तीन मछलियां

tin machhaliyaan panchatantr ki prasiddh kahaniyoan mean se ek hai jisake rachayita achary vishnu sharma haian.

kahani

          ek nadi ke kinare usi nadi se ju da ek bada jalashay tha. jalashay mean pani gahara hota haian, isalie usamean kaee tatha machhaliyoan ka priy bhojan jaliy sookshm paudhe ugate haian. aise sthan machhaliyoan ko bahut ras ate haian. us jalashay mean bhi nadi se bahut-si machhaliyaan akar rahati thi. aande dene ke lie to sabhi machhaliyaan us jalashay mean ati thi. vah jalashay lambi ghas v jhadiyoan dvara ghira hone ke karan asani se najar nahian ata tha.
usi mean tin machhaliyoan ka jhuand rahata tha. unake svabhav bhinn the. anna sankat ane ke lakshan milate hi sankat talane ka upay karane mean vishvas rakhati thi. pratyu kahati thi ki sankat ane par hi usase bachane ka yatn karo. yaddi ka sochana tha ki sankat ko talane ya usase bachane ki bat bekar haian karane karane se kuchh nahian hota jo kismat mean likha hai, vah hokar rahega.
ek din sham ko machhuare nadi mean machhaliyaan pakadakar ghar ja rahe the. bahut kam machhaliyaan unake jaloan mean phansi thi. atah unake chehare udas the. tabhi unhean jhadiyoan ke oopar machhalikhor pakshiyoan ka jhuand jata dikhaee diya. sabaki choanch mean machhaliyaan dabi thi. ve chauanke .
ek ne anuman lagaya 'dosto! lagata haian jhadiyoan ke pichhe nadi se ju da jalashay haian, jahaan itani sari machhaliyaan pal rahi haian.'
machhuare pulakit hokar jhadiyoan mean se hokar jalashay ke tat par a nikale aur lalachaee najar se machhaliyoan ko dekhane lage.
ek machhuara bola 'aha! is jalashay mean to machhaliyaan bhari padi haian. aj tak hamean isaka pata hi nahian laga.' 'yahaan hamean dher sari machhaliyaan mileangi.' doosara bola.
tisare ne kaha 'aj to sham ghirane vali haian. kal subah hi akar yahaan jal daleange.'
is prakar machhuare doosare din ka karyakram tay karake chale ge. tinoan machhliyoan ne machhuare ki bat sun la thi.
anna machhali ne kaha 'sathiyo! tumane machhuare ki bat sun li. ab hamara yahaan rahana khatare se khali nahian haian. khatare ki soochana hamean mil gee haian. samay rahate apani jan bachane ka upay karana chahie. maian to abhi hi is jalashay ko chhodakar nahar ke raste nadi mean ja rahi hooan. usake bad machhuare subah aean, jal pheanke, meri bala se. tab tak maian to bahut door atakheliyaan kar rahi ho-ooangi.’
pratyu machhali boli 'tumhean jana haian to jao, maian to nahian a rahi. abhi khatara aya kahaan haian, jo itana ghabarane ki jarurat haian ho sakata hai sankat ae hi n. un machhuaroan ka yahaan ane ka karyakram radd ho sakata hai, ho sakata haian rat ko unake jal choohe kutar jaean, ho sakata hai. unaki basti mean ag lag jae. bhoochal akar unake gaanv ko nasht kar sakata haian ya rat ko moosaladhar varsha a sakati haian aur badh mean unaka gaanv bah sakata haian. isalie unaka ana nishchit nahian haian. jab vah aeange, tab ki tab socheange. ho sakata haian maian unake jal mean hi n phansooan.'
yaddi ne apani bhagyavadi bat kahi 'bhagane se kuchh nahian hone ka. machhuaroan ko ana hai to vah aeange. hamean jal mean phansana haian to ham phanseange. kismat mean marana hi likha hai to kya kiya ja sakata haian?'
is prakar anna to usi samay vahaan se chali gee. pratyu aur yaddi jalashay mean hi rahi. bhor huee to machhuare apane jal ko lekar ae aur lage jalashay mean jal pheankane aur machhaliyaan pakadane. pratyu ne sankat ko ae dekha to lagi jan bachane ke upay sochane. usaka dimag tezise kam karane laga. as-pas chhipane ke lie koee khokhali jagah bhi nahian thi. tabhi use yad aya ki us jalashay mean kafi dinoan se ek mare hue oodabilav ki lash tairati rahi haian. vah usake bachav ke kam a sakati haian.
jaldi hi use vah lash mil gee. lash sadane lagi thi. pratyu lash ke pet mean ghus gee aur sadati lash ki sadaandh apane oopar lapetakar bahar nikali. kuchh hi der mean machhuare ke jal mean pratyu phans gee. machhuare ne apana jal khiancha aur machhaliyoan ko kinare par jal se ulat diya. baki machhaliyaan to tadapane lagian, parantu pratyu dam sadhakar mari huee machhali ki tarah padi rahi. machhuare ko sadaandh ka bhabhaka laga to machhaliyoan ko dekhane laga. usane nishchal padi pratyu ko uthaya aur sooangha 'ak! yah to kee dinoan ki mari machhali haian. sad chuki haian.' aise badabadakar bura-sa muanh banakar us machhuare ne pratyu ko jalashay mean pheank diya.
pratyu apani buddhi ka prayog kar sankat se bach nikalane mean saphal ho gee thi. pani mean girate hi usane gota lagaya aur surakshit gaharaee mean pahuanchakar jan ki khair manaee.
yaddi bhi doosare machhuare ke jal mean phans gee thi aur ek tokare mean dal di gee thi. bhagy ke bharose baithi rahane vali yaddi ne usi tokari mean any machhaliyoan ki tarah tadap-tadapakar pran tyag die.

sikh- bhagy ke bharose hath par hath dharakar baithe rahane vale ka vinash nishchit hai.