Birbal ginta hai kaue: Anuttarit prashna

Baadshah Akbar, vah mahaan Mughal jo Fatehpur Sikri ke apne bhavya darbaar se Hindustan par shaasan karta tha, apne darbaariyon ki buddhi parakhne se adhik kuch prem na karta tha. Uska darbaar samast desh mein apne navratnon hetu prasiddh tha, ve nau asaadhaaran purush jinki pratibha saamraajya ko deepta karti thi. Aur unmein uske priya mantri Birbal se adhik use koi prasann na karta tha, jiski pratyutpannamati ne use sau baar lajja se bachaaya tha aur jiski pragya ne sau vivaad suljhaaye the. Ek sundar praatah, jab darbaar mahaan Diwan-i-Khas mein ekatra hua aur ameer padakram se apne sthaanon par baithe, Akbar ne jaalidaar khidki se baahar aakaash dekha, jo mandaraate, kaanv-kaanv karte kauon se kaala tha, aur uske shaahi man mein ek sharaarati vichaar aaya. Vah aisa asambhav, sarvatha anuttarit prashna poochhega ki mahaan Birbal bhi asafal ho. Batao, Birbal, baadshah ne dhoorta muskaan sahit daadhi sehlaate hue kaha, mere vishaal raajya mein kitne kaue hain? Un sabko gino aur mujhe theek sankhya batao. Darbaari saans roke rahe. Vriddh ameer, jo baadshah ki kripa hetu Birbal se eershya karte the, haathon ke peechhe muskuraaye, nishchit ki ant mein yah navaagantuk apmaanit hoga. Yah ek behoooda prashna tha, aisa prashna jiska koi manushya uttar na de sake, aur ve chatur mantri ke ant mein ladkhadaane ki prateeksha karte rahe. Parantu Birbal ek kshan bhi na hichka. Usne gahan naman kiya, utna hi shaant jaise usse din ka samay poochha gaya ho, aur spasht swar mein uttar diya jo kaksh mein goonja: Baadshah salaamat ke raajya mein theek baavan hazaar teen sau saat kaue hain, jahaanpanaah. Maine unhein swayam bhor mein gina tha, jab ve sab sthir baithe the. Darbaar haanpha. Akbar aage jhuka, uski aankhein chamkin. Aur tumhein itna nishchay kaise, Birbal? Baadshah ki aankhein khilvaad bhare sandeh se sikudin. Yadi main apne aadmi bhejkar ginvaaoon aur sankhya bhinn paaoon to? Tab tum kya kahoge? Birbal muskuraaya, kyonki usne iski aasha ki thi. Jahaanpanaah, usne sahajta se kaha, yadi aapke aadmi meri sankhya se adhik kaue paayein, to aapko samajhna hoga ki padosi raajyon ke kaue yahaan apne sambandhiyon se milne ud aaye hain, kyonki jahaanpanaah ke nyaay ki khyaati pakshiyon mein bhi phail gayi hai. Aur yadi aapke aadmi meri sankhya se kam paayein, to hamaare kuch kaue anya deshon mein apne sambandhiyon se milne ud gaye hain, kyonki unke bhi parivaar aur utsav hote hain. Kyonki kaue, manushyon jaise, yaatra karna aur apne parivaar se milna prem karte hain, aur iske liye unhein kaun dosh de sakta hai? Baadshah ne use deergh kshan ghoora, uska mukh apathaniya, aur phir garajte haasya mein foota jisne kaksh ke stambha hi hila diye. Darbaari, jo utsukta se saans roke the, aanand mein saath hanse, aur unmein kathoratam aur eershyaalutam bhi gambheer mukh na rakh saka. Akbar ne harsh se taaliyaan bajaain, uski poorva sharaarat prashansa mein bhooli hui. Birbal, vah apni aankhon se harsh ke aansoo ponchhte hue chillaaya, tumne phir kar dikhaaya, aur pehle se bhi behtar. Koi manushya raajya ke kaue nahin gin sakta, phir bhi tumne aisa uttar diya hai jise koi manushya asatya siddh nahin kar sakta, chaahe vah kitna bhi prayaas kare. Usne Birbal ko tatkaal sau swarna moharon se bhari thaili aur apne vastraagaar se ek bhavya sammaan-vastra se puraskrit kiya, aur darbaari itihaaskaaron ko yah chatur uttar bhaavi peedhi hetu aksharshah aur poorn vistaar se likhne ki aagya di. Katha raajyabhar jangal ki aag jaisi phaili, baazaaron aur gaanvon mein sunai gayi, aur aaj bhi, jab koi anuttarit prashna poochhta hai, to gyaani muskuraate hain aur Birbal ke kauon ka smaran karte hain. Maataayein ise apne nanhe bachchon ko sunaati hain, aur mantri ise apne raajaon ko sunaate hain. Yah katha sikhaati hai ki buddhi anuttarit ka shaaleenta se uttar dene ki kala hai, ki aatmavishvaasi aur chatur uttar jaal ko bhi vijay mein badal sakta hai, aur chaturtam uttar vah hai jise asatya siddh na kiya ja sake. Yah yah bhi darshaati hai ki Akbar apne samast mantriyon se oopar Birbal se kyon prem karta tha: chaaploosi hetu nahin, jiski darbaar mein bharamaar thi, apitu us man ki vidyut-veg hetu jo vahaan dwaar khoj leta tha jahaan anya keval rikta deevaar dekhte the.