Eknath aur Maarg ka Pyaasa Praani

Solahvin shataabdi mein, Godavari ke tat par Paithan nagar mein ek sant rehte the jinka naam aaj bhi samast Maharashtra mein haath jodkar liya jaata hai. Eknath — vidvaan, kavi, grihasth, aur Pandharpur ke priya prabhu Vitthal ke bhakt — ne Eknathi Bhagwat likha, Bhagwat Puraan ka Marathi punarkathan jo shaastron ko saamaanya janon tak laaya. Par log unhein unke paanditya se kam, dhool bhari sadak par ek hi kaarya se adhik yaad karte hain.

Eknath ka jeevan swayam vidvaan ke adhyayan aur bhakt ke hriday ke beech setu tha. Godavari tat par Paithan mein janme, chhoti aayu mein maata-pita khokar daada-daadi dwara paale gaye, ve Janardan Swami ke shishya bane phir bhi grihasth ka maarg chuna — vivaah kiya, parivaar paala, aur dainik upaasna ke antaraalon mein apna smaarkeeya Eknathi Bhagwat likha, Bhagwat Puraan ke gyaarahvein skandh ki Marathi teeka. Vaarkari parampara ke liye ve vah sant the jinhone siddh kiya ki Bhagwan paane ke liye sansaar se bhaagna aavashyak nahin; rasoi, baazaar aur maarg sabhi mandir ho sakte hain yadi hriday Vitthal ki or muda ho. Yahi nishchay — ki prabhu saamaanya sthaanon mein saamaanya janon ke saath chalte hain — ve Gangajal ke saath dakshin ki lambi sadak par lekar chale the.

Eknath Shiv ki nagri Kashi ki mahaan teerthyaatra poorn karke laut rahe the, aur unse pehle ke asankhya teerthyaatriyon ki tarah, ve uska sabse amoolya khazaana laaye the: Gangajal ke paatra, kandhe par dhare dande ki kaanvad mein latke. Unka gantavya Rameshwaram tha, desh ke dakshini chhor par, jahaan ve Shiv ke mahaan ling par pavitra jal chadhaayenge — hazaaron meal ki yaatra poorn karne vaali bhent, uttar mein Ganga se dakshin mein saagar tak. Unke saathi unke saath chal rahe the, aur sabhi samajhte the ki ve kya pavitra vastu la rahe hain: yah jal pratishthit tha, keval prabhu ke liye alag rakha gaya.

Maarg mein, nirday soorya ke neeche, unhein ek drishya dikha jisne unhein rok diya. Raaste ke kinaare ek gadha dhool mein gira pada tha, uski jeebh mukh se kaali latak rahi thi, uske pehlu haanf rahe the. Bechaara pashu pyaas se mar raha tha — roopak mein nahin, sachmuch, kuchh ghoont jal ke abhaav mein uska shareer band ho raha tha. Eknath ruke. Kshan bhar hichke bina unhone apni kaanvad utaari, Gangajal ka ek amoolya paatra liya, aur pashu ke paas ghutne teke.

Unke saathi bhay se chillaye. "Maharaj! Vah jal Rameshwaram ke liye hai! Vah prabhu ko pratishthit hai — aap use bhaarvaahi pashu par vyarth nahin kar sakte!" Eknath ne unki or dekha, aur unka mukh shaant tha. "Bataao," unhone dheere se kaha, "kaun sa kaarya bada hai — hazaar meal door mandir mein patthar par jal chadhaana, ya aankhon ke saamne marte jeev ko bachaana? Jis prabhu ki main upaasna karta hoon vah keval Rameshwaram mein nahin rehta." Aur paatra tirchha karke unhone sheetal Gangajal gadhe ke mukh mein udela, boond dar jeevandaayi boond.

Pashu ne piya. Uski saans sthir hui; uski aankhein spasht huin; uske angon mein bal lauta. Aur phir — santon ki kinvadantiyaan kehti hain — gadha deeptimaan hokar uth khada hua, aur jahaan pashu tha vahaan Eknath ke saathiyon ne swayam Vitthal ko dekha, Pandharpur ke prabhu, anant komalta se muskuraate hue. "Eknath," prabhu bole, "tumne mujhe pehchaana. Jo jal tum mere abhishek ke liye laaye the vah tumne yahaan mujh par chadha diya — kyunki main har praani mein nivaas karta hoon, aur pyaase mujhe sabse achchhi tarah jaante hain."

Kinvadantiyaan kehti hain ki drishti mitne se pehle Vitthal ne ek baar aur bola. "Jo jal tum mere abhishek ke liye laaye the vah mujh tak pahunch gaya hai," unhone kaha, "kyunki karuna mein udela koi arpan kabhi nasht nahin hota." Eknath ne pranaam kiya, unki kaanvad ab jal se rikt par kisi badi vastu se poorn thi, aur apni yaatra jaari rakhi — kuchh vrittaant kehte hain ki unhone ab jal nahin, us sadak-kinaare ke prakaashan ki smriti lekar Rameshwaram ki teerthyaatra phir bhi poorn ki. Unke saathi bhi shiksha kabhi na bhoole; jo paatron ki itni eershyaapoorn raksha karte the ve sant ke sabse samarpit anuyaayi bane, Maharashtra ke raajmaargon par yaatriyon aur pashuon ki seva karte hue. Aur Eknath ki shiksha unke abhangon aur Bhagwat se phaili: ki Vitthal keval Pandharpur ke mandir mein nahin, har us praani mein nivaas karte hain jo pyaasa hai, bhookha hai, ya dukhi hai — aur sacchi upaasna daya mein badhaaya haath hai.

Saathi sant ke charanon mein gire, apne andhepan par rote hue. Eknath ne keval haath jode. Unhone koi chamatkaar nahin kiya tha, unhone baad mein unhein bataaya — unhone keval guzar jaane ka paap karne se inkaar kiya tha. Unke sampoorn jeevan ki shiksha us sadak-kinaare ke kaarya mein samaahit thi: ki karuna-rahit vidhi rikt paatra hai, aur sacchi teerthyaatra Kashi se Rameshwaram tak nahin, mastishk se hriday tak hai.

Aaj bhi jab Vaarkari Eknath ka gaan karte hain, to ve us sant ka gaan karte hain jisne gadhe ko Ganga di — aur uski aankhon mein Bhagwan paaya. Kyunki sarvochch abhishek patthar par chadhaaya jal nahin, dukh par udeli daya hai.