Raja Shibi, Kabootar aur Baaz

Jab Paandav van mein apna vanvaas bhog rahe the, to rishi Markandeya ne Yudhishthir ko ek aise raja ki katha sunaai jinki daansheelta ki paraakaashtha tak pareeksha hui. Unka naam tha Shibi, Chandravansh ke raja, teenon lokon mein do baaton ke liye prasiddh: ve kabhi apna vachan nahin todte the, aur sharan maangne wale kisi bhi praani ko kabhi nahin thukraate the.

Swarg ke devtaon ne rishiyon ke mukh se Shibi ki prashansa suni aur nishchay kiya ki unke gun ki pareeksha lein — kya yah vaastavik hai ya keval khyaati maatra. Agni dev ne kabootar ka roop dhara, aur devtaon ke raja Indra ne baaz ka roop dhara. Ek praatah, jab Shibi apni sabha mein nyaay kar rahe the, kabootar bhay se phadphadaata hua aaya aur raja ki god mein gir pada, haanfta hua, uska hriday uski chhoti-si chhaati mein dhadak raha tha. "Meri raksha karo, he raajan!" vah chillaaya. "Ek baaz mere praan lene ke liye mera peechha kar raha hai. Main tumhaari sharan maangta hoon." Shibi ka hriday pighal gaya. Unhone kaanpte pakshi ko apne haathon se dhaka aur kaha, "Nidar raho. Jab tak tum meri sharan mein ho, tumhein koi haani nahin pahunchegi. Yah mera vachan hai."

Unhone kehna samaapt bhi na kiya tha ki baaz sabha mein jhapta aur sinhaasan ke saamne baith gaya. Sabke aashcharya ke liye vah maanav vaani mein bola. "He raajan," usne kaha, "vah kabootar mera vaidh shikaar hai. Maine aakaash mein uska peechha kiya hai, aur prakriti ke niyam se vah mera bhojan hai. Kya tum, nyaay ke liye prasiddh, mere saath anyaay karoge? Yadi tum mera bhojan rok loge, to main bhookha maroonga — aur meri mrityu tumhaare sir hogi. Kya ek jeevan bachaakar doosra lena dharm hai?"

Shibi do pavitra kartavyon ke beech phans gaye: kabootar ko diya gaya sanrakshan ka vachan, aur baaz ka apne bhojan par uchit adhikaar. Sabha ne saans rok li. Ant mein raja bole. "Udaar baaz, main is kabootar ko nahin chhod sakta, kyunki maine vachan diya hai, aur raja ka vachan hi uski aatma hai. Par main tumhein bhookha bhi nahin jaane doonga. Koi bhi anya bhojan maango — bail, sooar, hiran, mere rajya ke sabse samriddh maans — aur vah tumhaare saamne rakha jaayega."

Baaz ki aankhein chamkeen. "Main keval vahi khaata hoon jise main apne panjon se maaroon, taaza aur garm. Par ek vikalp main sveekaar karoonga: apne hi shareer se kaata hua maans do, vazan mein kabootar ke theek baraabar."

Sabha mein bhay ki lehar daud gayi. Mantriyon ne raja se inkaar karne ki vinati ki. Par Shibi keval shaantipoorvak muskuraaye. "Taraazoo laao," unhone aadesh diya. Bada sunhara taraazoo lagaaya gaya. Kabootar ek palde mein rakha gaya. Phir apne rote hue darbaariyon ki aankhon ke saamne Shibi ne kataar nikaali aur apni jaangh se maans kaatkar doosre palde mein rakha. Par aashcharya — kabootar, jo itna chhota aur halka laga tha, maans se bhaari nikla. Shibi ne phir kaata, aur phir, gehra kaatte gaye, jab tak unka shareer ghaavon ka punj na ban gaya. Phir bhi kabootar bhaari baitha raha. Darbaari munh dhakne lage; raaniyaan moorchhit ho gayin.

Ant mein, jab taraazoo jhukaane ke liye kaatne ko maans na bacha, to Shibi ne akalpaniya kiya. Apni shesh shakti batorakar raja swayam palde mein chadh gaye, apna sampoorn shareer baaz ko arpit karte hue. "Mujhe lo," unhone kaha, "aur kabootar ko chhod do. Mera vachan nibh gaya."

Usi kshan vaayu divya sangeet se bhar gaya. Kabootar aur baaz divya prakaash se damke aur Agni tatha Indra ke roop mein prakat hue. Aakaash se phool barse, aur divya nagaade baje. "He Shibi," Indra bole, "tumhaari keerti tab tak rahegi jab tak sansaar rahega. Kisi raja ne vachan ke liye itna moolya kabhi nahin chukaaya." Devtaon ne sparsh maatra se unke ghaav bhar diye, unka shareer poorn aur deeptimaan kar diya, aur unhein shreshth putra ka aashirvaad diya. Taraazoo mein tauli gayi raja ki mahima samast prithvi se bhaari nikli.

Katha samaapt hone par Yudhishthir ne sir jhuka liya. Ve samajh gaye ki Markandeya unhein kya sikhaana chaahte the: ki dharm laabh ke liye kiya gaya sauda nahin, balki kisi bhi moolya par nibhaaya gaya vrat hai — aur ki raja ki maap vah nahin jo vah apne liye leta hai, balki vah hai jo vah apni dekhrekh ke sabse nirbal praani ke liye dene ko taiyaar hai.