वेताल पच्चीसी चार

vetal pachchisi pachchis kathaoan se yukt ek lokakatha granth sangrah hai. ye kathayean raja vikram ki nyay-shakti ka bodh karati haian. vetal pratidin ek kahani sunata hai aur ant mean raja se aisa prashn kar deta hai ki raja ko usaka uttar dena hi p data hai. usane shart laga rakhi hai ki agar raja bolega to vah usase roothakar phir se pe d par ja latakega. lekin yah janate hue bhi saval samane ane par raja se chup nahian raha jata.

chauthi kahani

bhogavati nam ki ek nagari thi. usamean raja roopasen raj karata tha. usake pas chintamani nam ka ek tota tha.

ek din raja ne usase poochha: hamara byah kisake sath hoga?

tote ne kaha: magadh desh ke raja ki beti chandravati ke sath hoga.

raja ne jyotishi ko bulakar poochha to usane bhi yahi kaha. udhar magadh desh ki raj-kanya ke pas ek maina thi. usaka nam tha madan manjari. ek din raj-kanya ne usase poochha ki mera vivah kisake sath hoga to usane kah diya ki bhogavati nagar ke raja roopasen ke sath.

isake bad donoan ka vivah ho gaya. rani ke sath usaki maina bhi a gayi. raja-rani ne tota-maina ka byah karake unhean ek pianj de mean rakh diya.

ek din ki bat hai ki tota-maina mean bahas ho gayi.

maina ne kaha: adami b da papi, dagabaz aur adharmi hota hai.

tote ne kaha: stri jhoothi, lalachi aur hatyari hoti hai.

donoan ka jhag da badh gaya to raja ne kaha, "kya bat hai, tum apas mean l date kyoan ho?

maina ne kaha: maharaj, mard b de bure hote haian.

isake bad maina ne ek kahani sunayi.

ilapur nagar mean mahadhan nam ka ek seth rahata tha. vivah ke bahut dinoan ke bad usake ghar ek l daka paida hua. seth ne usaka b di achchhi tarah se lalan-palan kiya, par l daka b da hokar jua khelane laga. is bich seth mar gaya. l dake ne apana sara dhan jue mean kho diya. jab pas mean kuchh n bacha to vah nagar chho dakar chandrapuri namak nagari mean ja pahuancha. vahaan hemagupt nam ka sahookar rahata tha. usake pas jakar usane apane pita ka parichay diya aur kaha ki maian jahaz lekar saudagari karane gaya tha. mal becha, dhan kamaya; lekin lautate mean samudr mean aisa toofan aya ki jahaz doob gaya aur maian jaise-taise bachakar yahaan a gaya.

us seth ke ek l daki thi ratnavati. seth ko b di khushi huee ki ghar baithe itana achchha l daka mil gaya. usane us l dake ko apane ghar mean rakh liya aur kuchh din bad apani l daki se usaka byah kar diya. donoan vahian rahane lage. ant mean ek din vahaan se bida hue. seth ne bahut-sa dhan diya aur ek dasi ko unake sath bhej diya.

raste mean ek jangal p data tha.

vahaan akar l dake ne stri se kaha: yahaan bahut dar hai, tum apane gahane utarakar meri kamar mean baandh do, l daki ne aisa hi kiya. isake bad l dake ne kaharoan ko dhan dekar dole ko vapas kara diya aur dasi ko marakar kuean mean dal diya. phir stri ko bhi kuean mean patakakar age badh gaya.

stri rone lagi. ek musafir udhar se ja raha tha. jangal mean rone ki avaz sunakar vah vahaan aya use kuean se nikalakar usake ghar pahuancha diya. stri ne ghar jakar maan-bap se kah diya ki raste mean choroan ne hamare gahane chhin liye aur dasi ko marakar, mujhe kuean mean dhakelakar, bhag gaye. bap ne use dhadhas bandhaya aur kaha ki too chinta mat kar. tera svami jivit hoga aur kisi din a jayega.

udhar vah l daka jevar lekar shahar pahuancha. use to jue ki lat lagi thi. vah sare gahane jue mean har gaya. usaki buri halat huee to vah yah bahana banakar ki usake l daka hua hai, phir apani sasural chala. vahaan pahuanchate hi sabase pahale usaki stri mili. vah b di khush huee.

