ममता -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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rohatas-durg ke prakoshth mean baithi huee yuvati mamata, shon ke tikshn gambhir pravah ko dekh rahi hai. mamata vidhava thi. usaka yauvan shon ke saman hi um d raha tha. man mean vedana, mastak mean aandhi, aankhoan mean pani ki barasat liye, vah sukh ke kantak-shayan mean vikal thi. vah rohatas-durgapati ke mantri choo damani ki akeli duhita thi, phir usake lie kuchh abhav hona asambhav tha, parantu vah vidhava thi-hindoo-vidhava sansar mean sabase tuchchh nirashray prani hai-tab usaki vidambana ka kahaan ant tha?

choo damani ne chupachap usake prakoshth mean pravesh kiya. shon ke pravah mean, usake kal-nad mean apana jivan milane mean vah besudh thi. pita ka ana n jan saki. choo damani vyathit ho uthe. sneh-palita putri ke lie kya karean, yah sthir n kar sakate the. lautakar bahar chale gaye. aisa pray: hota, par aj mantri ke man mean b di dushchinta thi. pair sidhe n p date the.

ek pahar bit jane par ve phir mamata ke pas aye. us samay unake pichhe das sevak chaandi ke b de thaloan mean kuchh liye hue kh de the; kitane hi manushyoan ke pad-shabd sun mamata ne ghoom kar dekha. mantri ne sab thaloan ko rakhane ka sanket kiya. anuchar thal rakhakar chale gaye.

mamata ne poochha-‘‘yah kya hai, pitaji?’’

‘‘tere liye beti! upahar hai.’’-kahakar choo damani ne usaka avaran ulat diya. svarn ka pilapan us sunahali sandhya mean vikirn hone laga. mamata chauank uthi-

‘‘itana svarn! yaha kahaan se aya?’’

‘‘chup raho mamata, yah tumhare liye hai!’’

‘‘to kya apane mlechchh ka utkoch svikar kar liya? pitaji yah anarth hai, arth nahian. lauta dijiye. pitaji! ham log brahman haian, itana sona lekar kya kareange?’’

‘‘is patanonmukh prachin samant-vansh ka ant samip hai, beti! kisi bhi din sherashah rohitashv par adhikar kar sakata hai; us din mantritv n rahega, tab ke lie beti!’’

‘‘he bhagavan! tab ke lie! vipad ke lie! itana ayojan! param pita ki ichchha ke viruddh itana sahas! pitaji, kya bhikh n milegi? kya koee hindoo bhoo-prishth par n bacha rah jayega, jo brahman ko do muththi ann de sake? yah asambhav hai. pher dijie pitaji, maian kaanp rahi hooan-isaki chamak aankhoan ko andha bana rahi hai.’’

‘‘moorkh hai’’-kahakar choo damani chale gaye.

doosare din jab doliyoan ka taanta bhitar a raha tha, brahman-mantri choo damani ka hriday dhakh-dhak karane laga. vah apane ko rok n saka. usane jakar rohitashv durg ke toran par doliyoan ka avaran khulavana chaha. pathanoan ne kaha-

‘‘yah mahilaoan ka apaman karana hai.’’

bat badh gee. talavarean khianchian, brahman vahian mara gaya aur raja-rani aur kosh sab chhali sherashah ke hath p de; nikal gee mamata. doli mean bhare hue pathan-sainik durg bhar mean phail gaye, par mamata n mili.

bhag 2

kashi ke uttar dharmachakr vihar, maury aur gupt samratoan ki kirti ka khandahar tha. bhagn choo da, trin-gulmoan se dhake hue prachir, eeantoan ki dher mean bikhari huee bharatiy shilp ki vibhooti, grishm ki chandrika mean apane ko shital kar rahi thi.

jahaan panchavargiy bhikshu gautam ka upadesh grahan karane ke lie pahale mile the, usi stoop ke bhagnavashesh ki malin chhaya mean ek jhop di ke dipalok mean ek stri path kar rahi thi-

‘‘ananyashchintayanto maan ye jana: paryupasate .....’’

path ruk gaya. ek bhishan aur hatash akriti dip ke mand prakash mean samane kh di thi. stri uthi, usane kapat band karana chaha. parantu us vyakti ne kaha-‘‘mata! mujhe ashray chahiye.’’

‘‘tum kaun ho?’’-stri ne poochha.

‘‘maian mugal hooan. chausa-yuddh mean sherashah se vipann hokar raksha chahata hooan. is rat ab age chalane mean asamarth hooan.’’

‘‘kya sherashah se?’’-stri ne apane oth kat liye.

‘‘haan, mata!’’

‘‘parantu tum bhi vaise hi kroor ho, vahi bhishan rakt ki pyas, vahi nishthur pratibimb, tumhare mukh par bhi hai! sainik! meri kuti mean sthan nahian. jao, kahian doosara ashray khoj lo.’’

