चक्रवर्ती का स्तंभ -जयशंकर प्रसाद

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

‘‘baba yah kaise bana? isako kisane banaya? is par kya likha hai?’’ sarala ne kee saval kiye. boodha dharmarakshit, bhe doan ke jhund ko charate hue dekh raha tha. hari tekari jharal ke kinare sandhya ke apat ki chadar odh kar naya rang badal rahi thi. bhe doan ki mandali us par dhire-dhire charati huee utarane-chadhऩe mean kee rekha bana rahi thi.

ab ki dhyan akarshit karane ke lie sarala ne dharmarakshit ka hath khianchakar us stambh ko dikhalaya. dharmarakshit ne nishvas lekar kaha-‘‘beti, maharaj chakravarti ashok ne ise kab banaya tha. is par shil aur dharm ki ajna khudi hai. chakravarti devapriy ne yah nahian vichar kiya ki ye ajnaean bak-bak mani jayangi. dharmonmatt logoan ne is sthan ko dhvast kar dala. ab vihar mean dar se koee-koee bhikshuk bhi kabhi dikhaee p data hai.’’

vriddh yah kahakar udvign hokar krishna sandhya ka agaman dekhane laga. sarala usi ke bagal mean baith gayi. stambh ke oopar baitha hua ajna ka rakshak sianh dhire-dhire andhakar mean vilin ho gaya.

tho di der mean ek dharmashil kutumb usi sthan par aya. jirn stoop par dekhate-dekhate dipavali ho gayi. gandh-kusum se vah stoop archit hua. aguru ki gandh, kusum-saurabh tatha dipamala se vah jirn sthan ek bar alokapoorn ho gaya. sarala ka man us drishy se pulakit ho utha. vah bar-bar vriddh ko dikhane lagi, dharmik vriddh ki aankhoan mean us bhaktimayi archana se jal-bindu dikhaee dene lage. upasakoan mean milakar dharmarakshit aur sarala ne bhi bhare hue hriday se us stoop ko bhagavanh ke uddeshy se namaskar kiya.

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tapoan ke shabd vahaan se sunaee p d rahe haian. samast bhakti ke sthan par bhay ne adhikar kar liya. sab chakit hokar dekhane lage. ulkadhari ashvarohi aur hathoan mean nangi talavar! akash ke taroan ne bhi bhay se muanh chhipa liya. megh-mandali ro-ro kar mana karane lagi, kintu nishthur sainikoan ne kuchh n suna. to d-ta d, loot-pat karake sab pujariyoan ko, ‘butaparastoan’ ko baandh kar unake dharm-virodh ka dand dene ke lie le chale. sarala bhi unhian mean thi.

dharmarakshit ne kaha-‘‘sainikoan, tumhara bhi koee dharm hai?’’

ek ne kaha-‘‘sarvottam islam dharm.’’

dharmarakshit-‘‘kya usamean daya ki ajna nahian hai?’’ uttar n mila.

dharmarakshit-‘‘kya jis dharm mean daya nahian hai, use bhi tum dharm kahoge?’’

ek doosara-‘‘hai kyoan nahian? daya karana hamare dharm mean bhi hai. paigambar ka hukm hai, tum boodhe ho, tum par daya ki ja sakati hai. chho d do ji, usako.’’ boodha chho d diya gaya.

dharmarakshit-‘‘mujhe chahe baandh lo, kintu in saboan ko chho d do. vah bhi samrath tha, jisane is stambh par samast jivoan ke prati daya karane ki ajna khudava di hai. kya tum bhi desh vijay karake samrath hua chahate ho? tab daya kyoan nahian karate?’’

ek bol utha-‘‘kya pagal boodhe se bak-bak kar rahe ho? koee aisi fikr karo ki yah kisi but ki parastish ka ooancha minar to da jay.’’

sarala ne kaha-‘‘baba, hamako yah sab liye ja rahe haian.’’

dharmarakshit-‘‘beti, asahay hooan, vriddh baanhoan mean bal bhi nahian hai, bhagavanh ki karuna ka smaran kar. unhoanne svayan kaha hai ki-‘‘sanyog: viprayoganta:.’’

nishthur log hiansa ke lie parikraman karane lage. kintu pattharoan mean chillane ki shakti nahian hai ki use sunakar ve kroor atmaean tusht hoan. unhean nirav rone mean bhi asamarth dekhakar megh barasane lage. chapala chamakane lagi. bhishan garjan hone laga. chhipane ke lie ve nishthur bhi sthan khojane lage. akasmath ek bhishan garjan aur tivr alok, sath hi dhamaka hua.

chakravarti ka stambh apane samane yah drishy n dekh saka. ashanipat se khand-khand hokar gir p da. koee kisi ka bandi n raha.