देवरथ -जयशंकर प्रसाद

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is lekh ka punarikshan evan sampadan hona avashyak hai. ap isamean sahayata kar sakate haian. "sujhav"

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do-tin rekhaean bhal par, kali putaliyoan ke samip moti aur kali barauniyoan ka ghera, ghani apas mean mili rahane vali bhavean aur nasa-put ke niche halaki-halaki hariyali us tapasi ke gore muanh par sabal abhivyakti ki prerana pragat karati thi.

yauvan, kashay se kahian chhip sakata hai? sansar ko du:khapoorn samajhakar hi to vah sangh ki sharan mean ayi thi. usake ashapoorn hriday par kitani hi thokarean lagi thian. tab bhi yauvan ne sath n chho da. bhikshuki banakar bhi vah shanti n pa saki thi. vah aj atyant adhir thi.

chait ki amavasya ka prabhat tha. ashvatth vriksh ki mitti-si saphed daloan aur tane par tamr arun komal pattiyaan nikal ayi thian. un par prabhat ki kiranean p dakar lot-pot ho jati thian. itani snigdh shayya unhean kahaan mili thi.

sujata soch rahi thi. aj amavasya hai. amavasya to usake hriday mean savere se hi andhakar bhar rahi thi. din ka alok usake lie nahian ke barabar tha. vah apane vishriankhal vicharoan ko chho dakar kahaan bhag jay. shikariyoan ka jhund aur akeli harini! usaki aankhean band thian.

aryamitr kh da raha. usane dekh liya ki sujata ki samadhi abhi n khulegi. vah muskurane laga. usake kritrim shil ne bhi usako varjit kiya. sangh ke niyamoan ne usake hriday par ko de lagaye; par vah bhikshu vahian kh da raha.

bhitar ke andhakar se oobakar sujata ne alok ke lie aankhe khol dian. aryamitr ko dekhakar alok ki bhishanata usaki aankhoan ke samane nachane lagi. usane shakti batorakar kaha-‘‘vande!’’

aryamitr purush tha. bhikshuki ka usake samane nat hona sangh ka niyam tha. aryamitr ne hansate hue abhivadan ka uttar diya, aur poochha-‘‘sujata, aj tum svasth ho?’’

sujata uttar dena chahati thi. par....aryamitr ke kashay ke navin rang mean usaka man ulajh raha tha. vah chahati thi ki aryamitr chala jay; chala jay usaki chetana ke ghere ke bahar. idhar vah asvasth thi, aryamitr use aushadhi deta tha. sangh ka vah vaidy tha. ab vah achchhi ho gayi hai. use aryamitr ki avashyakata nahian. kintu .... hai to .... hriday ko upachar ki atyant avashyakata hai. tab bhi aryamitr! vah kya kare. bolana hi p da.

‘‘haan, ab to svasth hooan.’’

‘‘abhi pathy sevan karana hoga.’’

‘‘achchha.’’

‘‘mujhe aur bhi ek bat kahani hai.’’

‘‘kya? nahian, kshama kijie. apane kab se pravrajya li hai?’’

‘‘vah sunakar tum kya karogi? sansar hi du:khamay hai.’’

‘‘thik to.......achchha, namaskar .’’

aryamitr chala gaya; kintu usake jane se jo andolan alok-tarang mean utha, usi mean sujata jhoomane lagi thi. use maloom nahian, kab se mahasthavir usake samip kh de the.

-- --

samudr ka kolahal kuchh sunane nahian deta tha. sandhya dhire-dhire vistrit nil jal-rashi par utar rahi thi. tarangoan par tarange bikharakar choor ho rahi thian. sujata baluka ki shital vedi par baithi huee apalak aankhoan se us kshanikata ka anubhav kar rahi thi; kintu nilambudhi ka mahanh sansar kisi vastavikata ki or sanket kar raha tha. satta ki sampoornata dhuandhali sandhya mean moortimanh ho rahi thi. sujata bol uthi-

‘‘jivan saty hai, samvedan saty hai, atma ke alok mean andhakar kuchh nahian hai.’’

‘‘sujata, yah kya kah rahi ho?’’ pichhe se aryamitr ne kaha.

‘‘kaun, aryamitr!’’

