tra bhi logon ko gumrahi malum hoti thi. jinhonne bhi paya hai parmatma ko, unki rah sabhi ko gumrah malum hoti hai. svabhavik yahan karoron log dhan ke piche daur rahe hain. jab koi ekadh vyakti param dhan ke piche daurta hai to nishchit uski rah gumrah malum hoti hai, kyonki vah karoron ke viprit chalne lagta hai. karoron ki sankhya bari hai. unka bahumat hai. unka bahulya hai. unki bhir hai. rajapath vahi log hain. jab bhi koi bhagvan ka bhakt hota hai usko pagdandi pakrni parti hai; use raste se utar jana parta hai. log kahte hain - kahan chalen, gumrah hue ! lekin yahi himmatavar log kabhi-kabhi rajapath ko chorakar pagdandiyan pakar lete hain, apni rah khud banate hain. yahi log, yahi thore-se log, sari duniya ko gaurav dete hain.
ek din inke hi kadam, inke kadmon ke nishan, parmatma ke mandir ki rah ban jate hain. bahut log un par chalte hain. mira ne himmat ki gumrah kahe jane ki. yad rakhna, agar tumhen bhi rah pakrni ho to pahle gumrah samjhe jane ki himmat rakhni hi hogi. vah jokhim uthana hi hoga. vaisa sada hua; usse anyatha nahin ho sakta. log tumhen tabhi tak thik samjhte hain, jab tak tum unhin -jaise ho. jaise hi tumne jara fark kiya ki unhonne tumhen galat samjha. log chahte hain ki tum unki pratilipi raho. log chahte hain ki tum niyam men abaddh raho. log chahte hain, tum lakir ke fakir raho. lakir jara bhi chori ki log bechain ho jate hain, udvign ho jate hain. lekin jise ras lag jata hai, vah logon ki fikra chor deta hai. mero man ramhi ram ratai re. mira kahti hai- mujhe abkuch sunai nahin parta ki log kya kah rahe hain, duniya men kya ho raha hai. bajar ka shorgul ab mujh tak nahin pahunchta.
logon ke chitt ka dhuan mujh tak nahin ata. mero man ramhi ram ratai re ! yahan to bhitar ram-hi-ram ki dhun uthi hai. yah dhun anavarat hai. yah sada ho rahi hai. pahle to tumhen shuruat karni hoti hai, to bhul-bhul jate ho. kabhi rat lete ho, fir bhul jate ho, fir yad a jati hai, fir rat lete, fir bhul jate. vah pahla kadam hai. fir dusra kadam yah hai- kam bhulega, jyada yad rahega. kabhi-kabhi bhulega. abhi kabhi-kabhi yad aega. shuru karoge to, jyada bhulega, lanbe samay honge bhul jane ke, vismaran ke. surti kabhi-kabhi aegi. fir dhire-dhire sthiti badlegi, surti jyada rahegi, vismaran kabhi-kabhi hoga. aur fir tisri dasha ati hai ki surti sthir ho jati hai. jaise shvas chalti hai surti chalti hai. jago to, soo to, utho to, kam karo to-bhitar aharnish ek nad chalta rahta hai; gunj bani rahti hai; sharab dhalti rahti hai; ram se milan hota rahta hai.
baithe raho bajar men dukan par, kuch fark nahin parta, bhitar ram se milan hota rahta hai. mero man ramhi ram ratai re. ram nam jap lijai prani, kotik pap katai re. mira kahti hai- karoron pap kat jaenge, ek ram ki smriti kar lo, usse hi. yah bat thori samjhne-jaisi hai. iska galat arth bhi log le lete hain. logon ne galat arth hi liya hai. log sochte hain- jab karoron pap ram ke nam lene se kat jaenge to fir kya karna? ek din ram ka nam le lenge aur kat jaenge karoron pap, fir bar-bar kya lena? ek bar hi se kat jana to ek bar le lenge akhir men. ya agar aisa hi hai to roj jakar ek dafa le lenge mandir men, din-bhar ke kat gae. aise hi log ganga chale jate hain, sochte hain- ganga men naha lene se kat jaenge pap.
ramkrishn se kisi ne pucha, vah ganga ki yatra par ja raha tha. ramkrishn se pucha ki main ganga ja raha hun. parmhansdev-isi asha men ki janma-janm ke pap kat jaenge, ap kya kahte hain? ramkrishn bare sarlchitt admi the. kranti unke vachnon men nahin thi; unke vachan bare shant the. magar fir bhi satya ko kahna hi hoga, agar kabir ke pas gaya hota yah admi to kabir ne utha liya hota sota, iska sir khol diya hota- ‘ki kya pagalapan ki bat kar raha hai! pahle to yah murhta hai ki ganga ke pani men nahane se tere pap kat jaenge; dusre agar ganga ke pani men nahane se katte hon pap, to tab bhulakar mat jana! kyonki pap tu kare aur ganga se katvae, yah anyay hai. aur agar ganga ke karan pap kat gae, kie tune aur kate ganga ne, to gauerav kya hai? islie kabir marte vakt kashi chorakar magahar chale gae. kyonki kahavat hai ki magahar men jo marta hai, marakar gadha hota hai. log to kashi jate hain- marte vakt -- kashi-karavat - jab marne ke din karib ane lagte hain to log kashi jate hain. islie kashi men tum paoge is tarah ke mare-marae murda log; ve pratiksha kar rahe hain marne ki.
