Shabari's Ber — The Berries She Tasted with Love

Kabhi-kabhi Bhagwan mehmaan ban kar aate hain — aur unka swagat koi raja nahi karta. Ek budhiya karti hai. Jhoothe ber khila kar.

Shabari Bhil jaati ki thi. Kehte hain, uske vivaah ki raat usne dekha — aangan mein bakre-bandhe the, bali ke liye. Uska komal man kaanp utha — 'Mere vivaah ke liye itne praan?' Woh raat ko hi ghar chhod kar jungle mein bhaag gayi. Bhatakte-bhatakte Pampa sarovar ke paas Matang rishi ke aashram pahunchi. Rishiyon ne pehle use door se hi rakha — lekin Matang ne uski shraddha dekhi — use sharan de di.

Na usne ved padhe the, na shastr — bas seva jaanti thi. Rishiyon ke pair dabaati, aashram buhaarti, roz subah phool tod kar laati. Barson tak — chupchaap, bina kisi maang ke. Matang rishi uski nishtha se prasann the — unhone use woh diya jo bade-bade shishyon ko nahi milta — apna vishvaas.

Jab Matang ne deh tyaagne ka samay aaya, aashram mein shok chha gaya. Shabari ro rahi thi. Matang ne use paas bulaaya — 'Rona mat, beti. Main Brahmalok jaa raha hun — lekin tum yahin raho. Ek din Ram aayenge — Sita ki khoj mein bhatakte hue. Unka swagat karna, unhe meetha khilaana. Jis din tum unhe bhojan karaaogi, tumhaari tapasya poori hogi.' Itna keh kar rishi ne deh tyaag di.

Roz subah woh chaar baje uth jaati — nadi se paani laati, aashram dhoti, phool todti. Phir jungle jaati — ber ke pedon ke neeche. Ek-ek ber todti, chaakhti, tokri mein rakhti. Dopahar ko raaste par nazar tikaati — 'Aaj aayenge?' Shaam ko niraash lauti — 'Kal zaroor aayenge.' Yeh kram barson chala — bina thake, bina haare, bina shikayat.

Shabari ne intezaar shuru kiya — barson ka intezaar. Roz subah uth kar jungle ka raasta buhaarti — 'Ram aayenge to unke pairon mein kaanta na chubhe.' Pedon par ber pakte — woh ek-ek ber todti, daanton se chaakhti — khatta hai to phenk deti, meetha hai to tokri mein rakh leti. Kuch log hanste the — 'Budhiya, Ram kabhi nahi aayenge.' Woh muskurakar apna kaam karti rehti — 'Aayenge. Guru ne kaha hai.'

Rituein aati-jaati rahin. Shabari buddhi hoti gayi — kamar jhuk gayi, aankhein dhundli pad gayin. Lekin intezaar jawan raha. Tokriyan bhar gayin — meetha chaakhe hue beron se. Roz shaam ko woh tokriyon ko dekhti — 'Kal shayad aayen.'

Phir ek din — ve aaye. Ram aur Lakshman — Sita ki khoj mein bhatakte hue, Pampa ke jungle mein. Shabari ne door se unhe dekha — pehchaan gayi. Daud kar aayi — pairon mein gir padi. Aankhon mein aansu, honthon par kaanpti hui vaani — 'Prabhu! Aap aa gaye! Barson se aapka intezaar tha! Guru ne kaha tha — aap aayenge!' Usne jal laakar unke pair dhulaye — phir tokriyan aage badha di — 'Ber khaaiye, Prabhu. Maine ek-ek chaakh kar rakha hai — sab meetha hai.'

Lakshman ne dekha — unke bhaiya, jo Ayodhya ke rajkumar the, ek Bhil budhiya ke jhoothe ber itne prem se kha rahe hain. Unki jhijhak pighal gayi. Unhone bhi ber uthaaya — khaaya — aur muskuraye. Us din Lakshman ne bhi seekha — prem mein oonch-neech nahi hoti.

Lakshman ne jhijhak se ber uthaaya — jhootha phal? Ram ne muskura kar ber munh mein daala — aankhein band kar li — 'Itna meetha ber maine jeevan mein nahi khaaya.' Prem se chaakha hua phal — Ram ne bhav dekha, jhootha nahi dekha. Kehte hain, Ram ne usi din Shabari ko navadha bhakti ka updesh diya — bhakti ke nau roop — satsang se lekar aatma-nivedan tak. Ek Bhil budhiya ko — jo shastr nahi jaanti thi — Bhagwan ne swayam gyaan diya.

Shabari ki tapasya poori hui. Ram ne use aashirvaad diya. Usne yog-agni mein pravesh kiya — aur apne guru Matang ke lok ko praapt hui. Ek budhiya — jisne na yagya kiya, na daan, na ved padhe — prem ke bal par moksha paa gayi.

Aaj bhi jab koi kehta hai — 'Bhav ka bhookha hun main, bhav hi bas saar hai' — to Shabari yaad aati hai. Bhagwan beron ke bhookhe nahi hote — bhav ke hote hain. Aur prem se chaakha hua ek ber — hazaar yagyon se bada hota hai.

Kehte hain, Pampa ke us jungle mein aaj bhi ber ke ped hain — 'Shabari ke ber' ke naam se. Log kehte hain — un pedon ke ber aaj bhi sabse meetha hote hain. Kyunki prem se sinche ped — kabhi khatte nahi hote.