Vaanar aur Magarmachchh

Ek mahaan nadi ke tat par gulaab-seb ka ek bhavya vriksha khada tha, uski daaliyaan meethe laal phalon se ladeen. Is vriksha mein Raktamukh naamak ek vaanar rehta tha — Laal-Mukh — ek prasann, udaar aatma jo apne din daali se daali koodte aur neeche guzarne vaalon ke saath apne phal baantte bitaata tha. Ek tapti dopahar Karaalmukh naamak ek magarmachchh — Bhayankar-Mukh — nadi se nikalkar vriksha ki chhaaya mein vishraam ko aaya, aur Raktamukh ne sangati paakar harshit hokar us par gulaab-seb barsa diye.

Magarmachchh ne kabhi itna meetha kuchh na chakha tha. Vah agle din aaya, aur uske agle din, aur sheeghra hi donon ghanishth mitra ban gaye. Ve ghanton baatein karte — nadi ke rahasyon ki, van ke samaachaaron ki, darshan aur bhaagya ki — jabki vaanar apne mitra ko vriksha ke uttam phalon se tript karta. Jab Karaalmukh har sandhya ghar tairta, to apni patni ke liye gulaab-sebon ka uphaar le jaata, jo unki jal-gufa mein prateeksha karti thi.

Har ritu ke saath unki mitrata gehri hui. Vaanar vriksha ke shikhar ke sabse pake phal bachaakar rakhta, aur magarmachchh nadi ki gehraaiyon ki kathaayein laata — doobe mandiron ki, deepon si damakti machhliyon ki, door dhaara mein mahaan samudra-sarpon ki. Ve do vriddh vidvaanon se sukh ke swaroop par vaad-vivaad karte, aur Raktamukh hanskar kehta ki sabse meetha phal vah hai jo mitra ke saath baanta jaaye. Magarmachchh, jisne apni jaati ki keval sheetal sangati jaani thi, ne jeevan mein pehli baar apna hriday ushn anubhav kiya — jisse aane vaala vishvaasghaat aur bhi andhakaarmay bana.

Ab magarmachchh ki patni bhookh aur dhoortata ki praani thi. Jab usne divya phal chakha, to poochha ki yah kahaan se aaya, aur uske pati ne use sab bataaya — vriksha, vaanar, mitrata. Uski aankhein chamkeen. "Yadi phal itna meetha hai," usne kaha, "to uska hriday kitna meetha hoga jo aur kuchh nahin khaata! Mujhe us vaanar ka hriday chaahiye. Use mere liye laao, pati — anyatha main bhookhon mar jaaoongi." Magarmachchh bhaybheet hua. Par uski patni roi aur krodhit hui aur samast bhojan thukra diya, aur ant mein durbal pati ka patni-prem mitra-prem par bhaari pada. Usne dusht yojna banaai.

Agli praatah usne vaanar se kaha, "Priya mitra, meri patni tumhaare phalon ki itni kritagya hai ki vah tumse milne par adi hai. Aaj mere saath ghar chalo — main tumhein apni peeth par nadi paar karaaoonga." Raktamukh, jisne kabhi chhal ka sandeh na kiya tha, harsh se taali bajaakar sawaar ho gaya. Nadi ke beechonbeech, donon taton se door, magarmachchh rone laga. "Kshama kar, mitra," vah siska. "Meri patni tumhaare hriday ki laalsa mein mar rahi hai. Mujhe tumhein use saunpna hoga."

Adhikaansh praani niraash hote. Par Raktamukh ki buddhi uski chhalaangon jitni hi teevra thi. "Haay, priya mitra!" vah chillaaya. "Tumne mujhe tat par hi kyon na bataaya? Ham vaanar apne hriday saath lekar nahin ghoomte — maine apna gulaab-seb vriksha ke kotar mein latkaakar chhoda hai, jaisa ham yaatra mein sada karte hain. Turant vaapas mudo, aur main tumhaari patni ke liye use le aaoonga!" Moorkh magarmachchh, jo shareer-rachna ka kuchh na jaanta tha aur bhookh ka sab kuchh, ne poornatah vishvaas kar liya. Vah muda aur tezi se vriksha ki or taira.

Jaise hi ve tat pahunche, Raktamukh magarmachchh ki peeth se uchhalkar sabse oonchi daaliyon mein ja baitha, kisi bhi jhapatte jabde se pare. Phir usne neeche dekha aur bola — aur uska swar ab mitra ka swar na tha. "Moorkh!" vah chillaaya. "Tumne kabhi suna hai ki koi praani apna hriday vriksha mein rakhta hai? Tumne meri mrityu ki yojna banaai, aur keval meri buddhi ne mujhe bachaaya. Hamaari mitrata samaapt. Apni patni ke paas vaapas jaao, aur use bataao ki vaanar ka hriday kabhi uske khaane ka na tha — aur ki usne ek moorkh se vivaah kiya hai."

Jab Karaalmukh dabe paanv ghar lauta aur jo hua tha vah sveekaar kiya, to uski patni krodh se ubal padi — apni kroorta par nahin, uski moorkhata par. "Vah nadi ke beechonbeech tumhaari peeth par tha!" vah cheekhi. "Aur tumne use baaton mein aakar ghar laane diya?" Magarmachchh ke paas koi uttar na tha. Vah dinon tak nadi-tat ki keechad mein pada raha, us vriksha ka saamna karne mein lajjit jahaan uska mitra ab daaliyon mein maun baitha tha. Aur Raktamukh ne vah shiksha seekhi jo Panchatantra har paathak ko sikhaana chaahta hai: ki mitrata amoolya hai, par khuli aankhon se deni chaahiye — kyunki vahi nadi jo tumhaare mitra ko tum tak laati hai, vishvaasghaati hriday bhi la sakti hai.

Magarmachchh lajja se ghar taira, aur vaanar ne phir kabhi nadi ke aparichiton ko phal na phenke. Panchatantra, jo do hazaar varshon se rajkumaron ko raajneeti sikhaata aaya hai, is katha ko dohri shiksha ke liye sanjoye hai: ki teevra buddhi chhal ke viruddh sarvottam kavach hai, aur ki vishvaas, ek baar hatyaari yojna se tootne par, kabhi nahin judta — kshamaayein chaahe kitni hi meethi hon, ya gulaab-seb.