kashi men baithe hain, kyonki kashi men jo marta hai, vah moksh jata hai. jab kabir ke marne ka vakt aya, kabir ne apne shishyon se kaha ki bandho vistar, chalo magahar. unhonne kaha - apka hosh thik hai? ap kah kya rahe hain? kabir ne kaha ki kashi men to marunga hi nahin; kyonki agar kashi men gaya, aur moksh gaya, to fir ram ka nihora! yahan nahin marunga; magahar men marakar moksh jaunga to hi kuch bat hui. kashi men to kai murde, kahte hain, mar-marakar ja rahe hain moksh. yahan se main nahin jane vala, yah ghat bahut ganda ho gaya. yahan se jo gae hain unko dekhta hun to meri moksh jane ki ichcha bhi nahin hoti-ki inhin se milna vahan ho jaega; inhin se kashi men sir khapaya! kisi tarah marne ki suvidha ban rahi hai ab, to fir yahi kashi ke praniyon se milna ho jaega.
nahin, is taraf se jana hi nahin. ye jahan jate hain, vahan jana hi nahin. main to magahar men marunga. aur magahar men hi mare. to kabir se agar pucha hota kisi ne, ve danda utha lete. kabir to kashi men bhi rahakar ganga nahane nahin gae. kya jana ganga nahane ! upar ki ganga naha rahe the; jamin ki gangaon se kya hoga ! svarg ki ganga men naha rahe the; magar ve krantikari drishti ke admi the. ramkrishn bare shant admi the. magar shant bhi jhuth thore hi bolega ! shant apne dhang se bolega, yah bat jarur sach hai. krant apne dhang se bolega, shant apne dhang se bolega; magar bat to sach hi bolni hogi.
ramkrishn ne kaha- jate ho, bhale jao, ek dubki mere lie bhi laga lena. lekin tumse ek bat to bata dun, ek bat ki savdhani rakhna. dubki lagao to fir niklna mat ! usne kaha ki ab mare gae ! mar hi jaenge, agar dubki lagae, nikle nahin ! ramkrishn ne kaha- nikle to fir kya fayda? kyonki mainne yah suna hai ki kashi men jab nahaoge ganga men, to pap ganga le legi jab tum dubki maroge ! magar ve pap bhi itne hoshiyar ho gae hain ki vahan jhar jo lage hain kinare un par charh-charhakar baith jate hain. ve kahte hain- bete, ab niklo ! kabhi to nikloge. beta ji nikle, ve damakakar fir savar hi hoga.
ramkrishn ne apne dhang se bat kah di- ab tum samajh lo. n to ganga ke nahane se koi pap dhul sakte hain, aur n ram ka ekadh dafa nam lene se dhul sakte hain. lekin ram agar tumhari surti ban jae to jarur. bahne lage ram ki dhara tumhare bhitar. cheshta se bhi mukt ho jae vah dhara; tumhen cheshta bhi n karni pare. anayas, bina prayas, satt; jaise hriday dharak raha hai, aisa ram dharke. uski yad bani hi rahe, to nishchit. vah jo bahut din ke khate-bahi men tumhara likha hai sab, vah ek dafe nam liya to sab mit jata hai. magar nam lene ka matalab thik-thik samajh lena- yah ho bhav se. yah ho antaratam se. yah ho pranapan se yah ho roen-roen se. yah aisa n ho ki upr-upar baithe hain, hajar baten bhitar chal rahi hain aur ram-ram bhi kah liya. dekhte hain, kuch log baithe rahte hain, dukan par ram-ram jap rahe hain; aur kutta a gaya.
usko bhi bhaga diya; vah larka tijori men se paisa to nahin nikal raha, us par bhi ankh lagae hue hain. patni bhitar kisi se bat kar rahi hai, vah bhi sun rahe hain; bhikhari a gaya, usko hath bata rahe hain ki age barh! yah sab chal raha hai, ram-ram bhi jap rahe hain ! itni kushlta se japoge to kuch bhi n hoga. itni hoshiyari se nahin. uski masti honi chahie. uski masti men dube to dube. ram nam aisa hona chahie jaise bhitar sharab dhalti rahe.