanch rahi thi. dayalu gajaraj usaki bat sunane ke lie niche baith gaya aur apana ek kan patthar par chadhe mooshakaraj ke nikat le jakar bola 'nanhean miyaan, ap kuchh kah rahe the. kॄpaya phir se kahie.'
mooshakaraj bola 'he gajaraj, mujhe chooha kahate haian. ham b di sankhya mean khandahar bani nagari mean rahate haian. maian unaka mooshakaraj hooan. apake hathi roj jalashay tak jane ke lie nagari ke bich se gujarate haian. har bar unake pairoan tale kuchale jakar hajaroan choohe marate haian. yah mooshak sanhar band n hua to ham nasht ho jaeange.'
gajaraj ne du:kh bhare svar mean kaha “mooshakaraj, apaki bat sun mujhe bahut shok hua. hamean jnan hi nahian tha ki ham itana anarth kar rahe haian. ham naya rasta dhoodh leange.'
mooshakaraj kॄtajnata bhare svar mean bola 'gajaraj, apane mujh jaise chhote jiv ki bat dhyan se suni. apaka dhanyavad. gajaraj, kabhi hamari jarurat pade to yad jarur kijiega.'
          gajaraj ne socha ki yah nanha jiv hamare kisi kam kya aega. so usane keval muskurakar mooshakaraj ko vida kiya. kuchh din bad padausi desh ke raja ne sena ko mazaboot banane ke lie usamean hathi shamil karane ka nirnay liya. raja ke log hathi pak dane ae. jangal mean akar ve chupachap kee prakar ke jal bichhakar chale jate haian. saikadoan hathi pak d lie ge. ek rat hathiyoan ke pak de jane se chiantit gajaraj jangal mean ghoom rahe the ki unaka pair sookhi pattiyoan ke niche chhal se dabakar rakhe rassi ke phande mean phans jata haian. jaise hi gajaraj ne pair age badhaya rassa kas gaya. rasse ka doosara sira ek pe d ke mote tane se mazabooti se bandha tha. gajaraj chianghadane laga. usane apane sevakoan ko pukara, lekin koee nahian aya. kaun phande mean phanse hathi ke nikat aega? ek yuva jangali bhaiansa gajaraj ka bahut adar karata tha. jab vah bhaiansa chhota tha to ek bar vah ek gaddhe mean ja gira tha. usaki chillahat sunakar gajaraj ne usaki jan bachaee thi. chianghad sunakar vah dau da aur phande mean phanse gajaraj ke pas pahuancha. gajaraj ki halat dekh use bahut dhakka laga. vah chikha 'yah kaisa anyay haian? gajaraj, bataie kya karuan? maian apako chhudane ke lie apani jan bhi de sakata hooan.'
gajaraj bole 'beta, tum bas dau dakar khandahar nagari jao aur choohoan ke raja mooshakaraj ko sara hal batana. usase kahana ki meri sari as toot chuki hai.
bhaiansa apani poori shakti se dau da-dau da mooshakaraj ke pas gaya aur sari bat bataee. mooshakaraj turant apane bis-tis sainikoan ke sath bhaianse ki pith par baitha aur vo shighr hi gajaraj ke pas pahuanche. choohe bhaianse ki pith par se koodakar phande ki rassi kutarane lage. kuchh hi der mean phande ki rassi kat gee v gajaraj azad ho ge.

sikh- apasi sadbhav v prem sada ek doosare ke kashtoan ko har lete haian.