वैरागी -जयशंकर प्रसाद

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

paha d ki talahati mean ek chhota-sa samatal bhoomikhand tha. maulasiri, ashok, qadam aur am ke vrikshoan ka ek hara-bhara kutumb use abad kiye hue tha. do-char chhote-chhote phooloan ke paudhe komal mrittika ke thaloan mean lage the. sab adrr aur saral the. tapi huee loo aur prabhat ka malay-pavan, ek kshan ke lie is nibhrit kunj mean vishram kar lete. bhoomi lipi huee svachchh, ek tinake ka kahian nam nahian aur sundar vediyoan aur lata-kunjoan se alankrit thi.

yah ek vairagi ki kuti thi, aur trin-kutir-us par lata-vitan, kushasan aur kambal, kamandal aur valkal utane hi abhiram the, jitane kisi raj-mandir mean kala-kushal shilpi ke uttam shilp.

ek shila-khand par vairagi pashchim ki or muanh kiye dhyan mean nimagn tha. ast hone vale soory ki antim kiranean usaki barauniyoan mean ghusana chahati thian, parantu vairagi atal, achal tha, badan par muskarahat aur aang par brahmachary ki rukshata thi. yauvan ki agni nirved ki rakh se dhanki thi. shilakhand ke niche hi pagadandi thi. pashuoan ka jhund usi marg se paha di gochar-bhoomi se laut raha tha. godhooli mukt gagan ke aank mean ashray khoj rahi thi. kisi ne pukara-‘‘ashray milega?’’

vairagi ka dhyan toota. usane dekha, sachamuch malin-vasana godhooli usake ashram mean ashray maang rahi hai. anchal chhinn baloan ki latean, phate hue kambal ke saman maansal vaksh aur skandh ko dhankana chahati thian. gairik vasan jirn aur malin. saundary-vikrit aankhe kah rahi thian ki, unhoanne umang ki ratean jagate hue bitaee haian. vairagi akasmath aandhi ke jhoanke mean p de hue vriksh ke saman tilamila gaya. usane dhire se kaha-‘‘svagat atithi! ao.’’

rajani ke ghane andhakar mean trin-kutir, vrikshavali, jagamagate hue nakshatr dhuandhale chitrapat ke sadrish pratibhasit ho rahe the. stri ashok ke niche vedi par baithi thi, vairagi apane kutir ke dvar par.

stri ne poochha-‘‘jab tumane apana sone ka sansar pairoan se thukara diya, putr-mukh-darshan ka sukh, mata ka aank, yashavibhav, sab chho d diya, tab tuchchh bhoomikhand par itani mamata kyoan? itana parishram, itana yatn kisalie?’’

‘‘keval tumhare-jaise atithiyoan ki seva ke lie. jab koee ashrayahin mahaloan se thukara diya jata hai, tab use aise hi ashray-sthan apane aank mean vishram dete haian. mera parishram saphal ho jata hai-jab koee komal shayya par sonevala prani is mulayam mitti par tho di der vishram karake sukhi ho jata hai.’’

‘‘kab tak tum aisa karoge?’’

‘‘anant kal tak praniyoan ki seva ka saubhagy mujhe mile!’’

‘‘tumhara ashray kitane dinoan ke lie hai?’’

‘‘jab tak use doosara ashray n mile.’’

‘‘mujhe is jivan mean kahian ashray nahian, aur n milane ki sambhavana hai.’’

‘‘jivan-bhar?’’-ashchary se vairagi ne poochha.

‘‘haan.’’-yuvati ke svar mean vikriti thi.

‘‘kya tumhean thand lag rahi hai?’’- vairagi ne poochha.

‘‘haan.’’-usi prakar uttar mila.

vairagi ne kuchh sookhi lakadiy़aan sulaga dian. andhakar-pradesh mean do-tin chamakili lapatean uthane lagian. ek dhuandhala prakash phail gaya. vairagi ne ek kambal lakar stri ko diya. use odhaqar vah baith gee. nirjan prant mean do vyakti. agni-prajvalit pavan ne ek thape da diya. vairagi ne poochha-‘kab tak bahar baithogi?’’

‘‘rat bita kar chali jaooangi, koee ashray khojooangi; kyoanki yahaan rahakar bahutoan ke sukh mean badha dalana thik nahian. itane samay ke lie kuti mean kyoan aooan?’’

vairagi ko jaise bijali ka dhakka laga. vah pranapan se bal sankalit karake bola-‘‘nahian-nahian, tum svatantrata se yahaan rah sakati ho.’’

‘‘is kuti ka moh tumase nahian chhoota. maian usamean samabhagi hone ka bhay tumhare lie utpann n karooangi.’’-kahakar stri ne sir nicha kar liya. vairagi ke hriday mean sanasani ho rahi thi. vah n jane kya kahane ja raha tha, sahasa bol utha-

‘‘mujhe koee pukarata hai, tum is kuti ko dekhana!’’-yah kahakar vairagi andhakar mean vilin ho gaya. stri akeli rah gee.

pathik log bahut din tak dekhate rahe ki ek pila mukh us trin-kutir se jhaankakar pratiksha ke path mean palak-paanv de bichhata raha.