Kannagi aur Paayal

Praacheen Tamil bhoomi ke Chola raajya ke mahaan bandargaah nagar Puhar mein Kovalan naam ka ek dhani vyaapaari ka putra aur uski sundar, sadaachaari patni Kannagi rehte the. Unka vivaah dono parivaaron ke aashirvaad se hua tha, aur kuch samay tak ve sukh aur samriddhi mein rahe. Parantu Kovalan durbal charitra ka manushya tha, aur vah Puhar ki prasiddh darbaari nartaki Madhavi ke jaadu mein fans gaya, jiski sundarta aur kala ne nagar ko mohit kiya tha. Apni samarpit patni ko bhoolkar Kovalan Kannagi ko chhodkar Madhavi ke saath rehne gaya, apna samast dhan sukh aur vilaas ke jeevan par lutaate hue. Kannagi dhairyapoorvak prateeksha karti rahi, kabhi kathor shabd na boli, apne pati ke ghar ko uski vaapasi ke liye taiyaar rakhte hue, kyonki uska prem utna hi gehra tha jitna maun. Antatah jab uska dhan samaapt hua aur Madhavi ka prem uske nrityon jitna hi kshanbhangur siddh hua, to Kovalan lajjit aur nirdhan hokar Kannagi ke paas lauta. Usne use bina ulaahna sweekaar kiya, aur jo ekmaatra khazaana uske paas bacha tha, bahumulya maanikyon se jadi sone ki paayalon ka ek joda, usne prasannata se use de diya, kehte hue ki naya jeevan aarambh karne ke liye use Madurai nagar mein ek bechni chaahiye. Dampati apni aashaayein saath liye Pandya raajya ki raajdhaani Madurai gaye. Madurai mein Kovalan paayalon mein se ek bechne baazaar gaya. Parantu bhaagya ne kroor jaal buna tha. Madurai ki raani ne haal hi mein apni ek shaahi paayal khoi thi, aur raja ke sunaar use khoj rahe the. Kovalan ki paayal jaanchne waala sunaar beimaan manushya tha, aur uski utkrisht kaarigari dekhkar usne dusht yojana banai. Usne Kovalan par raani ki paayal churaane ka aarop lagaaya aur use Pandya raja ke saamne ghaseet laaya. Bina uchit jaanch, Kovalan ke nirdoshta ke virodh sune bina, raja ne usi kshan uske vadh ka aadesh diya. Kovalan, ek nirdosh manushya, baazaar mein sir kaata gaya, uska rakt videshi nagar ki dhool mein sana. Jab samaachaar Kannagi tak pahuncha, to uska shok aisa krodh bana jisne swarg hila diya. Vah asahaay vidhva ki tarah na roi. Usne shesh paayal li, pratishodh ki devi ki tarah Madurai ki galiyon mein chali, aur raja se bhent ki maang ki. Rakshakon ne use rokne ka prayaas kiya, parantu uski dahakti aankhon mein kuch aisa tha ki ve hat gaye. Sinhaasan ke saamne Kannagi ne paayal farsh par patki, jahaan vah tootkar khuli, aur maanikya rakt jaise laal bikhar gaye. Mere swaami, vah chillaai, mera pati chor na tha. Raani ki paayal mein moti hain, parantu meri mein maanikya hain. Satya dekha jaaye. Raja ne raani ki shesh paayal laane ka aadesh diya, aur vah darbaar ke saamne todkar kholi gayi. Bheetar moti the, maanikya nahin. Usi kshan raja ne samjha ki usne kitna bhayankar anyaay kiya hai. Usne jhoothe sunaar ke kehne par ek nirdosh manushya ko maar diya tha, bina mukadme, bina daya. Pandya raja, hriday se nyaayapriya manushya, lajja se abhibhoot hua. Vah sinhaasan se gira aur usi kshan mar gaya, chillaate hue ki vah saccha raja nahin hai. Uski raani shok sah na saki aur uske paas hi mar gayi. Parantu Kannagi ka krodh abhi shaant na tha. Usne vyatha mein apna baayaan stan noch liya aur Madurai nagar ko shaap diya, ghoshna karte hue ki jis nagar ne uske pati ki hatya ki hai vah jalega. Uske shaap se jvaalaayein uthin aur mahaan nagar ko bhasm kar gayin, keval sadaachaariyon ke ghar, mandir aur nirdosh bache. Jab uska krodh shaant hua, to Kannagi jalte nagar se baahar nikli, pahaadiyaan chadhin, aur vahaan ek vengai vriksh ke neeche vah divya rath mein swarg le jaayi gayi, antatah Kovalan se punah mili. Devtaon ne swayam uska sammaan kiya, kyonki usne siddh kiya tha ki stri ki pavitrata aur saahas sinhaasanon ko hila aur nagaron ko jala sakte hain. Aaj bhi Kannagi Tamil Nadu aur Kerala mein devi ke roop mein pooji jaati hain, dhaarmik krodh aur nyaay ki nidar maang ki moorti. Uski katha, praacheen Tamil mahaakaavya Silappathikaram mein kahi gayi, sikhaati hai ki vilambit ya nakaara gaya nyaay ek ghaav hai jo sadta hai, ki raja bhi dhaarmikta ke vidhaan se oopar nahin, aur ek anyaay peedit stri ka saahas saamraajya ko ghutnon par la sakta hai.