Siddhartha

Ghar ki chhaya me, nadi ke kinare dhoop me, naavon ke paas, Sal-wood (साल-लकड़ी) ke jungle ki chhaya me, ek bade fig (अंजीर) ke ped ke neeche, wahin Siddhartha bada hua. Wah tha ek Brahman ka sundar beta, ek jawan baaz ki tarah, aur uske saath tha uska mitra Govinda, jo ek Brahman ka beta tha. Jab wah nadi ke kinare snaan karta, pavitra jal se sharir dhota aur yajna karta, tab suraj uske halke kandhon ko tan (गहरा रंग) deta. Aam ke baagh me, jab wah khelta, jab uski maa geet gaati, jab yajna hota, jab uske pita—ek vidwan—usko sikhate, jab gyaani log baat karte, tab aam ke ped ki chhaya uski kaali aankhon me sama jati.

Kaafi samay se Siddhartha gyaani logon ki baatcheet me bhaag le raha tha, Govinda ke saath tark (विचार-विमर्श) ka abhyas karta, Govinda ke saath dhyan aur manan ka abhyas karta. Wah pehle hi Om ka maun ucharan karna seekh chuka tha—jo sab shabdon ka shabd hai. Wah ise andar lete waqt dheere se bolta, ise bahar nikalte waqt dheere se bolta, apni poori aatma ki ekagrata (ध्यान) ke saath. Uska mastak (माथा) ekdum shuddh aur spasht vichar se chamak raha tha. Wah pehle hi apne andar Atman (आत्मा) ko mehsoos karna seekh chuka tha—jo amar (अमर) hai, jo is sansar (ब्रह्मांड) se ek hai.

Uske pita ka mann apne is pratibhashali (तेज़ बुद्धि) bete ko dekhkar khushi se bhar jata, jo gyaan ka pyaasa tha. Unhone dekha ki Siddhartha ek mahan gyaani aur purohit banne wala hai—Brahmanon me ek shreshth vyakti. Uski maa ka mann bhi khushi se bhar jata jab wah use chalta dekhti, baithta aur uthta dekhti. Siddhartha, jo balshali tha, sundar tha, patli aur mazboot taango par chalta tha, aur apni maa ko pura samman deta tha.

Jab bhi Siddhartha nagar (शहर) ki galiyon se guzarta, uska tej chamakta mastak (उज्जवल माथा), raja jaisi aankhen, patli kamar, tab Brahman ki jawan betiyon ke dil uske prati prem se bhar jate. Lekin sabse zyada use Govinda prem karta tha—uska mitra, ek Brahman ka beta. Wah Siddhartha ki aankhon aur uski madhur awaaz se prem karta tha, uski chaal se, uske shisht (सभ्य) vyavhar se. Wah uski har baat, har kriya se prem karta tha. Sabse zyada Govinda Siddhartha ke mann, uske tej sochne wale vichar, uske utsah (जुनून) aur uske unche lakshya se prem karta tha.

Govinda jaanta tha—Siddhartha ek samanya Brahman nahi banega, na toh ek sust pujari, na ek lalchi vyapari jo mantra bechta ho, na ek ahankari vyakti jo bas baatein banata ho, na ek chhalawa (धोखेबaz) pandit, aur na hi ek samanya bheed ka hissa jo bas anjaane me chalti jaye. Nahi! Aur Govinda bhi un jaise nahi banna chahta tha. Wah Siddhartha ka anuyayi (अनुसरण करने वाला) banna chahta tha—apna priye mitra, apna adarsh. Jab Siddhartha ek devta banega, jab wah apni mahanata (गौरव) ko prapt karega, tab Govinda uska mitra, uska saathi, uska sevak (सेवक), uska rakshak (रक्षक), uska parchhayi banne ke liye tayar tha.

Siddhartha sabko priye tha. Wah sabke liye anand ka ek srot (स्रोत) tha, sabko prasann (खुश) karta tha. Lekin wah khud apne liye anand ka srot nahi tha, use khud me sukh nahi milta tha. Wah jab anjir ke pedon ke beech gulabi raahon par chalta, dhyan wale baagh ke neel rang ki chhaya me baithta, roz apne sharir ko pavitra jal se dhota, mango ke jungle ki andheri chhaya me yajna karta, tab bhi uska man shaant nahi tha. Uske sare aadarsh vyavhar (उत्तम व्यवहार), sabka prem, sabki khushi—phir bhi uske mann me anand nahi tha.

