Ajamil ka Aakhri Jaap

Pavitra Kanyakubja nagari mein kabhi Ajamil naam ka ek brahmin rehta tha, jo vedon mein vidvaan, aacharan mein pavitra aur apne vriddh maata-pita ke prati samarpit tha. Har maap se vah dhaarmikta ke maarg par chalne waala ek bhala manushya tha. Parantu bhaagya ne, jaisa vah praayah karta hai, uske maarg mein ek hi jaal bichhaaya, aur vah usmein poornatah fans gaya. Ek din pooja ke liye phool aur pavitra kusha ekatra karte hue Ajamil ne van mein ek charitraheen nimnavarna stri ko dekha, aur iccha ne uske hriday ko is prakaar jakad liya jaise sookhi ghaas mein aag lag jaaye. Usne apni yuva patni, apne maata-pita aur apne pavitra kartavyon ko tyaag diya, aur us stri ko apne ghar mein rakh liya. Us din se uska jeevan parvat se ludhakte patthar ki tarah neeche girta gaya. Apne naye parivaar ka paalan karne aur apni icchaon ki tripti ke liye Ajamil chori, chhal aur har prakaar ke beimaan kaamon ki ore muda. Vah madira peeta, jua khelta, nikrishttam manushyon ki sangati karta, aur ve ved jinhein vah kabhi japta tha, uski smriti mein dhool khaate rahe. Varsh beete, aur uske kesh shvet hue, parantu uski aadatein na badlin. Vriddhaavastha mein uska sabse chhota putra janma, das varsh ka ek nanha baalak, aur kyonki baalak use priya tha, Ajamil ne uska naam Narayana rakha, jo Bhagwan Vishnu ke pavitratam naamon mein se ek bhi hai. Vriddh paapi is baalak se apne praanon se adhik prem karta tha. Vah use khilaata, uske saath khelta, aur din mein sau baar uska naam pukaarta: Narayana, yahaan aao; Narayana, bhojan khaao; Narayana, door mat jaao. Vah nahin jaanta tha, aur anumaan bhi nahin laga sakta tha, ki jab bhi vah vah naam pukaarta, vah anjaane mein Ishwar ke naam ka jap kar raha tha. Antatah mrityu ki ghadi aayi. Ajamil mrityushayya par pada tha, uski saans toot rahi thi, aur bhay se usne teen bhayankar aakritiyon ko aate dekha. Ve Yamdoot the, mrityu ke swaami Yam ke andhakaarmay doot, jo aajeevan paap ke dand hetu uski aatma ko ghaseetne ke liye rassiyon aur fandon sahit aaye the. Ghabraahat mein marte hue manushya ne vahi kiya jo uska hriday jaanta tha: usne apni shesh samast shakti se pukaara, Narayana! Narayana! Mere paas aao, mere putra! Uska abhipraay keval apne nanhe baalak se tha, parantu jo naam usne cheetkaar karke liya vah Prabhu ka naam tha. Usi kshan swarg ne uttar diya. Chaar deeptimaan praani, Vishnudoot, Bhagwan Vishnu ke doot, prajvalit prakaash mein prakat hue, unke mukh shaant aur unke astra chamakte hue. Ve Ajamil aur Yamdooton ke beech aa khade hue aur andhakaarmay dooton ko chale jaane ka aadesh diya. Yamdoot stabdh the. Unhone virodh kiya ki yah manushya paap ki khaan hai, nimnatam se bhi neeche gira hua brahmin hai, aur Yam ke har vidhaan ke anusaar vah unhi ka hai. Tab Vishnudooton ne ve vachan kahe jo tab se paapiyon ko saantvana dete aaye hain. Unhone samjhaaya ki Ishwar ka pavitra naam, sacche hriday se ek baar bhi japa jaaye, bina samjhe bhi, anjaane mein bhi, paap ke parvaton ko is prakaar jala deta hai jaise aag sookhi ghaas ke dher ko jalaati hai. Ajamil ne mrityu ke kshan mein Narayana ko pukaara tha, aur us ekmaatra pukaar ne use poornatah pavitra kar diya tha. Yamdoot is satya ka uttar na de sake, nat hue aur chale gaye, aur ve yah shiksha swayam Yam tak le gaye, jinhone ise haath jodkar sweekaar kiya. Ajamil, jisne apni aankhon se mrityu dekhi thi aur bach gaya tha, roopaantarit ho gaya. Usne antatah us naam ki shakti samjhi jise vah varshon se itni laaparvaahi se bolta aaya tha. Usne usi kshan apne dusht maargon ka tyaag kiya, ghar chhoda, aur Ganga ke tat par Haridwar chala gaya, jahaan usne apne shesh varsh praarthana aur dhyaan mein bitaaye, poorn bhakti se Narayana ke naam ka jap karte hue. Jab mrityu doosri baar uske liye aayi, to rassiyon ke saath nahin, apitu divya rath ke saath Vishnudoot aaye, aur ve use Bhagwan Vishnu ke dhaam Vaikuntha le gaye. Ajamil ki katha Bharat ke har baalak ko sunai jaati hai, dushkarmon ko kshama karne ke liye nahin, apitu aasha ka beej bone ke liye: ki koi bhi aatma, chaahe kitni bhi patit ho, Ishwar ki kripa ki pahunch se pare kabhi nahin hoti, aur hriday se ek baar bhi liya gaya unka naam ek naav hai jo bhaari se bhaari paapi ko dukh ke saagar ke paar le ja sakti hai.