प्रलय -जयशंकर प्रसाद

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

himavrit chotiyoan ki shreni, anant akash ke niche kshubdh samudr! upatyaka ki kandara mean, prakritik udyan mean kh de hue yuvak ne yuvati se kaha-‘‘priye!’’

‘‘priyatam! kya hone vala hai?’’

‘‘dekho kya hota hai, kuchh chinta nahian-asav to hai n?’’

‘‘kyoan priy! itana b da khel kya yoan hi nasht ho jayega?’’

‘‘yadi nasht n ho, khel jyoan-ka-tyoan bana rahe tab to vah bekar ho jayega.’’

‘‘tab hriday mean amar hone ki kalpana kyoan thi?’’

‘‘sukh-bhog-pralobhan ke karan.’’

‘‘kya srishti ki cheshta mithya thi?’’

‘‘mithya thi ya saty, nahian kaha ja sakata- par sarg pralay ke lie hota hai, yah nissandeh kaha jayaga, kyoanki pralay bhi ek srishti hai.’’

‘‘apana astitv banae rakhane ke lie b da udyog tha’’-yuvati ne nishvas lekar kaha.

‘‘yah to maian bhi manooanga ki apane astitv ke lie svayan apako vyay kar diya.’’-yuvak ne vyangy se kaha.

yuvati karunadrr ho gayi. yuvak ne man badalane ke lie kaha-‘‘priye! asav le ao.’’

yuvati sphatik-patr mean asav le ayi. yuvak pine laga.

‘‘sada raksha karane par bhi yah utpat?’’ yuvati ne din hokar jijnasa ki.

‘‘tumhare upasakoan ne bhi kam apavyay nahian kiya.’’ yuvak ne sasmit kaha.

‘‘oh, priyatam! ab kahaan chalean?’’ yuvati ne man karake kaha.

kathor hokar yuvak ne kaha-‘‘ab kahaan, yahian se yah lila dekheange.’’

soory ka alat-chakr ke saman shoony mean bhraman, aur usake vistar ka agni-sphuliang-varsha karate hue ashchary-sankoch! him-tiloan ka navin mahanadoan ke roop mean palatana, bhayanak tap se shesh praniyoan ka palatana! mahakapalik ke chitagni-sadhan ka vibhats drishy! prachand alok ka andhakar!!!

yuvak mani-pith par sukhasin hokar asav pan kar raha hai. yuvati trast netroan se is bhishan vyapar ko dekhate hue bhi nahian dekh rahi hai. javakusum sadrish aur jagath ka tatkal taral parad-saman rang badalana, bhayanak hone par bhi yuvak ko sprihaniy tha. vah sasmit bola-‘‘priye! kaisa drishy hai.’’

‘‘isi ka dhyan karake kuchh logoan ne adhyatmikata ka prachar kiya tha.’’ yuvati ne kaha.

‘‘b di buddhimatta thi!’’ hans kar yuvak ne kaha. vah hansi grahagan ki takkar ke shabd se bhi kuchh ooanchi thi.

‘‘kyoan?’’

‘‘maran ke kathor saty se bachane ka bahana ya a d.’’

‘‘priy! aisa n kaho.’’

‘‘moh ke akasmik avalamb aise hi hote haian.’’ yuvak ne patr bharate hue kaha.

‘‘ise maian nahian manooangi.’’ dridh hokar yuvati boli.

samane ki jal-rashi alo dit hone lagi. asankhy jalastambh shoony napane ko ooanche chadhऩe lage. kan-jal se kuhasa phaila. bhayanak tap par shitalata hath pherane lagi. yuvati ne aur bhi sahas se kaha-‘‘kya adhyatmikata moh hai?’’

