Kritaghna Baagh aur Siyaar Nyaayaadhish

Ek brahman gahan van mein akela chal raha tha jab usne sahaayta ke liye dayneeya swar suna. Dhvani ka anusaran karte hue vah lakdi ke pinjre mein fanse ek mahaan baagh ke paas pahuncha — shikaariyon ke phandon mein se ek — dukh mein chehalkadmi aur garjana karta hua. Jab baagh ne brahman ko dekha, to usne panje jodkar vinati ki aur aashcharyajanak vaagmita se bola. "He punyaatma," usne kaha, "mujh par daya karo! Main teen dinon se bina ann-jal hoon. Mujhe mukt karo, aur main sab pavitra ki shapath khaata hoon ki tumhein kabhi haani na pahunchaaoonga. Shaastra swayam kehte hain ki praan-raksha ka punya samast punyon mein mahaanatam hai."

Brahman ka hriday pighla. Vah vidvaan tha, aur jaanta tha ki shaastra sachmuch karuna ki prashansa karte hain. Phir bhi vah satark vyakti bhi tha. "Main tum par vishvaas kaise karoon?" usne poochha. "Jaise hi main yah dwaar kholoonga, tum mujhe kha jaaoge." Baagh roya — baagh ke bade aansoo — aur shapath par shapath khaai: soorya aur chandra ki, apni maata aur apne shaavakon ki, ki vah use shaanti se jaane dega. Aur brahman, jisne apna jeevan yah maante bitaaya tha ki sabhi praaniyon mein achchhaai hai, ne vishvaas kar liya. Usne sitkani uthaai aur dwaar khol diya.

Ek hi chhalaang mein baagh baahar tha — aur agle hi kshan uske jabde brahman ke gale par the. "Moorkh!" vah gurraaya. "Bhookh koi vachan nahin jaanti. Yah sansaar ka niyam hai: balwaan durbal ko khaata hai. Marne ko taiyaar ho jaao." Brahman kaanpta hua par tezi se sochta chillaaya, "Ruko! Kya yah nyaay hai? Aao teen nyaayaadhishon se poochhein ki kya upkaar ka badla apkaar se dena uchit hai. Yadi ve tumse sahmat hon, to main svechchha se samarpan karoonga." Baagh, aashvast aur ahankaar se tript, sahmat hua — kaun nyaayaadhish prakriti ke viruddh nirnay dega?

Pratham nyaayaadhish ek mahaan bargad tha, pracheen aur phaila hua. Brahman ne apni katha sunaai aur poochha, "He vriksha, kya yah nyaay hai ki upkaar ka badla apkaar se diya jaaye?" Vriksha ne aah bhari, uske patte khadkhadaaye. "Mujhe dekho," usne kaha. "Sau varshon se main pathikon ko chhaaya aur bhookhon ko phal deta aaya hoon, aur manushya mujhe kya badla dete hain? Ve meri daaliyaan eendhan ke liye kaatte hain aur mere tane par apne naam khodte hain. Upkaar ka badla apkaar se diya jaata hai — yah sansaar ka maarg hai. Baagh tumhein khaaye."

Doosra nyaayaadhish ek boodha bhainsa tha, path ke kinaare charta hua, uski pasaliyaan chamdi se dikh rahi thin. "He bhainse, kya yah nyaay hai?" brahman ne vinati ki. Bhainse ne dukh se apna bada sir hilaaya. "Maine bees varshon tak apne swaami ki nishthaapoorvak seva ki, uske khet jote aur uski gaadi kheenchi. Ab main boodha aur vyarth hoon, aur usne mujhe sadak kinaare bhookhon marne ko nikaal diya hai. Nishthaavaan seva ka badla parityaag se diya jaata hai — yah sansaar ka maarg hai. Baagh tumhein khaaye."

Brahman ka hriday doob gaya. Do nyaayaadhish nirnay de chuke the, aur donon uske viruddh. Par samjhauta teen ka tha, aur tabhi ek siyaar path par daudta aaya, chikna aur teekshn-netra. Brahman ne apni katha ek baar aur sunaai, aur siyaar ne sir tirchha karke suna — phir asamanjas mein sir hilaane laga. "Main keval saadhaaran siyaar hoon," usne kaha. "Main in jatil vishayon ko nahin samajhta. Mujhe theek-theek dikhaao ki kya hua tha. Tum, baagh — tum pinjre ke bheetar the, aur brahman baahar? Jo main dekh nahin sakta uska nyaay nahin kar sakta. Bheetar vaapas jaao aur mujhe dikhaao."

Baagh, siyaar ki moorkhata par adheer aur tiraskaarpoorn, pradarshan ke liye pinjre mein vaapas kood gaya. "Is prakaar!" vah garja. "Main bheetar tha, aur vah baahar tha!" Aur bijli si tezi se siyaar ne dwaar patka aur sitkani gira di. "Aur is prakaar," siyaar ne madhurta se kaha, "maamle ka nirnay ho gaya. Pinjra band hai, nyaayaadhish vida hain, aur kritaghna theek vahin reh sakta hai jahaan use rehna chaahiye." Vah brahman ki or muda: "Aage badho, punyaatma — aur agli baar baaghon ko mukt na karna."

Brahman adhik buddhimaan hokar apne maarg chal gaya, aur baagh apne pinjre mein raha, apni kritaghnata ka bandi. Yah katha, Panchatantra se gaanv ki chaupaalon tak do hazaar varshon se sunaai jaati rahi, apni chetaavni kaante si vahan karti hai: ki kritaghnata swayam apna kaaraagaar hai, ki vishvaasghaati tumhaari daya ko tumhaare viruddh shastra banaayega — aur ki jab bal aur praarthnaayein donon viphal hon, to teevra buddhi ab bhi dwaar patak sakti hai.