‘‘maian bhikshuni kyoan huee aryamitr!’’

‘‘vyarth sujata. maianne amavasya ki gambhir rajani mean sangh ke sammukh papi hona svikar kar liya hai. apane kritrim shil ke avaran mean surakshit nahian rah saka. maianne mahasthavir se kah diya ki sanghamitr ka putr aryamitr saansarik vibhootiyoan ki upeksha nahian kar sakata. kee purushoan ki sanchit mahaushadhiyaan, kaliang ke rajavaidy pad ka samman, sahaj mean chho da nahian ja sakata. maian keval sujata ke lie hi bhikshu bana tha. usi ka pata lagane ke lie maian is nil vihar mean aya tha. vah meri vagdatta bhavi patni hai.’’

‘‘kintu aryamitr, tumane vilamb kiya, maian tumhari patni n ho sakooangi.’’-sujata ne bich hi manau rokakar kaha.

‘‘kyoan sujata! yah kashay kya shriankhala hai? pheank do ise. varanasi ke svarn-khachit vasan hi tumhare paridhan ke lie upayukt haian. ratnamala, mani-kankan aur hem-kaanchi tumhari kamal-komal aang-lata ko sajavegi. tum-rajarani banogi.’’

‘‘kintu.....’’

‘‘kintu kya sujata? mera hriday phata jata hai. bolo, maian sangh ka bandhan to d chuka hooan aur tum bhi to jivan ki, atma ki kshanikata mean vishvas nahian karati ho?’’

‘‘kintu aryamitr! maian vah amooly upahar-jo striyaan, kulavadhuean apane pati ke charanoan mean samarpan karati haian-kahaan se laooangi? vah varamala jisamean doorva-sadrish kaumayry hara-bhara rahata ho, jisamean madhook-kusum-sa hriday-ras bhara ho, kaise, kahaan se tumhean pahana sakooangi?’’

‘‘kyoan sujata? usamean kaun-si badha hai?-kahate-kahate aryamitr ka svar kuchh tikshn ho gaya. vah aangoothe se baloo bikherane laga!

‘‘use sunakar tum kya karoge? jao, raj-sukh bhogo. mujh janm ki dukhiya ke pichhe apana anandapoorn bhavishy-sansar nasht n karo, aryamitr! jab tumane sangh ka bandhan bhi to d diya hai, tab mujh pamari ke moh ka bandhan bhi to d dalo.’’

sujata ke vaksh mean shvas bhar raha tha.

aryamitr ne nirjan samudr-tat ke us malin sayankal mean, sujata ka hath pak dakar tivr svar mean poochha-‘‘sujata, spasht kaho; kya tum mujhase prem nahian karati ho?’’

‘‘karati hooan aryamitr! isi ka du:kh hai. nahian to bhairavi ke lie kis upabhog ki kami hai?’’

aryamitr ne chauankakar sujata ka hath chho date hue kaha-‘‘kya kaha, bhairavi!’’

‘‘haan aryamitr. maian bhairavi hooan, meri....’’

age vah kuchh n kah saki. aankhoan se jal-bindu dhulak rahe the, jisamean vedana ke samudr oormil ho rahe the.

aryamitr adhir hokar sochane laga-‘‘parivarik pavitr bandhanoan ko to dakar jis mukti ki-nirvan ki-asha mean janata dau d rahi hai, us dharm ki yahi sima hai. yah andher-grihasthoan ka sukh n dekh sakanevaloan ka yah nirmam dand, samaj kab tak bhogega?’’

sahasa prakritisth hokar usane kaha-‘‘sujata! mera sir ghoom raha hai, jaise devarath ka chakr, parantu maian tumako ab bhi patni-roop se grahan karooanga. sujata, chalo.’’

‘‘kintu maian tumhean patiroop se grahan n kar sakooangi. apani sari laanchhana tumhare sath baantakar jivan-sangini banane ka dussahas maian n kar sakooangi. aryamitr, mujhe kshama karo! meri vedana rajani se bhi kali hai aur du:kh samudr se bhi vistrit hai. smaran hai? isi mahodadhi ke tat par baithakar, sikata mean ham log apana nam sath-hi-sath likhate the. chir-rodanakari nishthur samudr apani laharoan ki uangali se use mita deta tha. mit jane do hriday ki sikata se prem ka nam! aryamitr, is rajani ke andhakar mean use vilin ho jane do.’’