usane pati se kaha: ap koee chinta n karean, maianne yahaan akar doosari hi bat kahi hai. jo kaha tha, vah usane bata diya.

seth apane jamaee se milakar b de prasann hue aur unhoanne use b di achchhi tarah se ghar mean rakha.

kuchh din bad ek roz jab vah l daki gahane pahane so rahi thi, usane chupachap chhuri se use mar dala aur usake gahane lekar champat ho gaya.

maina boli: maharaj, yah sab maianne apani aankhoan se dekha. aisa papi hota hai adami!

raja ne tote se kaha: ab tum batao ki stri kyoan buri hoti hai?

is par tote ne yah kahani sunayi.

kanchanapur mean sagaradatt nam ka ek seth rahata tha. usake shridatt nam ka ek l daka tha. vahaan se kuchh door par ek aur nagar tha shrivijayapur. usamean somadatt nam ka seth rahata tha. usake ek l daki thi vah shridatt ko byahi thi. byah ke bad shridatt vyapar karane parades chala gaya. barah baras ho gaye aur vah n aya to jayashri vyakul hone lagi. ek din vah apani atari par kh di thi ki ek adami use dikhaee diya. use dekhate hi vah us par mohit ho gayi. usane use apani sakhi ke ghar bulava liya. rat hote hi vah us sakhi ke ghar chali jati aur rat-bhar vahaan rahakar din nikalane se pahale hi laut ati. is tarah bahut din bit gaye.

is bich ek din usaka pati parades se laut aya. stri b di du:khi hueean ab vah kya kare? pati hara-thaka tha. jaldi hi usaki aankh lag gee aur stri uthakar apane dost ke pas chal di.

raste mean ek chor kh da tha. vah dekhane laga ki stri kahaan jati hai. dhire-dhire vah saheli ke makan par pahuanchi. chor bhi pichhe-pichhe gaya. sanyog se us adami ko saanp ne kat liya tha aur vah mara p da tha. stri ne samajha so raha hai. vahian aangan mean pipal ka ek pe d tha, jis par ek pishach baitha yah lila dekh raha tha. usane us adami ke sharir mean pravesh karake us stri ki nak kat li aur phir us adami ki deh se nikalakar pe d par ja baitha. stri roti huee apani saheli ke pas gayi. saheli ne kaha ki tum apane pati ke pas jao aur vahaan baithakar rone lago. koee poochhe to kah dena ki pati ne nak kat li hai.

usane aisa hi kiya. usaka rona sunakar log ikatthe ho gaye. adami jag utha. use sara hal maloom hua to vah b da du:khi hua. l daki ke bap ne kotaval ko khabar de di. kotaval un sabako raja ke pas le gaya. l daki ki halat dekhakar raja ko b da gussa aya.

usane kaha: is adami ko sooli par lataka do.

vah chor vahaan kh da tha. jab usane dekha ki ek bekasoor adami ko sooli par latakaya ja raha hai to usane raja ke samane jakar sab hal sach-sach bata diya.

vah bola: agar meri bat ka vishvas n ho to jakar dekh lijie, us adami ke muanh mean stri ki nak hai.

raja ne dikhavaya to bat sach nikali.

itana kahakar tota bola: he raja! striyaan aisi hoti haian! raja ne us stri ka sir muandavakar, gadhe par chadhakar, nagar mean ghumavaya aur shahar se bahar chhu dava diya.

yah kahani sunakar vetal bola: raja, batao ki donoan mean zyada papi kaun hai?

raja ne kaha: stri.

vetal ne poochha: kaise?

raja ne kaha: mard kaisa hi dusht ho, use dharm ka tho da-bahut vichar rahata hi hai. stri ko nahian rahata. isalie vah adhik papin hai.

raja ke itana kahate hi vetal phir pe d par ja lataka. raja lautakar gaya aur use pak dakar laya. raste mean vetal ne paanchavi kahani sunayi.

age padhane ke lie vetal pachchisi paanch par jaean

panne ki pragati avastha

adhar

prarambhik

madhyamik

poornata

shodh