Tenali aur swarna aam: Lobh hetu tapta loha

Mahimaamay Vijayanagara saamraajya mein samraat Krishnadevaraya vaibhav se shaasan karte the, aur unka darbaar kaviyon aur vidvaanon se damakta tha. Unmein Tenali Ramakrishna chamakte the, vah vidooshak-kavi jiski buddhi kisi talvaar se teekshna thi. Ab aisa hua ki samraat ki maata, vriddh raajmaata, ek dharmaparaayan aur priya mahila, kshaya rog se beemaar padeen aur shaahi vaidyon ke prayaason ke baavajood mar gayeen, aur Krishnadevaraya gahanatam shok mein doobe. Vah apni maata se gahan prem karta tha, aur vah uski aatma ki shaanti hetu sab sambhav karna chaahta tha. Rajguru, shaahi purohit gambheer mukh sahit uske paas aaya aur kaha, Maharaj, aapki maata ki aatma ko shaanti tabhi milegi jab aap braahmanon ko swarna aam daan karenge. Yah uski priyatam iccha thi, aur shaastra ghoshana karte hain ki aisa daan daata ke priya ko seedhe swarg pahunchaata hai. Samraat ne, shok se andha hokar, is par prashna na kiya. Usne shaahi sunaaron ko shuddh swarna se badi sankhya mein aam gadhne ki aagya di, har ek vaastavik aam jitna bada, aur inhein usne bhavya samaaroh sahit purohiton mein baanta, jinhone unhein pavitra muskaanon aur lobhi, chamakte netron sahit grahan kiya. Tenali ne yah sab vichaarsheel bhrikuti se dekha. Vah Rajguru ko bhali jaanta tha, aur use sandeh tha ki raajmaata ki priyatam iccha purohit ke apne man mein gadhi gayi thi. Parantu usne kuch na kaha, kyonki samraat ka shok taaza tha. Kuch saptaah baad, jab shok ki avadhi samaapt hui aur darbaar apne saamaanya vaibhav par lauta, Tenali ne unhi purohiton ko, jinhone swarna aam paaye the, apne ghar bhavya bhoj par aamantrit kiya, unhein apni angoothi se moharband vyaktigat nimantran bhejte hue. Purohit utsukta se aaye, aur udaarata ki aasha karte hue. Bhoj ke baad Tenali utha aur haath jodkar unhein sambodhit kiya. Poojya mahaashayo, usne kaha, aap itne dayaalu the ki mere samraat ki maata ko swarg pahunchaane mein sahaayata ki. Ab main apni maata hetu vahi daya maangta hoon, jo kuch varsh pehle mari. Mrityushayya par usne mujhe apni priyatam iccha batai: use ghutanon mein peeda thi, aur vaidyon ne kaha tha ki ekmaatra upchaar tapta loh-shalaakaon se ghutne daagna hai. Haay, hum tab itne nirdhan the ki upchaar na kara sake, aur vah bina chikitsa mari. Ab jab bhaagya mujh par muskuraaya hai, main uski iccha poorn karna chaahta hoon, taaki uski aatma ko shaanti mile. Atah maine tapta loh-shalaakaayein taiyaar ki hain, aur main aapse yaachana karta hoon, pavitra braahmano, ki aap mujhe apne ghutanon par unhein lagaane dein, taaki meri maata ki aatma santusht ho. Yah kehkar Tenali ne taali bajaai, aur uske sevak angaaron mein damakti rakta-tapta loh-shalaakaayein lekar pravisht hue, unki ooshmaa vaayu mein kaanpti hui. Purohit peele pade. Ve apne pairon par uchhle, bahaane haklaate hue, aur Tenali ke ghar se utni tezi se bhaage jitni unke pair le ja sake, apni paadukaayein peechhe chhodte hue. Samaachaar maansoony pavan jaisa nagarbhar uda aur samraat tak pahuncha, jisne Tenali ko prachand krodh mein darbaar bulaaya. Is paagalpan ka kya arth hai, usne maanga, uska swar stambhon ko hilaata hua. Tenali ne shaanti se naman kiya. Maharaj, usne kaha, maine keval aapke Rajguru ka udaaharan apnaaya. Usne aapko bataaya ki aapki maata ki aatma swarna aam chaahti thi, aur aapne diye. Maine in purohiton se kaha ki meri maata ki aatma unke ghutanon par tapta loh-shalaakaayein chaahti hai. Yadi ek dharma hai, to doosra bhi hai. Parantu yadi purohit meri maata ki aatma hetu tapta loha sweekaar na karenge, to shaayad swarna aam bhi meri raajmaata ki iccha kabhi na the, apitu keval dharma ka vesh dhare purohiton ka lobh the. Krishnadevaraya ne use ghoora, aur dheere-dheere satya udit hua. Use thaga gaya tha. Usne Rajguru aur purohiton ko bulaaya aur har swarna aam raajkosh ko lautaane ki aagya di, aur usne Tenali ko apni aankhein kholne hetu dhanyavaad diya. Us din se samraat ne phir kabhi chaaploosi ya mithya dharma ko apni jeb kaatne na diya. Yah katha sikhaane sunai jaati hai ki jo shok aur aastha ka laabh hetu shoshan karte hain ve choron mein nikrishtatam hain, ki andha vishvaas ki sada tark se pareeksha honi chaahiye, aur ek chatur manushya vah kar sakta hai jo sena nahin kar sakti: chhal ko haasya se ughaadna.