ek garib admi ko hira mil gaya. bara hira rah ke kinare para hua tha. usko apne gadhe se prem tha. aur to uske pas kuch tha bhi nahin. usne kaha: bara barhiya patthar hai. use gadhe ke gale men bandh diya ki chalo gadhe ka abhushan ho jaega aur gadha bhi jitna prasann ho sakta tha, utna prasann hua. n gadhe ka malik samjha ki hira hai aur gadha to kaise samjhega, jab gadhe ka malik hi nahin samjha? gadhe ne bhi khushi men laten fatkari hongi; jor se chi-pon chi-pon ki hogi. donon chal pare. rah par ek johri ne dekha. johri to bharosa n kar saka. hire bahut dekhe the, magar jindgi men itna bara hira nahin dekha tha vah gadhe ke gale men bandha hai aur yah sajjan, bagal men latth lie, iske sath chale ja rahe hain. usne roka.
usne pucha ki bhai, yah patthara? vah samajh gaya ki is admi ko pata nahin ki yah kya hai. usne hira to kaha hi nahin. usne kaha ki is patthar ke kya dam loge? ab jo use patthar samajh raha ho, vah dam bhi kya mange ? usne bari himmat kar ke kaha ki ek rupya. vah bhi bare soch-samajhakar kaha, kyonki ek rupya dega kaun? koi pagal hai? socha ki char ane bhi mil jaen, to bahut. magar usne hoshiyari ki, jaisa ki adhik hoshiyar log karte rahte hain. usne socha ki rupya mango, tab kahin char ane milenge. magar use hairani bhi hui ki yah admi mujhe malum hota hai ki shahar ka hai, magar buddhu, jaise ki shahar ke log aksar hote hain.
ganv ke log hi sochte hain ki iske dam ka saval hi kya hai; aise hi mang leta to main de deta. magar ab jab mange hi hain, usne pucha hi hai, to usne kaha : achcha ek rupya lenge. lekin johri ne bhi socha ki yah to buddhu hai. isko kuch pata to hai nahin; ek rupya mangta hai. lakhon ki kimat ka hira hai, to ek rupya mangta hai. isko pata to hai hi nahin ki hira hai. patthar hai, isko yahi pata hai. patthar ka kya ek rupya dena? usne kahaah char ane lega? us admi ne socha ki char ane? nahin. char ane se to thik hai ki gadhe ke gale men hi bandha rah,e ya fir bachche ghar men khelenge. char ane men nahin dunga,: usne kaha . usne socha, kam se kam ath ane to kare yah. magar johri bhi kanjus tha. usne socha ki dega char ane men hi.
char ane men bhi purane jamane ki kahani hogi. char ane bahut the. mahine bhar ka kharch chal jae, to usne kaha ki jara do kadam chalo. samajh men aegi isko bat ki char ane bhi kaun dega isko patthar ke. vah aisa soch do kadam age chala, tabhi ek dusra johri a gaya. puchaah kitne dam? us admi ne ek rupya kaha. usne kaha: ath ane men dete ho? usne kaha ki thik hai. ab thik admi mil gaya. ath ane men bech diya. tab tak pahla johri vapis aya, fir mol-tol karne ko. hira to bik chuka tha. usne pucha is gadhe ke malik ko ki kitne men becha nasmjh? usne kaha: ath ane men. to vah kahne laga: tere jaisa murh hamne nahin dekha.
yahi hira lakhon ka hai aur tune ath ane men becha. gadhe ka malik khub hansne laga. usne kaha: sun bhai gadhe ! yah hamko murakh kahta hai. ham to usko patthar samjhte the, to hamne ath ane men becha, to kuch galti n ki. lekin tu to johri hai. tu char ane men mang raha tha, ath ane bhi dene ko raji n hua. tu mahagdha hai. ham to thik hain. hamen to pata hi nahin tha ki hira hai. islie hamne to samjha ki kafi samjhdari ki ki ath ane men bech diya. hamne char ane men nahin becha, yahi kya kam hai. magar teri soch . tujhe to pata tha ki lakhon ka hai, tune ek rupya jaldi se nikal kar n de diya. jo mainne tumhe diya hai, vah hira hai.
