गुदड़ी में लाल -जयशंकर प्रसाद

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

dirgh nishvasoan ka kri da-sthal, garm-garm aansuoan ka phoota hua patr! karal kal ki sarangi, ek budhiy़a ka jirn kankal, jisamean abhiman ke lay mean karuna ki ragini baja karati hai.

abhagini budhiy़a, ek bhale ghar ki bahoo-beti thi. use dekhakar dayalu vayovriddh, he bhagavan! kahake chup ho jate the. dusht kahate the ki amiri mean b da sukh loota hai. navayuvak desh-bhakt kahate the, desh daridr hai; khokhala hai. abhage desh mean janmagrahan karane ka phal bhogati hai. agami bhavishy ki ujjvalata mean vishvas rakhakar hriday ke rakt par santosh kare. jis desh ka bhagavanh hi nahian; use vipatti kya! sukh kya!

parantu budhiy़a sabase yahi kaha karati thi-‘‘maian naukari karooangi. koee meri naukari laga do.’’ deta kaun? jo ek gh da jal bhi nahian bhar sakati, jo svayan uth kar sidha kh di nahian ho sakati thi, usase kaun kam karaye? kisi ki sahayata lena pasand nahian, kisi ki bhiksha ka ann usake mukh mean paithata hi n tha. lachar hokar baboo ramanath ne use apani dukan mean rakh liya. budhiy़a ki beti thi, vah do paise kamati thi. apana pet palati thi, parantu budhiy़a ka vishvas tha ki kanya ka dhan khane se us janm mean billi, giragit aur bhi kya-kya hota hai. apana-apana vishvas hi hai, parantu dharmik vishvas ho ya nahian, budhiy़a ko apane atmabhiman ka poorn vishvas tha. vah atal rahi. sardi ke dinoan mean apane thithure hue hath se vah apane lie pani bhar ke rakhati. apani beti se sambhavat: utana hi kam karati, jitana amiri ke dinoan mean kabhi-kabhi use apane ghar bulane par karati.

baboo ramanath use masik vritti dete the. aur bhi tin-char paise use chabeni ke, jaise aur naukaroan ko milate the, mila karate the. kee baras budhiy़a ke b di prasannata se kate. use n to du:kh tha aur n sukh. dukan mean jha doo lagakar usaki bikhari huee chijoan ko batore rahana aur baithe-baithe tho da-ghana jo kam ho, karana budhiy़a ka dainik kary tha. usase koee nahian poochhata tha ki tumane kitana kam kiya. dukan ke aur koee naukar yadi dushtatavash use chhe date bhi the, to ramanath unhean daant deta tha.

vasant, varsha, sharad aur shishir ki sandhya mean jab vishv ki vedana, jagath ki thakavat, dhoosar chadar mean muanh lapet kar kshitij ke nirav prant mean sone jati thi; budhiy़a apani kothari mean let rahati. apani kamaee ke paise se pet bharakar, kathor prithvi ki komal romavali ke saman hari-hari doob par bhi let rahana kisi-kisi ke sukhoan ki sankhya hai, vah sabako prapt nahian. budhiy़a dhany ho jati thi, use santosh hota.

ek din us durbal, din, budhiy़a ko baniye ki dukan mean lal mirache phatakana p da. budhiy़a ne kisi-kisi kasht se use sanvara. parantu usaki tivrata vah sahan n kar saki. use moochrchha a gayi. ramanath ne dekha, aur dekha apane kathor taanbe ke paise ki or. usake hriday ne dhikkara, parantu antaratma ne lalakara. us baniya ramanath ko sahas ho gaya. usane socha, kya is budhiy़a ko ‘pinsin’ nahian de sakata? kya unake pas itana abhav hai? avashy de sakata hai. usane man mean nishchay kiya. ‘‘tum bahut thak gayi ho, ab tumase kam nahian ho sakata.’’ budhiy़a ke devata kooch kar gaye. usane kaha-‘‘nahian nahian, abhi to maian achchhi tarah kam kar leti hooan.’’ ‘‘nahian, ab tum kam karana band kar do, maian tumako ghar baithe diya karooanga.’’

‘‘nahian beta! abhi tumhara kam maian achchha-bhala kiya karooangi.’’ budhiy़a ke gale mean kaante p d gaye the. kisi sukh ki ichchha se nahian, penshan ke lobh se bhi nahian. usake man mean dhakka laga. vah sochane lagi-‘‘maian bina kisi kam ke kiye isaka paisa kaise looangi?’’ kya yah bhikh nahian?’’ atmabhiman jhanajhana utha. hriday-tantri ke tar k de hokar chadh gaye. ramanath ne madhurata se kaha-‘‘tum ghabarao mat, tumako koee kasht n hoga.’’

budhiy़a chali ayi. usaki aankhoan mean aansoo n the. aj vah sookhe kath-si ho gayi. ghar jakar baithi, kothari mean apana saman ek or sudharane lagi. beti ne kaha-‘‘maan, yah kya karati ho?’’

maan ne kaha-‘‘chalane ki taiyari karo.’’

ramanath apane man mean apani prashansa kar raha tha, apane ko dhany samajhata tha. usane samajh liya ki hamane aj ek achchha kam karane ka sankalp kiya hai. bhagavanh isase avashy prasann hoange.

budhiy़a apani kothari mean baithi-baithi vicharati thi, ‘‘jivan bhar ke sanchit is abhiman-dhan ko ek muththi ann ki bhiksha par bech dena hoga. asahy! bhagavanh kya mera itana sukh bhi nahian dekh sakate! unhean sunana hoga.’’ vah prarthana karane lagi.

‘‘is anant jvalamayi srishti ke katrta! kya tumhian karuna-nidhan ho? kya isi dar se tumhara astitv mana jata hai? abhav, asha, asantosh aur artanadoan ke achary! kya tumhian dinanath ho? tumhian ne vedana ka visham jal phailaya hai? tumhian ne nishthur du:khoan ke sahane ke lie manav-hriday sa komal padarth chuna hai aur use vicharane ke lie, smaran karane ke lie diya hai anubhavashil mastishk? kaisi kathor kalpana hai, nishthur! tumhari kathor karuna ki jay ho! maian chir parajit hooan.’’

sahasa budhiy़a ke shirn mukh par kanti a gayi. usane dekha, ek svargiy jyoti use bula rahi hai. vah hansi, phir shithil hokar let rahi.

ramanath ne doosare hi din suna ki budhiy़a chali gayi. vedana-kleshahin-akshayalok mean use sthan mil gaya. us mahine ki penshan se usaka dah-karm kara diya. phir ek dirgh nishvas chho dakar bola, ‘‘amiri ki badh mean n jane kitani vastu kahaan se akar ekatr ho jati haian, bahutoan ke pas us badh ke ghat jane par keval kursi, koch aur toot gahane rah jate haian. parantu budhiy़a ke pas rah gaya tha sachcha svabhiman gud di ka lal.’’