Kapot aur beheliya: Ekta hi shakti hai

Ek mahaan van mein, jahaan vriksha ghane khade the aur dhaaraayein nirmal behti thin, ek kapot-raja rehta tha, ek gyaani aur udaatta pakshi jo kai sau kabootaron ke bade jhund par shaasan karta tha. Har praatah vah unhein bhojan khojne le jaata, aur har sandhya unhein surakshit ghar laata, kyonki vah jitna saahasi tha utna hi saavdhaan tha. Ek din, jab jhund praatah ke sunhare prakaash mein van ke oopar ud raha tha, kapot-raja ne neeche bhoomi par bikhre chaaval ke daane dekhe, kaali mitti par shvet chamakte hue. Itna bhojan dekhkar uska hriday harsh se uchhla, parantu uski buddhi ne use satark kiya. Mitro, usne kaha, mujhe batao, yah kaise ki gahan van mein chaaval ugta hai, jahaan koi kisaan bota nahin? Yah vichitra hai, aur vichitrata praayah sankat chhipaati hai. Hum asaavdhaani se na utrein. Parantu kabootar apni lambi udaan ke baad bhookhe the, aur bhookh buri mantrana deti hai. Ek saahasi kabootar raja ke bhay par hansa aur chillaaya, jab bhojan saamne hai to hum bhookhe kyon rahein? Aur iske saath samast jhund, apne raja ki chetaavani ansuni karke, chaaval par toot pada. Jaise hi unke pair bhoomi chhue, ek mahaan jaal utha aur un par gira, kyonki ek beheliye ne vahaan jaal bichhaaya tha aur chaaval chaare ke roop mein bikhre the. Kabootar jaal mein fanse, bhay se jaali par pankh phadphadaate hue. Beheliya, apna jaal mote pakshiyon se bhara dekhkar, apni bhaari laathi lekar dauda aaya, uska mukh lobh aur vijay se damka. Kabootar cheekhe aur unmatta chhatpataaye, har ek bhinn disha mein kheenchta hua, aur jaal unke chaaron or aur kasa, jab tak unmein gyaaniyon ko bhay hua ki ve ghabraahat mein swayam gala na ghont lein. Tab kapot-raja, jisne is bhayaanak vipatti mein bhi dhairya rakha tha, shaant aur raajasi adhikaar se bola. Mitro, usne kaha, alag-alag chhatpataana band karo, kyonki alag-alag hum nasht hain. Hum anek hain aur jaal ek hai. Yadi hum sab ek saath uthein, ek pakshi jaise pankh phadphadaate hue, to hum yah jaal uthaakar apne saath le ja sakte hain. Jaisa main kehta hoon vaisa karo, aur ek saath karo. Kabootaron ne suna. Raja ke sanket par unhone sabne ek saath pankh phadphadaaye, aur beheliye ke aashcharya hetu mahaan jaal vaayu mein utha, uske neeche samast jhund sahit, aur ve van ke paar ud gaye, apna kaaraagaar saath liye. Beheliya kuch der unke peechhe dauda, aashcharyajanak drishya ko oopar dekhta hua, parantu sheeghra kabootar aakaash mein keval ek bindu rahe, aur usne haar maankar khaali haath ghar gaya. Parantu kapot-raja, sada jaisa gyaani, jaanta tha ki unka palaayan keval aadha hua tha, kyonki ve abhi jaal mein uljhe the. Ab udo, usne kaha, mooshakon ke nagar ko, jahaan mera puraana mitra Hiranyaka rehta hai. Vah chhota hai, parantu uske daant teekshna hain, aur vah in rassiyon ko kutar dega. Jhund udta raha, jaal oopar bhaari, jab tak ve mooshak-raja Hiranyaka ke bil par na pahunche, aur unhone use thakaan se ksheen swaron mein pukaara. Hiranyaka apne bil se baahar aaya, aur jab usne apne priya mitra kapot-raja ko jaal mein fansa dekha, to vah vyathit hua. Bina ek kshan vilamb usne apni teekshna danton se rassiyaan kutarni aarambh keen, aur ek-ek karke jaaliyaan katin. Parantu kapot-raja, yadyapi vah unmein mahaantam tha aur mooshak ka apna mitra tha, pehle mukta na hona chaaha. Pehle mere anuyaayiyon ko mukta karo, usne dridhta se kaha, kyonki jo raja apni praja se pehle swayam ko bachaata hai vah saccha raja hi nahin. Hiranyaka ne apne mitra ki is udaatta iccha ka poorn sammaan kiya, aur nirantar kutarta raha jab tak ek-ek karke har kabootar mukta na hua, aur sabse ant mein swayam kapot-raja. Kabootaron ne apne nanhe uddhaarakarta mooshak ko poorn hriday se dhanyavaad diya, aur kapot-raja ne apne puraane aur priya mitra ko gale lagaaya, aur ve sab is anubhav se pehle se adhik gyaani hokar saath ghar ude. Panchatantra yah prasiddh katha mitra-praapti ki apni pustak mein sunaata hai, sikhaane ki ekta mahaantam shakti hai, ki gyaani neta vipatti mein shaant rehta hai aur sabka vichaar karta hai, aur sacchi mitrata, jaise paraakrami kapot-raja aur nanhe mooshak ke beech, mitron ko unke aakaar se nahin, apitu unke hriday se maapti hai.