agar tumne usko manoranjan hi samjha, to tumne apne gadhe ke gale men latka diya. fir kahin n kahin tum ath ane men bech doge. uska koi mulya nahin rah jaega. ‘maje’ se thora age chalo. ‘maje’ se thora upar utho. ‘maje’ ka sahara lo. ‘maje’ ki tarang ko pakro. usi tarang par yatra karni hai. usi tarang par savari karni hai. magar vahin ruk nahin jana hai. shubh hua. jhumo ! lekin jhumna gantavya nahin hai. jhumna pahla aghat hai. khub jhumo. kanjusi mat karna. nahin to hire se chuk jaoge. jhumne men kripnta mat karna. soch-samajh kar mat jhumna. jhumne men bhi kya soch-soch kar jhumna! lekin log aise hi hain. log prasann bhi hote hain, to soch-soch kar hote hain ki kitna hona, kitna nahin hona. log anandit bhi hote hain, to bari kanjusi karte hain; itne tak jaen ki isse age jaen? main dekh kar chakit hota rahta hun ki logon ki kanjusi ki adat aisi jar ho gayi hai ki apne ko prasann hone ki agya bhi bari mushkil se dete hain. khushi ki lahar bhi aye, to bari mushkil se use svikar karte hain.
duahkh ke aise adi ho gaye hain ki sochte hain: duahkh hi satya hai. sukh to ho kaise sakta hai? jhumo. paripurnata se jhumo . aise jhumo ki tumhen aisa khyal bhi n rah jae ki jhumne vala koi piche khara dekh raha hai. itna vibhajan bhi n bache ki jhumna hi rah jae, jhumne vala n bache. nritya rah jae, nartak n bache. gayak rah jae, to arachan ho gayi. nartak bach gaya, to arachan ho gayi. to do ho gaye- gayak aur git. git hi bache. gayak bilkul git men dub jae, samahit ho jae. aise jhumo ki jhumne vala n bache. aisi mastani, aisi divani dasha ko apne bhitar ane ka avasar do. a rahi hai. dvar khari dastak de rahi hai. magar tum ho ki bhitar vichar kar rahe ho ki ane dena ki nahin ane dena. mahaatithi bhi dvar par aega, to bhi tum sochte ho ki ane dena ki nahin ane dena. aur tumhari taklif bhi main samjhta hun.
jab bhi aya, duahkh aya. jab bhi kisi ne dastak di, duahkh hi ne di. aj agar sukh bhi dastak deta hai, to tum chintit hote ho ki aya fir koi duahkh ! ayi fir koi arachan. fir koi jhanjhat ayi ! ane do is masti ko. agya do ane ki. mere pas log a a kar puchte hain ki bara anand a raha hai. magar kahin yah kalpana to nahin hai? duahkh men kabhi nahin puchte. mujhse aj tak nahin pucha kisi admi ne. hajaron logon ke duahkh-sukh maine sune magar ek admi ne mujhse aj tak yah nahin kaha ki bara duahkh ho raha hai. kahin yah kalpana to nahin hai? nahin, duahkh to bilkul yatharth hai. usko to log mante hain.
usapar to bari shraddha hai. lekin jab sukh hota hai, to mujhse a kar puchte hain ki bara sukh a raha hai. kahin aisa to nahin ki ham kisi kalpana jal men par gaye hon? kahin aisa to nahin ki apne hamen sammohit kar liya? sukh par itni ashraddha hai ! islie to nahin milta . jis par shraddha hai, vahi paoge. duahkh par shraddha hai, to duahkh paoge. log karan janna chahte hain ki kyon sukh mil raha hai. main tumse kahna chahta hun ki duahkh mile, to karan khojna, kyonki duahkh ka karan hota hai. sukh ka karan nahin hota. sukh svabhav hai. sukh tumhare bhitar ki antardasha hai; tumhari antratma hai. islie to hamne parmatma ki paribhasha ‘sachchidanand’ ki hai. anttah vah anand hai; satya hai, fir chitt hai, fir anand hai; lekin anttah anand hai. anttogatva parmatma anandrup hai. tumhare bhitar baitha hai anand.
iska koi karan nahin hota aur jab tumhe karan samajh men ate hain, tabbhi khyal rakhna ki vah samajh ki hi bhranti hai. jaise tum dhyan kar rahe aur anand aya, tum sochte ho: dhyan ke karan annad aya. galat. dhyan ke karan sirf tumne duahkh ki tumhari jo pakar thi, vah chori. dhyan ke karan anand nahin ata. dhyan ke karan duahkh ki pakar chutti hai. duahkh ki pakar chuti ki bhitar jo anand ka jharna tha, bahne laga. duahkh ki chattan hat gayi, jharna bah para. chattan hatane se jharna paida nahin hota, smaran rakhna. jharna ho to hi bahega. chattan ke hatane se kya hota hai ? tum hatate raho chattanen. agar piche jharna nahin, to kuch nahin bahega. chattan ka hatna jharne ka janm nahin hai. vah jharne ke janm ka srot nahin hai. chattan ka hatna keval badha ka hatna hai. jharna tha, chattan roke thi. hati chattan, jharna bah para. aisa hi dhyan men hota hai. (kramshah)