‘‘sujata’’-sahasa ek kathor svar sunaee p da.

donoan ne ghoomakar dekha, andhakar-si bhishan moorti, sanghasthavir!

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usake jivan mean paramanu bikhar rahe the. nisha ki kalima mean sujata sir jhukaye hue baithi, dev-pratima ki rathayatra ka samaroh dekh rahi thi; kintu dau dakar chhip janevale mook drishy ke saman vah kisi ko samajh n pati thi. sthavir ne usake samane akar kaha-‘‘sujata, tumane prayashchit kiya?’’

‘‘kisake pap ka prayashchit! tumhare ya apane?’’-tivr svar mean sujata ne kaha!

‘‘apane aur aryamitr ke papoan ka, sujata! tumane avishvasi hriday se dharmadroh kiya hai.’’

‘‘dharmadroh? ashchary!!’’

‘‘tumhara sharir devata ko samarpit tha, sujata. tumane.....’’

bich hi mean use rokakar tivr svar mean sujata ne kaha-‘‘chup raho, asatyavadi. vajrayani nar-pishach ....’’

ek kshan mean is bhishan manushy ki kritrim shanti vilin ho gayi. usane daant kitakitakar kaha-‘‘mrityu-dand!’’

sujata ne usaki or dekhate hue kaha-‘‘kathor se bhi kathor mrityu-dand mere lie komal hai. mere lie is snehamayi dharani par bacha hi kya hai? sthavir! tumhara dharmashasan gharoan ko choor-choor karake viharoan ki srishti karata hai-kuchakr mean jivan ko phansata hai. pavitr garhasth bandhanoan ko to dakar tum log bhi apani vasana-tripti ke anukool hi to ek naya ghar banate ho, jisaka nam badal dete ho. tumhari trishna to sadharan saral grihasthoan se bhi tivr hai, kshudr hai aur nimn koti ki hai.’’

‘‘kintu sujata, tumako marana hoga!’’

‘‘to marooangi sthavir; kintu tumhara yah kalpanik adambarapoorn dharm bhi marega. manushyata ka nash karake koee dharm kh da nahian rah sakata.’’

‘‘kal hi!’’

‘‘haan, kal prabhat mean tum dekhoge ki sujata kaise marati hai!’’

-- --

sujata mandir ke vishal stambh se tiki huee, ratrivyapi utsav ko sthir drishti se dekhati rahi. ek bar usane dhire se poochha-

‘‘devata, yah utsav kyoan? kya jivan ki yantranaoan se tumhari pooja ka upakaran sangrah kiya jata hai?’’

pratima ne koee uttar nahian diya.

prabhat ki kiranean mandir ke shikhar par hansane lagian.

dev-vigrah ne rath-yatra ke lie prayan kiya. janata tumulanad se jay-ghosh karane lagi.

sujata ne dekha, pujariyoan ke dal mean kaushey vasan pahane hue aryamitr bhi bhaktibhav se chala ja raha hai. usaki ichchha huee ki aryamitr ko bula kar kahe ki vah usake sath chalane ko prastut hai.

sampoorn bal se usane pukara-‘‘aryamitr!’’

kintu us kolahal mean kaun sunata hai? devarath vistirn raj-path se chalane laga. usake dridh chakr dharani ki chhati mean gahari lik dalate hue age badhऩe lage. us jan-samudr mean sujata phaand p di aur ek kshan mean usaka sharir devarath ke bhishan chakr se pis utha.

rath kh da ho gaya. sthavir ne sthir drishti se sujata ke shav ko dekha. abhi vah kuchh bolana hi chahata tha ki darshakoan aur pujariyoan ka dal, ‘‘kala paha d! kala paha d!!’’ chillata hua idhar-udhar bhagane laga. dhooli ki ghata mean barachhiyoan ki bijaliyaan chamakane lagian.

dev-vigrah ekaki dharmonmatt ‘kala paha d’ ke ashvarohiyoan se ghir gaya-rath par tha dev-vigrah aur niche sujata ka shav.