‘‘gala sookh raha hai, sathi chhoot gaye haian, ashv gir p da hai-itana thaka hua hooan-itana!’’-kahate-kahate vah vyakti dham-se baith gaya aur usake samane brahmand ghoomane laga. stri ne socha, yah vipatti kahaan se aee! usane jal diya, mugal ke pranoan ki raksha huee. vah sochane lagi-‘‘ye sab vidharmi daya ke patr nahian-mere pita ka vadh karane vale atatayi!’’ ghrina se usaka man virakt ho gaya.

svasth hokar mugal ne kaha-‘‘mata! to phir maian chala jaooan?’’

stri vichar kar rahi thi-‘maian brahmani hooan, mujhe to apane dharm-atithidev ki upasana-ka palan karana chahie. parantu yahaan...nahian-nahian ye sab vidharmi daya ke patr nahian. parantu yah daya to nahian .... kartavy karana hai. tab?’’

mugal apani talavar tekakar kh da hua. mamata ne kaha-‘‘kya ashchary hai ki tum bhi chhal karo; thaharo.’’

‘‘chhal! nahian, tab nahian-stri! jata hooan, taimoor ka vanshadhar stri se chhal karega? jata hooan. bhagy ka khel hai.’’

mamata ne man mean kaha-‘‘yahaan kaun durg hai! yahi jhop di n; jo chahe le-le, mujhe to apana kartavy karana p dega.’’ vah bahar chali aee aur mugal se boli-‘‘jao bhitar, thake hue bhayabhit pathik! tum chahe koee ho, maian tumhean ashray deti hooan. maian brahman-kumari hooan; sab apana dharm chho d dean,to maian bhi kyoan chho d dooan?’’ mugal ne chandrama ke mand prakash mean vah mahimamay mukhamandal dekha, usane man-hi-man namaskar kiya. mamata pas ki tooti huee divaroan mean chali gee. bhitar, thake pathik ne jhop di mean vishram kiya.

prabhat mean khandahar ki sandhi se mamata ne dekha, saik doan ashvarohi us prant mean ghoom rahe haian. vah apani moorkhata par apane ko kosane lagi.

ab us jhop di se nikalakar us pathik ne kaha-‘‘miraja! maian yahaan hooan.’’

shabd sunate hi prasannata ki chitkar-dhvani se vah prant gooanj utha. mamata adhik bhayabhit huee. pathik ne kaha-‘‘vah stri kahaan hai? use khoj nikalo.’’ mamata chhipane ke lie adhik sachesht huee. vah mrig-dav mean chali gee. din-bhar usamean se n nikali. sandhya mean jab un logoan ke jane ka upakram hua, to mamata ne suna, pathik gho de par savar hote hue kah raha hai-‘‘miraja! us stri ko maian kuchh de n saka. usaka ghar banava dena, kyoanki maianne vipatti mean yahaan vishram paya tha. yah sthan bhoolana mat.’’-isake bad ve chale gaye.

chausa ke mugal-pathan-yuddh ko bahut din bit gaye. mamata ab sattar varsh ki vriddha hai. vah apani jhop di mean ek din p di thi. shitakal ka prabhat tha. usaka jirn-kankal khaansi se gooanj raha tha. mamata ki seva ke liye gaanv ki do-tin striyaan use gher kar baithi thian; kyoanki vah ajivan sabake sukh-du:kh ki samabhagini rahi.

mamata ne jal pina chaha, ek stri ne sipi se jal pilaya. sahasa ek ashvarohi usi jhop di ke dvar par dikhaee p da. vah apani dhun mean kahane laga-‘‘miraja ne jo chitr banakar diya hai, vah to isi jagah ka hona chahiye. vah budhiy़a mar gee hogi, ab kisase poochhooan ki ek din shahanshah humayooan kis chhappar ke niche baithe the? yah ghatana bhi to saiantalis varsh se oopar ki huee!’’

mamata ne apane vikal kanoan se suna. usane pas ki stri se kaha-‘‘use bulao.’’

ashvarohi pas aya. mamata ne ruk-rukakar kaha-‘‘maian nahian janati ki vah shahanshah tha, ya sadharan mugal par ek din isi jhop di ke niche vah raha. maianne suna tha ki vah mera ghar banavane ki ajna de chuka tha! bhagavanh ne sun liya, maian aj ise chho de jati hooan. ab tum isaka makan banao ya mahal, maian apane chir-vishram-grih mean jati hooan!’’

vah ashvarohi avakh kh da tha. budhiy़a ke pran-pakshi anant mean u d gaye.

vahaan ek ashtakon mandir bana; aur us par shilalekh lagaya gaya-

‘‘satoan desh ke naresh humayooan ne ek din yahaan vishram kiya tha. unake putr akabar ne unaki smriti mean yah gaganachumbi mandir banaya.’’

par usamean mamata ka kahian nam nahian.