Alkapuri ka vaibhav vaastav mein kalpana se pare tha. Uske mahal swarn aur sphatik ke bane the, uske udyaan kabhi na murjhaane vaale pushpon se khilte the, aur uski veethiyaan deepon ke bajaay ratnon se prakaashit thin. Kuber ne in khazaanon ko sanchit karne mein shataabdiyaan lagaayi thin, aur vah maanta tha ki aisi bhavyata use mahaanatam devon ke paas sthaan dilaati hai. Usne samast devtaon ko swarn-patton par khude nimantran bheje, aur pratyek sveekriti se uska garv phoolta gaya.
Dhanaadhipati aur uttar disha ke rakshak Kuber amaap garv se bhar gaye the. Unki Alkapuri swarn se damakti thi, unke kosh ratnon se umadte the, aur ve maanne lage the ki unka aishvarya unhein swayam devon se mahaan banaata hai. Apni bhavyata dikhaane ke liye unhone Kailas mein Shiv ke samast parivaar ke liye bhoj ka nishchay kiya, nishchint ki aisa vaibhav kisi ne kabhi nahin dekha hoga.
Shiv ne, jinhone nimantran ke neeche ka garv dekh liya tha, mand muskuraakar apne liye asveekaar kiya, kintu kaha ki unke putr Ganesh aakar prasann honge. Kuber man-hi-man prasann hua, sochta hua ki ek gajamukh baalak ko khilaana chhoti baat hogi, aur usne rasoiyon ko sau vyanjanon ka bhoj banaane ka aadesh diya. Jab Ganesh aaye, to Kuber ne apne aishvarya ke bhavya bhaashanon sahit unka swaagat kiya, prashansa ki aasha mein.
Kuber ka nimantran sveekaar karne vaale devta aaye to mezbaan ko hataash aur bhoj-shaala ko ardh-bhakshit paaya. Unhone vismay se dekha ki Ganesh thaal-dar-thaal khaate gaye, aur unmein se kuchh hanse jabki anya ne Kuber par daya ki, kyonki ve samajhte the ki gajaanan dev vah paath padha rahe hain jise un sabhi ko seekhna tha. Garv jab divya se takraata hai to mahaabali bhi namra hote hain.
Ganesh baithe aur khaane lage, aur Kuber ki muskaan mand-mand pheeki padi. Baalak ne sau vyanjan minaton mein khaae aur aur maanga. Rasoiye anya sau laae, aur ve bhi lupt ho gaye. Thaal-dar-thaal Ganesh ke atal udar mein samaate gaye, aur phir bhi ve aur pukaarte rahe. Rasoiyaan rikt huin, bhandaar rikt hue, aur Ganesh khaate rahe. Phir, ab bhi bhookhe, unhone swarn-paatra, mezein, kursiyaan, bhoj-shaala ke stambh khaane aarambh kiye, aur antatah mahal hi unke mukh mein lupt hone laga. Kuber ne bhay se dekha ki uska aishvarya lupt ho raha hai, aur ant mein Ganesh ne bhookhi drishti se uski or dekhkar kaha, main ab bhi tript nahin hoon; kya tumhein kha loon?
Shiv ne kaanpte Kuber ka karuna se swaagat kiya, kyonki prabhu garv ka naash karte hain kintu pashchaataap karne vaale garvit manushya ka nahin. Unhone Kuber ko praacheen satya smaran dilaaya ki swayam dhan-devi Lakshmi vahin tikti hain jahaan vinamrata se unka sammaan hota hai, aur ahankaar ke ghar se bhaag jaati hain. Phir unhone use bachaane vaala saral nirdesh dekar vaapas bheja.
Bhaybheet Kuber Shiv ke paas dauda aur unke charnon mein gira, apna garv sveekaar karte hue aur raksha ki bheekh maangte hue. Shiv dayaalu ta se hanse aur paath samjhaaya: garv se diya dhan vyarth hai, kintu bhakti se diya tuchchhatam arpan bhi devon ko poornatah santusht karta hai. Unhone Kuber ko kaha ki vinamra hriday se Ganesh ko bhune chaaval ki ek mutthi arpit kare, aur baalak santusht ho jaayega. Kuber sheeghra lauta, aur pashchaataap ke aansuon sahit usne Ganesh ke samaksh sachchi vinamrata se diya laai ka saadhaaran katora rakha.
Ganesh ne saadhaaran daane khaae aur turant tript ho gaye, aanand se udar thapthapaate hue. Unhone Kuber ko aashirvaad diya, sikhaate hue ki devta swarn ke nahin prem ke bhookhe hain. Kuber ka roopaantaran poorna aur sthaayi tha. Usne apne khazaane abhaavgraston mein baante, vah pratidin apne dvaar par nirdhanon ko bhojan karaata, aur uska naam shekhi ke bajaay aashirvaad bana. Devtaon ne use uske namra hone ke baad uske garv-kaal se adhik sammaanit kiya, kyonki unhone ghoshit kiya ki sachchi mahaanta isse nahin maapi jaati ki koi kya rakhta hai balki isse ki kya deta hai.
Us din se Kuber ka garv theek ho gaya, aur ve dhan ke udaar rakshak bane jo sanchay ke bajaay baantte hain. Yah katha jahaan bhi Ganesh pooje jaate hain sunaayi jaati hai smaran ke roop mein ki hriday bada ho to koi arpan chhota nahin, aur hriday garvit ho to koi aishvarya devon ko prabhaavit karne ko paryaapt nahin.
Is katha ke paatra
- Ganesha
- Kubera
- Shiva