‘‘chaitanik padarthoan ka jvar-bhata hai. paramanuoan se grathit prakrit niyantran-shaili ka ek bindu! apana astitv bachaye rakhane ki asha mean manohar kalpana kar leta hai. videh hokar vishvatmabhav ki pratyasha, isi kshudr avayav mean antarnihit ant:karan yantr ka chamatkar sahas hai, jo svayan nashvar upadanoan ko sadhan banakar avinashi hone ka svapn dekhata hai. dekho, isi sare jagath ke lay ki lila mean tumhean itana moh ho gaya?’’

prabhanjan ka prabal akraman arambh hua. maharnav ki akashamapak stambh lahariyaan bhagn hokar bhishan garjan karane lagian. kandara ke udyan ka akshayavat lahara utha. prakand shal-vriksh trin ki tarah us bhayankar phootkar se shoony mean u dane lage. dau date hue varid-vrind ke saman vishal shail-shriang avart mean p dakar chakr-bhraman karane lage. udgirn jvalamukhiyoan ke lave jal-rashi ko jalane lage. meghachchhadit, nistej, sprishy, chandrabimb ke saman sooryamandal mahakapalik ke piye hue pan-patr ki tarah ludhaqane laga. bhayankar kamp aur ghor vrishti mean jvalamukhi bijali ke saman vilin hone lage.

yuvak ne attahas karate hue kaha-‘‘aisi barasat kahe ko milegi! ek patr aur.’’

yuvati sahamakar patr bharati huee boli-‘‘mujhe apane gale se laga lo, b da bhay lagata hai.’’

yuvak ne kaha-‘‘tumhara trast karun ardh kataksh vishv-bhar ki manohar chhoti-si akhyayika ka sukh de raha hai. haan ek .....’’

‘‘jao, tum b de kathor ho ......’’

‘‘hamari prachinata aur vishv ki ramaniyata ne tumhean sarg aur pralay ki anadi lila dekhane ke lie utsahit kiya tha. ab usaka tandav nrity dekho. tumhean bhi apani komal kathorata ka b da abhiman tha ......’’

‘‘abhiman hi hota, to prayas karake tumase kyoan milati? jane do, tum mere sarvasv ho. tumase ab yah maangati hooan ki ab kuchh n maangooan, chahe isake badale meri samast kamana le lo.’’ yuvati ne gale mean hath dalakar kaha.

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bhayanak shit, doosare kshan asahy tap, vayu ke prachand jhoankoan mean ek ke bad doosare ki adh‌bhut parampara, ghor garjan, oopar kuhasa aur vrishti, niche maharnav ke roop mean anant dravarashi, pavan unchasoan gatiyoan se samagr panchamahabhootoan ko alo dit kar unhean taral paramanuoan ke roop mean parivartit karane ke lie tula hua hai. anant paramanumay shoony mean ek vat-vriksh keval ek nukile shriang ke sahare sthit hai. prabhanjan ke prachand aghatoan se sab adrishy hai. ek dal par vahi yuvak aur yuvati! yuvak ke mukh-mandal ke prakash se hi alok hai. yuvati moorchchhitapray hai. vadan-mandal matr aspasht dikhaee de raha hai. yuvati sachet hokar boli-

‘‘priyatam!’’

‘‘kya priye?’’

‘‘nath! ab maian tumako paooangi.’’

‘‘kya abhi tak nahian paya tha?’’

‘‘maian abhi tak tumhean pahachan bhi nahian saki thi. tum kya ho, aj bata doge?’’

‘‘kya apane ko jan liya tha; tumhara kya uddeshy tha?’’

‘‘ab kuchh-kuchh jan rahi hooan; jaise mera astitv svapn tha; adhyatmikata ka moh tha; jo tumase bhinn, svatantr svaroop ki kalpana kar li thi, vah astitv nahian, vikriti thi. uddeshy ki to prapti hua hi chahati hai.’’

yuvati ka mukh-mandal aspasht pratibimb matr rah gaya tha-yuvak ek ramaniy tej-puanj tha.

‘‘tab aur janane ki avashyakata nahian, ab milana chahati ho?’’

‘‘hooan’’ asphut shabd ka antim bhag pranav ke saman gooanjane laga!

‘‘ao, yah pralay-roopi tumhara milan anandamay ho. ao.’’

akhand shanti! alok!! anand!!!