ek prasiddh denish lokktha hai; denmark ke bare vicharak aur darshanik kik gard ko bahut pyari thi. katha ka sar-sankshipt aisa hai. ek mahan samrat.... aur prem men par gaya ek sadharan yuvti ke. ati sadharan stri aur bara samrat ! arachan kuch bhi n thi. samrat agya de - stri bhi prasann hogi; uska parivar bhi ajadit hoga; yah to unka saubhagya hoga. agya bhar ki bat thi ki stri uski ho jaegi. lekin samrat vichar men para. vichar yah ki mere kahte hi yah yuvti meri to ho jaegi, lekin mere aur iske bich fasla itna hai ki yah kabhi bhul n paegi ki main sadharan hun aur mera pyara mahan samrat hai. yah duri mitegi kaise? main kahunga to vivah kar legi.
anugrihit hogi, anandit hogi, ahobhav se bharegi, jivanabhar dhanyavad karegi; lekin prrem kaise paida hoga? anugrah ka bhav hi to prem nahin. dhanyavad hi to prem nahin? duri itni hogi ki prem hoga kaise? setu kaise banega? sanbandh kaise jurega ? bahut vichar men samrat para. kuch bhi karna to hoga! rah to khojni hogi! usne jo rah khoji, sochne-jaisi hai. anttah usne nirnay kiya ki main samrat hona tyag dun, main samrat n rah jaun; main sadharan admi ho jaun. fir kuch fasla n rahega. fir anugrah ki bat n hogi; fir prem ki bat hogi. lekin ek jokhim thi aur jokhim bari thi.
jokhim yah thi ki sara desh to mujhe pagal kahega hi. shayad hi koi samjhe is bat ko. ve sabhi kahenge- ‘stri chahie thi, agya ki jarurat thi; ek kya hajar striyan taiyar thin. iske lie rajya chorne ki kya jarurat thi?’ log murh samjhenge, pagal samjhenge. lekin yah bhi koi bare khatre ki bat n thi. bara khatra yah tha ki ho sakta hai, vah stri bhi yahi samjhe ki yah admi pagal hai aur bhi khatra yah tha, jokhim yah tha ki ho sakta hai, vah stri samragyai hone ka avasar chuk gai, is krodh men mujhse vivah karne ko bhi inkar kar de. aisi jokhim thi. fir bhi us samrat ne jokhim uthai. usne kaha ki prem ke lie sab jokhimen uthani jaruri hanai.
yah jokhim bhi uthani jaruri hai ki rajya bhi jae, pratishtha bhi jae; aur yah bhi ho sakta hai ki vah stri bhi jae. yahan sari jokhim uthani jaruri hai, lekin prrem ke lie rasta banana avashyak hai. prem ke marg par kuch bhi khona jyada nahin hai. prem ke marg par sab khoya ja sakta hai, kyonki prem aisa apurva dhan hai. aur yah to kahani ek samrat ki ek sadharan stri ke prem ki hai. jab koi parmatma ke prem men parta hai, tab to bat bilkul ulti ho jati hai. khone ko to hamare pas kuch bhi nahin hota aur pane ko sab kuch hota hai. samrat ke pas khone ko sab kuch tha aur pana kuch pakka nahin tha. parmatma ke sath to bat ulti hai. hamare pas khone ko hai kya? aur jokhim to koi bhi nahin hai. sab kuch milne ka dvar khulta hai.
fir bhi log kadam nahin utha pate hain. fir bhi is yatra par nahin nikal pate hain. kyonki jo bhi hamare pas hai- kshudra hi sahi, kshanabhangur hi sahi - hamne use hi sab kuch man liya hai. vah hamari manyata hai. pad hai, pratishtha hai, dhan hai, parivar hai, suraksha hai, suvidha hai - usko hamne soch rakha hai bahut kuch hai. sochi hui bat hai, mani hui bat hai; hai kuch bhi nahin. ek sapna hai, jo hamne dekha hai. satya se uska koi talmel nahin hai. aur maut sab chin hi legi. kitna hi pakre raho, ek din chor hi dena hoga; lut hi jaega yah sab. fir bhi parmatma ke marg par ham, jahan sab milne ko ho aur kuch bhi khas chorne ko nahin, vahan bhi sahas nahin kar pate. hamara buddhi-daurbalya apurva hai. mira ne sab chora to sab paya. sab chorne vale hi sab pate hain.
