Jab Ram ki sena ne Lanka tak saagar par mahaan setu banaaya, to sansaar ke sabse paraakrami yoddha kandhon par parvat dho rahe the. Lekin sabse pyaara sahaayak sabse chhota tha: ek nanhi gilhari jiski bhakti ne Ram ko rula diya. Yeh katha Ramayan ki dakshini paramparaon mein sunaayi jaati hai, aur sadiyon se priya rahi hai. Hanuman ke Lanka se Sita ka samaachaar laane ke baad Ram ki vishaal vaanar sena dakshin tat par badhi. Saamne saagar tha — sau yojan chauda — aur uske paar swarn-nagri Lanka. Ram ne teen din saagar-dev ki praarthna ki, aur jab dev ne uttar na diya, to unhone dhanush par divya baan chadhaaya. Tab saagar-dev prakat hue aur upaay bataaya: vaanar-shilpi Nal divya nirmaata Vishwakarma ka putra tha — aur uske maargdarshan mein setu ban sakta tha. Sena harshit hui. Laakhon vaanar vanon aur parvaton mein bikhre — vriksha ukhaade, shilaayein todin. Unhone kandhon par vishaal shilaayein dhoyin aur saagar mein phenkin. Nal ne kaarya ka nirdeshan kiya, aur din-pratidin setu lamba hota gaya — lehron mein badhta. Yeh daanavon ka shram tha — aur uski dhvani se aakaash hila. Is prachand kaarya ke beech tat se ek nanhi gilhari dekh rahi thi. Usne mahaan vaanaron ko gharon se badi shilaayein dhote dekha — aur sahaayata karna chaaha. Lekin gilhari kya kar sakti thi? Un shilaaon ki tulna mein woh kankad bhi na utha sakti thi. Gilhari ne kuchh socha, phir apna maarg khoja. Woh jal-kinaare daudi, nanhe shareer ko geeli ret mein lota, phir ardh-nirmit setu par daudkar peeth se ret shilaaon par jhaad di. Phir lauti aur phir kiya. Aur phir. Aur phir. Saara din nanha praani kaam karta raha — shilaaon ke beech ke antaraal bharne ke liye far par ret ke kan dhota. Kuchh vaanar us par hanse. Ek bade vaanar ne to gilhari ko maarg mein aane ke liye daanta bhi. Lekin gilhari kaam karti rahi — nanha hriday Ram ke prem se bhara. Ant mein Ram ne swayam nanhe kaaryakarta ko dekha. Ve tat par utre, gilhari ko komalta se haathon mein uthaaya, aur poochha ki woh kya kar rahi hai. Gilhari ne nanhi vaani mein samjhaaya ki woh parvat nahi dho sakti, lekin ret dho sakti hai — aur jis tarah ho sake Ram ki seva karna chaahti hai. Ram ki aankhein bhar aayin. Unhone teen ungliyon se gilhari ki peeth sehlaayi — aur kaha jaata hai ki Bhaaratiya gilhari ki peeth par teen dhaariyaan Ram ki ungliyon ke nishaan hain — aashirvaad ke chinh-roop sada ke liye. Phir Ram hanste vaanaron ki or mude aur unhe daanta. Unhone kaha ki setu keval shakti se nahi, bhakti se bana hai — aur gilhari ke ret-kan un antaraalon ko bharte hain jo badi shilaayein chhod jaati hain. Chhote bina bada kaarya dhah jaayega. Vaanaron ne lajja se sir jhukaaye — aur tab se nanhi gilhari ko setu-nirmaataon mein sammaanit kiya. Paanch dinon mein setu — Ram Setu — poorna hua, aur Ram ki sena Lanka paar gayi. Katha sikhaati hai ki prem se kiya koi yogdaan chhota nahi hota. Gilhari shilaayein nahi dho sakti thi — lekin jo dho sakti thi, dhoya — aur uski ret ne setu ko jode rakha. Yeh bhi sikhaati hai ki bhakti hriday se maapi jaati hai, aakaar se nahi. Ram ne gilhari ko paraakrami Hanuman se kam prem nahi kiya. Unhone use hriday ki poornata ke liye prem kiya — aur ungliyon se sada ke liye chinhit kiya. Aaj bhi jab log gilhari ki peeth par teen dhaariyaan dekhte hain, to yaad karte hain ki sabse chhota prem sabse bada setu bana sakta hai.
Gilhari ki peeth par teen dhaariyaan har Bhaaratiya bachche ko Ram ki ungliyon ke nishaan-roop mein dikhaayi jaati hain — aur katha sikhaane ko sunaayi jaati hai ki koi sahaayata chhoti nahi hoti. Rameshwaram ke mandiron mein — jahaan setu shuru hota hai — gilhari Ram Setu ke nirmaataon mein sammaanit hai. Sant is katha se unhe saantvana dete hain jo apne arpan tuchchh mehsoos karte hain: gilhari shilaayein nahi dho sakti thi — lekin uske ret-kan un antaraalon ko bharte the jo shilaayein chhodti thin. Katha sikhaati hai ki mahaan kaarya keval balvaanon se nahi — bhakton se bante hain — aur Prabhu arpan se adhik arpan ke peechhe hriday ko mahatva dete hain. Aaj bhi jab bachcha prem se pushp arpit karta hai — to bade muskuraate hain aur gilhari ka smaran karte hain.
Is katha ke paatra
- Rama
- Squirrel
- Nala
- Hanuman
- Sugriva
