Tenali ne jyotishi ko maat di: Raja se ek din pehle

Vijayanagara mein samraat Krishnadevaraya ke darbaar mein ek shaahi jyotishi rehta tha jo taaron ka gyaani tha parantu eershya se khaaya hua tha, kyonki uski apni mantrana kadaachit maangi jaati thi jabki Tenali ke chutkule har gali mein uddhrit hote the. Vah sehan na kar sakta tha ki Tenali Ramakrishna, vidooshak-kavi samraat ki kripa ka sabse adhik aanand leta hai, aur vah Tenali ke patan hetu din-raat shadyantra rachta. Ek praatah jyotishi gambheer mukh sahit darbaar aaya, uske patre bagal mein lapete, aur samraat se ekaant bhent maangi. Maharaj, usne abhyast gambheerta se nimna naman karte hue kaha, maine anek nindraaheen raaton mein aakaash ka badi saavdhaani se adhyayan kiya hai, aur mujhe ek peedaadaayak satya kehna hoga, yadyapi ise kehna mere hriday ko duhkh deta hai. Taare ghoshana karte hain ki Tenali Ramakrishna ek maas mein mar jaayega. Uska samay lagbhag poorn hai. Samraat Tenali se sneh karta tha, aur samaachaar ne use vyathit kiya. Parantu uske bolne se pehle Tenali swayam, jo ek nakkaashdaar stambh ke peechhe se badhte aamod se sun raha tha, shaant aur aatmavishvaasi muskaan sahit sabha mein aage aaya. Maharaj, Tenali ne kaha, vidvaan jyotishi taare padhne mein bilkul sahi hai, parantu usne keval aadha sandesh padha hai. Mujhe poorn bataane ki anumati deejiye. Samraat ne utsukta se sir hilaaya. Kal raat maine bhi aakaash ka adhyayan kiya, Tenali ne jaari rakha, aur taaron ne mujhe poorn satya prakat kiya. Yah satya hai ki main sheeghra maroonga, parantu unhone mujhe theek bataaya kab: main theek Maharaj se ek din pehle maroonga. Darbaar mein stabdh maun chhaaya. Samraat ka mukh peela hua, kyonki vah turant samajh gaya ki Tenali ka kya arth tha. Yadi Tenali raja se ek din pehle marta, to raja ki apni mrityu ek din mein anusaran karti, aur koi shakti ise rok na sakti. Usi kshan se Krishnadevaraya Tenali ke sarvaadhik samarpit rakshak bane, kavi ke jeevan hetu apne se adhik chintit. Unhone shaahi vaidyon ko din-raat Tenali ke svaasthya ki dekhbhaal ki aagya di. Unhone mahal ke pehredaron ko use har sankat se bachaane ki aagya di. Uttam bhojan Tenali ki mez par bheje gaye, vishraam hetu komaltam shayyaayein taiyaar ki gayin, aur kisi ko use tanik bhi kasht ya apmaan karne ki anumati na thi, kaheen koi haani bhaagyashaali din ko sheeghra na laaye. Tenali un maason mein raajkumaar jaisa jiya, gyaat se pare laad-pyaar aur sanrakshit, jabki jyotishi asahaay krodh se dekhta raha, us jaal ko poorvavat karne mein asamarth jo uski apni bhavishyavaani ne us par daala tha. Maas beeta, aur Tenali na mara. Ek aur maas beeta, aur phir bhi vah phala, raja ki chintit dekhbhaal mein aur gulaabi aur hrisht-pusht hota hua. Ant mein, jab do poorn maas beet chuke the aur Tenali svaasthya ki moorti tha, samraat ne kaanpte jyotishi ko darbaar bulaaya. Tumne mujhe bataaya tha ki Tenali ek maas mein marega, usne kathorta se kaha, uska swar sheet jaisa thanda. Do maas beet chuke hain, aur vah pehle se swasth hai. Ya to tumhaare taare jhoothe the, ya tum jhoothe the. Kaun sa hai? Jyotishi haklaaya aur paseena bahaaya, kyonki vah na apni eershya sweekaar kar sakta tha, na taaron ki vyaakhya. Samraat ne use apmaan sahit darbaar se hata diya, aur uske sthaan par ek vinamra aur eemaandaar purush niyukt kiya. Tab Krishnadevaraya ne darbaar visarjit kiya aur Tenali ki or khinna muskaan se mude, apni bholaapan par sir hilaate hue. Tumne mujhe thaga, unhone kaha, parantu main kruddh nahin ho sakta, kyonki tumhaari chaal ne mujhe do maas ek mitra ki dekhbhaal di. Tenali ne naman kiya. Maharaj, usne kaha, maine keval jyotishi ki apni bhavishyavaani poorn ki. Vah meri mrityu chaahta tha; maine use keval aapke deergh jeevan se baandha, aur aisa karke maine uske shaap ko apni dhaal mein badal diya. Darbaar haasya se goonja, aur katha door-door phaili. Yah sikhaane sunai jaati hai ki dvesh ko haath uthaaye bina paraajit kiya ja sakta hai, ki pratyutpannamati jhoothi jihva se balvaan hai, aur jo anyon hetu gaddha khodte hain unhein saavdhaan rehna chaahiye ki ve swayam usmein na girein. Eershyaalu jyotishi ne Tenali ka vinaash chaaha aur keval apna apmaan paaya, jabki Tenali ke chatur shabdon ne use svaasthya, sammaan aur raja ki samarpit dekhbhaal dilaai.