ratti bhar bhi bacha to utni hi arachan ho jaegi. ravindranath ki ek choti-si kavita hai. ek bhikhari subah apne ghar se nikla bhikh mangne. purnima ka din tha. koi dharmotsav tha aur use bari asha thi- aj bahut milega. jaisa bhikhari karte hain, apni thaili men thore-se paise khud hi dal lie. usse dene vale ko suvidha hoti hai. kyonki kuch aur log daya kar chuke; itna kathor to main nahin hun ki ekadam inkar hi kar dun. to sabhi bhikhari itni hoshiyari rakhte hain. vah unke dhandhe ka niyam hai; kuch-na-kuch lekar chalte hanai ghar se. jaise hi bhikhari rah par aya, vah to chakit ho gaya. usne dekha ki samrat ka rath a raha hai, samrat ke dvar se hi lauta diya jata tha, mahal ke bhitar to pravesh ka mauka hi nahin tha. samrat ke samne jholi failane ka to saubhagya kabhi nahin mila tha. socha- aj dhanya bhag! aj to bhar jaunga. ab shayad bhikh mangne ki jarurat bhi n hogi.
dhul urata hua rath uske pas hi akar khara ho gaya. samrat rath se niche utra, tab to bhikhari kinkartavyavimurh sa ho gaya. samajh bhi n paya ki ab kya karun! bhul hi gaya ki jholi failaun. ek kshan ko thithak gaya. aur iske pahle ki kuch karta, samrat ne apni jholi uske samne faila di aur kaha- kshama karna, jyotishiyon ne kaha hai ki aj main subh-subah niklun rath par aur jo pahla admi mil jae, usse bhikh mangun, to is rajya par ane vala ek sankat tal sakta hai, nahin to yah rajya mahasankat men parega. tum hi pahle admi ho. main janta hun ki tum bhikhari ho, tumhari jholi sab kah rahi hai. tumne sada manga hai, diya kabhi bhi nahin - yah bhi mujhe pata hai, dena tumhen bahut kathin parega, lekin aj yah karna hi hoga. kyonki yah prashn pure samrajya ka hai. inkar mat kar dena; kuch bhi de dena; kuch bhi de dena, jo bhi dena ho de dena. ek chaval ka dana ho to bhi chalega.
bhikhari apni jholi men hath dalta hai. kabhi usne diya to tha hi nahin. dene ki to koi adat hi n thi. dene ka sanskar hi n tha. manga! manga! manga! janmon-janmon ka bhikhari tha. mutthi bandhta hai aur khol leta hai. bandhta hai aur khol leta hai. himmat nahin parti. samrat kahta hai ki avasar chuka jata hai. yahi to muhurt hai; tum inkar to n kar doge? dekho, inkar mat kar dena! tab usne bahut himmat karke chaval ka ek dana nikala aur samrat ki jholi men dal diya. samrat charha rath par, svarna-rath dhul urata hua chala gaya. bhikhari dhul men daba khara raha aur sochne laga - yah bhi khuab rahi! samrat se kabhi to milna hua, mangne ka saubhagya tha, vah bhi gaya. uski to choro ki kuch mila nahin, apne pas ka bhi ek dana gaya! us din use din men bahut dan mila, lekin vah ek dana khatkta raha- dinbhr! khayal karna, manushya ka man aisa hai - jo milta hai uski ham chinta nahin lete; jo nahin mila ya jo kho gaya, uski fikra men lage rahte hain.
ek paisa tumhara gir jae to din-bhar uski yad ati rahti hai. jaise tumhara kabhi ek dant tut jata hai to jibh vahin-vahin jati hai. aise sada se tha, tab kabhi n gai thi; aj tut gaya to vahin-vahin jati hai. jo hain un par nahin jati; jo nahin hai us par jati hai. aisa manushya ka man hai. udas lauta. sanjh jab aya to patni to bahut anandit hui - itni jholi uski kabhi n bhari thi; labalab bhari thi. usne kaha - ‘dhanyabhagi hain ham, aj to hamen khub mila!’ usne kaha- ‘chor, tujhe kya pata ki aj kitna ganvaya hai; ek to sab kuch mang leta samrat se, vah gaya.’ usne sari katha kahi, ‘aur pas ka ek dana bhi gaya.’
udas man usne jholi undeli aur donon chakit khare rah gae. chaval ke un danon men ek dana sone ka ho gaya tha. tab vah chati pitakar rone laga. din-bhar to roya tha us dane ke lie, ab chati pitakar rone laga ki yah to bari bhul ho gai- agar mainne sare hi dane samrat ki jholi men dal die hote, to sare hi dane sone ke ho gae hote. kramshah