Uske mann me sapne aur bechain vichar aane lage. Yeh sapne nadi ke jal se behkar aate, raat ke taaron se chamak kar aate, suraj ki kiranon se pighal kar aate. Yeh vichar uske mann me uttejit hone lage, yajna ki aag se dhuaan ban kar uthne lage, Rig-Veda ke shlokon se saans bankar nikalne lage, buddhe Brahmanon ki seekh se ek-ek boond bankar uske mann me girne lage.

Siddhartha ne mehsoos kiya ki uske andar ek ashanti (बेचैनी) janm lene lagi hai. Usne jaana ki uske pita ka prem, uski maa ka prem, uske mitra Govinda ka prem—yeh sab hamesha ke liye usko sukh nahi de sakta, yeh uski atma (आत्मा) ko hamesha poshit (पोषण) nahi kar sakta. Usne shanka (संशय) karna shuru kiya ki jo gyaan uske pita aur budhiman Brahmanon ne diya, shayad wahi unke paas sabse uncha gyaan tha, shayad unhone uske mann ke ghade ko gyaan se bhar diya tha. Lekin yeh ghada abhi bhi pura nahi bhara tha. Uska mann ab bhi santusht nahi tha, uska man shaant nahi tha, uska hriday (दिल) ab bhi pyaasa tha.

Snaan (स्नान) achha tha, lekin yeh bas jal tha—yeh paap nahi dhota tha, yeh aatma ki pyaas nahi bujhata tha, yeh uske mann ke bhay ko door nahi karta tha.

Bali (sacrifice) aur devtaon ki prarthna (invocation) bohot acchi thi—par kya bas itna hi tha? Kya bali se sukh aur achha bhagya (fortune) milta tha? Aur devtaon ka kya? Kya sach me Prajapati ne sansar banaya tha? Ya fir yeh Atman (आत्मा) tha, wahi ekmatra (only one), jo akela (singular) tha?

Kya devta bhi ek rachna (creation) the, mere aur tumhare jaise, samay ke adhikrit (subject to time), marne wale (mortal)? Agar aisa tha, to kya yeh thik tha, kya yeh sahi tha, kya yeh arthpurn (meaningful) aur sabse uncha karya tha ki hum un devtaon ko bali (offerings) dete? Kis ke liye bali deni chahiye thi, kis ki pooja karni chahiye thi, agar nahi us ekmatra, us Atman ki?

Aur Atman kaha tha? Kaha rehta tha? Uska anant (eternal) hriday (heart) kaha dhadakta tha, agar nahi apne hi andar, apne andar ke sabse gehre (innermost) hisson me, apni anashwar (indestructible) atma me, jo har kisi ke andar hoti hai?

Par kaha? Kaha tha yeh Atman, yeh antar-atma (innermost self), yeh antim satya (ultimate truth)? Yeh na to maans (flesh) tha, na haddiyan (bones), na vichar (thought) tha, na hi chetna (consciousness) thi—aisa gyaani (wise men) sikhate the. To fir kaha tha yeh?

Kya is jagah tak pahunchne ka, is Atman tak pahunchne ka koi aur raasta tha, jo khojne layak tha? Par koi is raaste ko dikhata nahi tha, koi ise jaanta nahi tha—na pita, na shikshak (teachers), na gyaani (wise men), na pavitr (holy) yagya ke geet!

Brahman aur unke pavitr granth (holy books) sab kuch jaante the. Unhone sabka gyaan ikattha kiya tha—sansar ka utpatti (creation), vani (speech) ka janm, bhojan, saans lena, saans chhodna, indriyon (senses) ki gathbandhan (arrangement), devtaon ke karm—sab kuch! Unka gyaan anant (infinite) tha. Par kya yeh sab jaanna sarthak (valuable) tha, jab tak wo ek cheez nahi jaani gayi, jo sabse mehtvapurn (important) thi?

Upanishad ke anek shlok (verses), vishesh roop se Samaveda ke shlok, isi gehre satya (deepest truth) ki baat karte the—bahut sundar shlok. Likha tha: "Tumhari atma hi poora sansar hai." Aur likha tha ki aadmi jab gehri neend (deep sleep) me hota hai, tab apne andar ke sabse gehre bhaag (innermost part) se milta hai, Atman me vishram karta hai.

Yeh gyaan adbhut (marvellous) tha, gyaani logo ke yugon (generations) ka sankalit (collected) gyaan tha, jaise madhumakkhiyon (bees) dwara ikattha kiya gaya shuddh (pure) shahad. Nahi, ise tuchchh (inferior) nahi maana ja sakta tha—yeh gyaan anmol (precious) tha, jo anant Brahmano ne sambhal kar rakha tha.

Par kaha the wo Brahman, kaha the wo purohit (priests), kaha the wo gyaani (wise men) jo sirf yeh gyaan jaante hi nahi the, balki ise jeete bhi the?